Roland (regional money)

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Logo - ROLAND-Regional
ROLAND
region Bremen , Ottersberg ,
Osterholz district
and the surrounding area
abbreviation ROLAND or
ROL
value 1 EUR = 1 ROL
Circulation protection 1% per month

The Roland ( proper spelling ROLAND , ROL for short ) is one of the regional currencies in Germany . Acceptance points can be found in the northern German states of Bremen and Lower Saxony , where it is particularly widespread in the city of Bremen , in the neighboring Ottersberg ( Verden district ) and in the Osterholz district in Lower Saxony and their surroundings. The Roland can be used by end consumers and traders if they become a member of the “Roland-Wirtschaftsring”. Issuer of the existing since 2001Regional money is the association ROLAND-Regional Association for Sustainable Economics. V. based in Bremen.

The regional money ROLAND

A ROLAND is worth exactly one euro . It is a clearing unit in the form of check vouchers, the value of which is entered by the issuing member and which can only be used among members of the regional economic ring. Due to the circulation protection by means of a "circulation fee", the inventory of member accounts loses 1% of its value per month. This fee is borne by the respective holders of the vouchers and received by the issuer as proceeds. This applies to both positive and negative stocks.

There is no interest income on the accounts. Excess Roland credit can be credited to a personal savings account , which is managed without a circulation fee and also without interest. From the third booking in the month, two rolands are required for account management. An exchange of the Roland credit in euros is subject to a fee. The share of the Roland amount in a payment is optional and is decided or agreed between the people involved.

As a complementary currency , the Roland does not replace the official euro, but serves as an additional means of payment recognized in around 120 companies. In order to be able to trade officially with this, a membership in the ROLAND-Wirtschaftsring is necessary, which however is free of charge for companies and customers. The admission fee is currently (2012) 10 euros or 20 euros for traders. The Roland-Wirtschaftsring is a civil law company (GbR) that was founded in 2001 by the ROLAND-Regional Association for Sustainable Economics e. V. was established. On October 1, 2001, the regional currency ROLAND was introduced. The sponsoring association had previously been founded as a registered association in February 2001 ; it is based in Bremen. There is a central clearing office in Ottersberg where the accounts are administered on a voluntary basis.

Initially, only 5 Roland vouchers were issued, later check vouchers were introduced that are settled electronically.

Interest-free financial aid is made available with the euro amounts collected. The maximum amount is 5000 Roland, with a guarantor for every 1000 Roland. The grant offer is aimed primarily at organic farmers and organic shops . When using the savings or aid accounts, up to 100 Roland are set as a capital contribution , which serves to secure the aid in solidarity. The repayment of the capital contribution takes place proportionally when leaving the Roland-Wirtschaftsring. In addition, payments to Roland may benefit local nonprofits from the seller and / or buyer. The amount of funding is set individually by the member as a percentage of Roland's sales. Sales and income in Roland are subject to tax law , the Roland check vouchers must therefore be treated by the contributors in their own bookkeeping like another bank account .

In order to “further increase the attractiveness of the Roland”, a points system was introduced at the beginning of 2012, with which various discounts can be granted.

Background and name

The central idea behind the regional money “Roland” is the “ free economy ” interest rate criticism . The initiators of the regional money "Roland" wanted to use the "Roland" to fight the problems of global economic growth by creating "a kind of second currency, a regional economic cycle [...]" and thus "at the local level against the all-embracing globalization of the Moving goods ", initially limited to the city of Bremen. The members of the “Roland voucher ring” are “forced to” themselves by exchanging euros for Roland sums, as they can only spend them “only in local shops”. The association they founded, which is now also active in the Bremen area, is dedicated to “researching, stimulating and promoting sustainable forms of economy and alternative payment and currency systems ” as well as “promoting organic farming in the Bremen region”. The loss in value of one percent per month is intended to ensure that the Roland is not “hoarded”, but rather that “the money is repeatedly exchanged for goods and services in a fast cycle”. In particular, small shops, service providers and producers should be supported, primarily in the field of organic agriculture.

The name of the regional currency refers to the Bremen Roland , a well-known Bremen landmark. The regional money ROLAND is supposed to protect "against the pitfalls of the financial systems", similar to how its namesake - the Roland statue on the market square in Bremen  - protected against the "arbitrariness of church violence". A picture of the Bremen Roland statue was printed on both sides of the Roland vouchers that were used in the past, while the check vouchers now used have the statue in the form of a watermark . As is often found with other regional funds, the chosen name provides information about the region in which the ROLAND is distributed.

Current numbers

In 2009, goods and services worth 360,000 Roland were bought and paid for, which is the same amount in euros. In 2010 the annual turnover was 370,000 Roland. For 2012, sales of more than 500,000 Roland are expected for the first time.

As of December 2012, the Roland-Wirtschaftsring has a total of 118 member companies where payments can be made with ROLAND . The number of members of the business ring was around 250 in August 2012.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d See the agreement flyer for the ROLAND business ring (PDF) from the ROLAND Regional Association for Sustainable Business. V. of September 2011. PDF file; Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  2. ↑ a b c Jelena Wengoborski: The regional currency "Roland" in cross-examination. Producers and consumers were able to find out more about the interest-free accounting method (PDF) In: Osterholzer Kreisblatt , March 7, 2009, p. 5; accessed on December 2, 2012. *
  3. ↑ Manuela Gutberlet: The installer also uses Roland. Local currency is intended to sustainably promote companies in Bremen and to retain customers. In: Weser-Kurier of August 4, 2004, p. 19. *
  4. ↑ Information on the accounting procedure of the ROLAND Regional Association for Sustainable Economics e. V., accessed January 7, 2013
  5. ↑ a b Yannic Wittenberg, Sascha Rühl, Detlev Scheil, Monika Felsing: Dagmar Wanschura also pays with Roland. Bremen's substitute currency is only slowly becoming popular in the district / users want to support regional cash flow. In: District Courier , West Edition, August 27, 2012, p. 2. *
  6. ↑ Money economy: Our money system as a system error . On: Website of the ROLAND Regional Association for Sustainable Economics e. V. Accessed December 24, 2012.
  7. ↑ money. Roland model . In: Der Spiegel . No. 14 , 2004, p. 63 ( online ).
  8. ↑ a b See ROLAND-Regional website . Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ a b Arno Schupp: "That makes four Roland, please". Bremen regional currency is celebrating its tenth birthday / Last year sales were 370,000 euros. In: Verdener Nachrichten of October 1, 2011, p. 14. *
  10. ↑ Private exchange →  The idea . On: ROLAND regional website . Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  11. ↑ Armin Simon: Knight of the domestic demand . (PDF) In: taz , June 28, 2010. PDF file; Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  12. ↑ a b Yannic Wittenberg, Detlev Scheil: Roland regional money remains in circulation. Bremen's substitute currency has a loyal circle of friends and is gradually gaining supporters. In: District Courier , Southeast edition, August 5, 2012, p. 5. *

* Available online via the digital newspaper archive of Bremer Tageszeitungen AG (subject to a charge).