His punishing schedule was that of a corporate financier rather than a central banker. In five years as head of the Bundesbank's international relations, Helmut Schieber took an average 10 foreign trips a month to attend summits with bankers, finance ministers and regulators. "Yes, it was depressing," says Schieber of the ceaseless round of aircraft seats, chauffeured cars and windowless conference rooms.
It was all change in the autumn. Helmut Kohl's G7 sherpa, Jürgen Stark, joined the Bundesbank as vice-president and his experience gave him a natural claim to the international relations portfolio. Schieber took a sideways move to become head of financial markets and the 60-year-old Bundesbank career man welcomed the chance to enhance his lifestyle.
In November, Schieber travelled to Athens to give a speech on Emu's impact on banks in Europe - a routine assignment. But it will stand out in his memory. "I managed to do something I hadn't done in the whole previous five years. I added a day's vacation to the trip and went to see the Parthenon and the Acropolis."
For Schieber, the highlight of IMF meetings in Washington over the years was the chance to hear "The Bird" (Charlie Parker) play at Blues Alley in Georgetown.