Six banknotes in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 4, 40 and 50 pfennigs from the Flossenbürg concentration camp subcamp Holešov - early 1940s. Rare condition.
The Nazis established the Flossenbürg concentration camp in 1938 in the town of the same name near Weiden, in the Upper Palatine Forest in Bavaria, close to the border with the Sudetenland. In total around 90,000 people were imprisoned there, of whom at least 30,000 were murdered. After 1943, a dense network of around 100 subcamps was added in Bavaria, Saxony and Bohemia. In Holešov, one of the subcamps, the Nazis printed these banknotes for use in the camp.
Although the camp was repeatedly expanded, the number of prisoners was always far greater than the camp's capacity. Living conditions in the camp were extraordinarily harsh. Hard labor in quarries, inadequate care provided to prisoners, as well as the cruelty of camp guards and SS men, cost many prisoners their lives. On April 20, 1945 the camp was finally evacuated. Camp commander Max Koegel ordered a death march towards Dachau concentration camp. After World War II ended, around 5,000 bodies were found along the prisoner death march routes. Around 1,600 prisoners too weak for the march remained in the camp.
6 banknotes. Same size: 5.5x3 cm. Very good condition.
