Lot98

98  From

256

98

Five bills from the Theresienstadt ghetto

Opening price: $200

Commission: 23%

Sold: $280
01.29.2024 07:00am

Five banknotes from the Theresienstadt ghetto in values: 1, 2, 10, 50, 100 krone. Theresienstadt, 1943.

The first camp in which the Nazis issued banknotes for internal use by the Jews was Oranienburg-Sachsenhausen, which was located close to Berlin. Each camp prisoner, and then each ghetto resident, was required to exchange his money and some of his property for banknotes for the camp or ghetto in which he was confined. Owners of the banknotes were not allowed to acquire anything with the local money outside of the ghetto boundaries, as it was valid only within the ghetto. The Nazi’s purpose in this was to prevent an event in which prisoners would succeed in escaping from the camps, so that they would have no means with which to buy food or clothing. This made plans to escape significantly more difficult.

On the Theresienstadt ghetto banknotes, a star of David was printed, and picture of an illustration of Moshe and the Ten Commandments. The notes were designed by the Czech artist Peter Kien, who was later killed in Auschwitz. The reason the banknotes were valued in krone [the Czech currency] and not in German marks was due to Theresienstadt’s geographic location in Czechoslovakia (which was mostly occupied by the Nazis before WWII), with the value of the Czech currency. In general, the banknotes of higher values were not used, as buying expensive items was inconceivable in the ghetto. The Nazis just issued banknotes of high values to give the “Jewish economy” the appearance of a regular, flourishing economy, by giving the impression of the “normalcy” of regular, orderly daily life, which the Nazis made an effort to present to the representatives of the Red Cross who visited the ghetto.

Banknotes in used condition – time stains and signs of use.

More items

Ask about the item

98. Five bills from the Theresienstadt ghetto