Lodz (Litzmannstadt) ghetto scrip, 1 mark note 2007.45.55 back
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, United States
1 mark note receipt created in the Lodz ghetto and recovered from the ghetto by Malwina (Inka) Gerson and her parents, Dora and Gustav. When the Germans transferred Jews to the ghetto, they confiscated all currency in exchange for Quittungen [receipts] that could be spent only inside the ghetto. The scrip was designed by the Judenrat [Jewish Council] and includes traditional Jewish symbols. After the German occupation of Poland in 1939, 11 year old Inka and her family were forced into the Jewish ghetto in Lodz, which was renamed Litzmannstadt by the Germans. All ghetto inhabitants over the age of 10 had to work and Inka worked in a hat-making workshop. The Germans destroyed the ghetto in July 1944 and Inka's family was part of the work detail kept to clean up and salvage materials from the ghetto and to dig mass graves. The Allen family avoided the subsequent deportations to concentration camps and were still living in the ghetto when the city was liberated by the Russian Army in early 1945. The family left Poland for Bolivia in 1945.
1 mark note receipt created in the Lodz ghetto and recovered from the ghetto by Malwina (Inka) Gerson and her parents, Dora and Gustav. When the Germans transferred Jews to the ghetto, they confiscated all currency in exchange for Quittungen [receipts] that could be spent only inside the ghetto. The scrip was designed by the Judenrat [Jewish Council] and includes traditional Jewish symbols. After the German occupation of Poland in 1939, 11 year old Inka and her family were forced into the Jewish ghetto in Lodz, which was renamed Litzmannstadt by the Germans. All ghetto inhabitants over the age of 10 had to work and Inka worked in a hat-making workshop. The Germans destroyed the ghetto in July 1944 and Inka's family was part of the work detail kept to clean up and salvage materials from the ghetto and to dig mass graves. The Allen family avoided the subsequent deportations to concentration camps and were still living in the ghetto when the city was liberated by the Russian Army in early 1945. The family left Poland for Bolivia in 1945.
- Title: Lodz (Litzmannstadt) ghetto scrip, 1 mark note 2007.45.55 back
- Provenance: The scrip was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007 by Malwina "Inka" Gerson Allen., The scrip was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007 by Malwina "Inka" Gerson Allen.
- Subject Keywords: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Economic aspects. Jewish children in the Holocaust--Poland. Jewish families--Poland--Łódź. Jewish ghettos--Economic aspects--Poland--Łódź. Poland--History--Occupation, 1939-1945., Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Economic aspects. Jewish children in the Holocaust--Poland. Jewish families--Poland--Łódź. Jewish ghettos--Economic aspects--Poland--Łódź. Poland--History--Occupation, 1939-1945.
- Type: Exchange Media, Exchange Media
- Rights: Permanent Collection, Permanent Collection
- External Link: See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Medium: Offwhite paper scrip printed in green ink with black text. The face has a background latticework pattern. The denomination 1 is in the lower right corner in bold font. There is a 1 inch right margin, then a rectangle with a border of barbed wire interspersed with Stars of David. The inside has a background of interlocked Jewish stars with a large star in a circle in the upper left corner and a smaller one in the center of the right side border. Across the center is the denomination and other German text. The serial number in red ink replaces the upper right border. The back has a blank background with the denomination 1 in bold font in the lower left corner. There is a 1 inch left margin, then a rectangle with a border of barbed wire interspersed with Stars of David. The inside has 2 sets of 8 concentric rings with the numerical denomination in the center. A banner with the textual denomination connects the rings. The banner crosses over a 7-branched candelabrum in the center, with German text above and below. Offwhite paper currency with a green latticework watermark. On the face in the upper right and lower left corners is the numerical denomination 50 within a purple square; in the upper left and lower right corners is a Star of David outline within a purple square. In the center is a 7-branched candelabrum in purple ink and German text in black ink on a background pattern of interlocked 6-pointed Stars of David in purple ink. On the back in the upper corners is the denomination 50, in the center is German text in black ink and the serial number in red on a background pattern of interlocked 6-pointed Stars of David in purple ink., Offwhite paper scrip printed in green ink with black text. The face has a background latticework pattern. The denomination 1 is in the lower right corner in bold font. There is a 1 inch right margin, then a rectangle with a border of barbed wire interspersed with Stars of David. The inside has a background of interlocked Jewish stars with a large star in a circle in the upper left corner and a smaller one in the center of the right side border. Across the center is the denomination and other German text. The serial number in red ink replaces the upper right border. The back has a blank background with the denomination 1 in bold font in the lower left corner. There is a 1 inch left margin, then a rectangle with a border of barbed wire interspersed with Stars of David. The inside has 2 sets of 8 concentric rings with the numerical denomination in the center. A banner with the textual denomination connects the rings. The banner crosses over a 7-branched candelabrum in the center, with German text above and below. Offwhite paper currency with a green latticework watermark. On the face in the upper right and lower left corners is the numerical denomination 50 within a purple square; in the upper left and lower right corners is a Star of David outline within a purple square. In the center is a 7-branched candelabrum in purple ink and German text in black ink on a background pattern of interlocked 6-pointed Stars of David in purple ink. On the back in the upper corners is the denomination 50, in the center is German text in black ink and the serial number in red on a background pattern of interlocked 6-pointed Stars of David in purple ink.
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