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Nazi Germany, 1 Rentenmark note, owned by a Jewish man held in Lodz ghetto and multiple concentration camps 2013.223.3 back

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, United States

1937 German 1 (eine) rentenmark note owned by Abe Fingerhut. Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and one week later occupied Lodz where Abe lived with his wife and infant son, Jozek. In February 1940, the family was put in the Jewish ghetto which was closed in with barbed wire. Abe, a tailor, worked in the ghetto textile industry. Conditions were terrible in the ghetto: it was extremely overcrowded, food was scarce, and disease and malnutrition were common. Jozek died in July 1941. The day before the ghetto was liquidated on August 4, 1944, Abe was sent to Auschwitz. In September, he was transferred to Siegmar-Schoenau labor camp, a subcamp of Flossenburg, where he was assigned prisoner number 26495. In January 1945, he was marched to Hohenstein-Ernstthal labor camp. Abe was liberated by Soviet troops on May 7, 1945, on a forced march to Flossenburg. He returned to Lodz and discovered that his parents, Samuel and Chana, had been sent to Chelmno killing center and his wife died while in forced labor service. Abe lived with a group of other survivors, but they felt threatened by the Soviet occupation and fled west. Abe went to Lampertheim displaced persons camp in Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1947.

1937 German 1 (eine) rentenmark note owned by Abe Fingerhut. Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and one week later occupied Lodz where Abe lived with his wife and infant son, Jozek. In February 1940, the family was put in the Jewish ghetto which was closed in with barbed wire. Abe, a tailor, worked in the ghetto textile industry. Conditions were terrible in the ghetto: it was extremely overcrowded, food was scarce, and disease and malnutrition were common. Jozek died in July 1941. The day before the ghetto was liquidated on August 4, 1944, Abe was sent to Auschwitz. In September, he was transferred to Siegmar-Schoenau labor camp, a subcamp of Flossenburg, where he was assigned prisoner number 26495. In January 1945, he was marched to Hohenstein-Ernstthal labor camp. Abe was liberated by Soviet troops on May 7, 1945, on a forced march to Flossenburg. He returned to Lodz and discovered that his parents, Samuel and Chana, had been sent to Chelmno killing center and his wife died while in forced labor service. Abe lived with a group of other survivors, but they felt threatened by the Soviet occupation and fled west. Abe went to Lampertheim displaced persons camp in Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1947.

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  • Title: Nazi Germany, 1 Rentenmark note, owned by a Jewish man held in Lodz ghetto and multiple concentration camps 2013.223.3 back
  • Location: Poland--History--Occupation, 1939-1945., Poland--History--Occupation, 1939-1945.
  • Provenance: The currency was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Diane Finger, the daughter of Albert Finger., The currency was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Diane Finger, the daughter of Albert Finger.
  • Subject Keywords: Concentration camp inmates--Poland--Biography. Death marches--Poland--Biography. Forced labor--Poland--Biography. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland--Lodz--Personal narratives, Jewish. Holocaust survivors--United States--Biography. Jewish ghettos--Poland--Lodz. World War, 1939-1945--Conscript labor--Personal narratives, Jewish., Concentration camp inmates--Poland--Biography. Death marches--Poland--Biography. Forced labor--Poland--Biography. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland--Lodz--Personal narratives, Jewish. Holocaust survivors--United States--Biography. Jewish ghettos--Poland--Lodz. World War, 1939-1945--Conscript labor--Personal narratives, Jewish.
  • 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: Rectangular, offwhite paper currency printed in green ink. The face has a red and green latticework rectangle with a green chainlink border with a shield flourishes on the left and a large denomination 1 in the center. Superimposed over this in the serial number in red ink, with 7 lines of German text below, with the text denomination in the center. In the upper right and bottom corners of the rectangle is the denomination 1. There are 2 vertical lines of German text along the left side of the rectangle.There is a wide right margin with the denomination 1 in the upper corner and a circular bank seal embossed in the bottom corner. The back has a latticework rectangle with the denomination 1 in each corner. There are 2 large, geometric patterned bands in the center: the left has a sheaf of wheat; the right has a patterned 1 in the center, crossed by a banner with Rentenmark. The bands are connected by a geometric floral motif and there is German text across the top and bottom cente. There is a wide left margin with the denomination 1 above Rentenmark in the bottom corner over the embossed seal. The note is very worn, creased, and torn., Rectangular, offwhite paper currency printed in green ink. The face has a red and green latticework rectangle with a green chainlink border with a shield flourishes on the left and a large denomination 1 in the center. Superimposed over this in the serial number in red ink, with 7 lines of German text below, with the text denomination in the center. In the upper right and bottom corners of the rectangle is the denomination 1. There are 2 vertical lines of German text along the left side of the rectangle.There is a wide right margin with the denomination 1 in the upper corner and a circular bank seal embossed in the bottom corner. The back has a latticework rectangle with the denomination 1 in each corner. There are 2 large, geometric patterned bands in the center: the left has a sheaf of wheat; the right has a patterned 1 in the center, crossed by a banner with Rentenmark. The bands are connected by a geometric floral motif and there is German text across the top and bottom cente. There is a wide left margin with the denomination 1 above Rentenmark in the bottom corner over the embossed seal. The note is very worn, creased, and torn.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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