Catalog
1 Mark Groß-Poritsch; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Kriegsgefangenenlager Groß-Poritsch |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
| Type | Vouchers |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1 Kriegsgefangenenlager Groß-Poritsch Der Kriegsgefangene, Inhaber dieses Gutscheines, erhält bei seiner Entlassung nach der Heimat oder Überweisung in ein anderes Lager gegen Rückgabe den Betrag von EINE MARK von der Verwaltung für Gefangenengeld des Kriegs-gefangenenlagers Groß-Poritsch ausbezahlt. Der Schein gilt nur innerhalb des Lagers. Groß-Poritsch, 1. Februar 1916. Kommandant Major. JOHANNES PÄSSLER, DRESDEN-N. (Translation: Groß-Poritsch prisoner of war camp. The prisoner of war, holder of this voucher, will receive upon his release to his homeland or transfer to another camp, upon return, the amount of one mark paid by the administration for prisoner money of the prisoner of war camp Groß-Poritsch. The note is valid only within the camp. Groß-Poritsch, February 1, 1916. Commandant Major.) |
| Reverse description | Reverse plain, unprinted yellow paper with faint blue fibres visible throughout; a lightly impressed border frame is discernible from the obverse printing. |
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| Comments |
Groß-Poritsch was a World War One prisoner-of-war camp in Silesia, and like most German PoW facilities from 1915 onward, it operated its own internal currency to prevent prisoners from accumulating Reichsmarks — a policy driven by security concerns as much as economic ones. Camp scrip could not be used outside the wire, which suited the administration.
Johannes Pässler of Dresden produced scrip for a number of German military facilities during the war, and the quality of printing generally exceeded what the circumstances seemed to demand. Campbell 3048 places this within a documented series for the camp, though surviving examples are thinly traded.