1 Mark Lamsdorf Gefangenenlager

Lamsdorf, in Upper Silesia, operated as a major German POW camp during the First World War, eventually holding tens of thousands of prisoners — French, Russian, and British among them. Camp scrip like this 1 Mark piece was a standard administrative tool: it kept prisoner purchasing power confined to the camp canteen and prevented the accumulation of Reich currency that might fund escape attempts. Printed by F. Bärs Buchdruckerei in nearby Neisse, the note relied on a handstamp as its primary authentication — practical rather than sophisticated.

The same facility would be reactivated in 1939 as Stalag VIII-B.