Catalog
20 Mark Wiesa; Officer PoW Camp
| Issuer | Offizier-Gefangenen-Lager Wiesa bei Annaberg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Currency | Papiermark (1914-1923) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 20 OFFIZIER-GEFANGENEN-LAGER WIESA BEI ANNABERG Der Kriegsgefangene, Inhaber dieses Gutscheines, erhält bei seiner Entlassung nach der Heimat oder Ueberweisung in ein anderes Lager gegen Rückgabe den Betrag von ZWANZIG MARK von der Verwaltung für Gefangenengeld des Offizier-Gefangenenlagers Wiesa bei Annaberg ausbezahlt. Der Schein gilt nur innerhalb des Lagers. Postoffizier Leutnant Wiesa bei Annaberg, 1. Januar 1916. Kommandant Rittmeister JOHANNES PÄSSLER DRESDEN-N. (Translation: Officer prisoner of war camp Wiesa near Annaberg. The prisoner of war, holder of this voucher, receives upon his release to the homeland or transfer to another camp upon return, the amount of twenty mark paid by the administration for prisoner money of the officer prisoner of war camp Wiesa near Annaberg. The note is valid only inside the camp. Postal Officer. Lieutenant. Wiesa near Annaberg, January 1, 1916. Commandant. Cavalry Captain) |
| Reverse description | Unprinted pale yellow paper reverse showing the faint ghosted impression of the obverse design bleeding through, with no intentional printed elements; the sheet exhibits a vertical centre fold consistent with circulation within the camp. |
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| Comments |
Wiesa was a small Saxon village near Annaberg-Buchholz, and the officer prisoner-of-war camp established there during the First World War was one of dozens of Offizierslager scattered across the German interior. Officer prisoners, under the Hague Conventions, could not be compelled to work and required a functioning internal economy — hence the camp scrip. The 20 Mark denomination is relatively high for camp currency, suggesting it was intended for larger transactions within the officers' mess or canteen rather than day-to-day small purchases.
Johannes Pässler of Dresden produced a number of similar camp issues for Saxon facilities during this period, working to tight wartime schedules with modest materials.