Catalog
5 Pfennigs Großporitsch; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Kriegsgefangenenlager Groß-Poritsch |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
| Type | Vouchers |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 5 Kriegsgefangenenlager Groß-Poritsch Der Kriegsgefangene, Inhaber dieses Gutscheines, erhält bei seiner Entlassung nach der Heimat oder Ueberweisung in ein anderes Lager gegen Rückgabe den Betrag von FÜNF PFENNIG 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 FIVE PFENNIG 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 | Plain pale yellow paper with faint blue ghost impressions of the obverse text visible as a natural show-through from the thin stock; no intentional printed design is present on this face. |
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| Comments |
Groß-Poritsch was a German prisoner-of-war camp in Silesia during World War One, and like hundreds of similar installations across the Reich, it issued its own internal currency to control what prisoners could buy and prevent usable German coin from circulating among men who might attempt escape. The Lagergeld system was administratively mandated, not improvised — camp commandants were required to exchange incoming prisoners' money for scrip redeemable only at the camp canteen.
Johannes Pässler of Dresden handled a significant volume of this work for camps across the region. The 5 Pfennig denomination is the lowest in the Groß-Poritsch series, consistent with canteen pricing for tobacco rations and basic sundries.