Theresienstadt Scrip

Czechoslovakia, 1943

Image Slideshow

A blue banknote featuring an old man with a beard pointing at a tablet with Hebrew writing on it. A Star of David is printed in lower right corner.
50-kronen scrip from Theresienstadt ghetto camp engraved with the signature of Jakob Edelstein, Elder of the Jews.
A blue banknote worth 50 krone that reads “Quittung über Fünfzig kronen.” A Star of David is printed in lower left corner and the note is signed by the Elder of the Jews in Theresienstadt, Jakob Edelstein.
50-kronen scrip from Theresienstadt ghetto camp engraved with an illustration of Moses holding the 10 commandments.

In the Theresienstadt ghetto-camp, the "Bank of Jewish Self-Administration" issued scrip as a substitute for paper money. The scrip was worthless and there was nothing in the ghetto to purchase.

This was one of many ways that the Nazis tried to make appear that Theresienstadt was a civilized town for “resettled” Jews. In reality, Theresienstadt was a forced-labour ghetto and transit camp. Jews were imprisoned there before their deportation to death camps in the east.

Donated to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre by Joseph Segal. 2000.009.002.

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