„Nun kommt der Knallprotz vom ganzen Land“ – Emergency Money in Bavaria 1914-1923

On a 1 trillion Deutsche Mark note, issued by the city of Bamberg in the inflation year of 1923, it says next to the picture of a green toadstool:

Nun kommt der Knallprotz vom ganzen Land:
Billionenschein hat er sich prahlend genannt.
Er wächst wie ein sumpfig-giftiger Ritter
Im Wirtschaftssumpf als Riesenziffer.

Billionen Mark? Ein Täuschungswert!
Doch billionfaches Leid hat die Zeit beschert!
Billionen Seufzer steigen rings auf
Und Hunger u. Tränen bezeichnen den Lauf.

Gesunde Zeit, stell wieder dich ein
Und töte den Giftschwamm Billionenschein
Als letzten Tyrannen im kranken Staat -
Und führ' von dem Sumpf uns auf trocknen Pfad!



Now the firecracker comes from all over the country:
He called himself a trillion bucks.
He grows like a swampy poisonous knight
In the economic swamp as a giant figure.

Trillion marks? A deception value!
But time has caused suffering billions of times over!
Trillions of sighs rise up all around
And hunger and tears mark the course.

Healthy time, get back on track
And kill the poison sponge trillion dollar bill
As the last tyrants in the sick state -
And lead us from the swamp on a dry path

The inflation and economic crisis of 1923 also affected Bavaria. Numerous issues of emergency money executed by municipalities, companies and banks between 1914 and 1923 document the currency decline, which ended in 1923 with the complete collapse of the monetary system. Nonetheless, emergency money is a central historical and cultural memorial of Bavarian history. Numerous illustrations of sights in the cities and communities and portraits of locally important persons bear witness to this memory, as do companies that issued emergency money - and no longer exist or still play an important role in the Bavarian economy.

The virtual exhibition complements the collection "Emergency Money in Bavaria 1914–1923". The course and effect of inflation in Germany between 1914 and 1923 are shown on the basis of selected objects. The focus is on the function, distribution, production and design of emergency money.

About the exhibition