Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 10 Reichsmarks, owned by a Jewish Polish survivor

Identifier
irn522316
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 1990.31.7
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 2.875 inches (7.302 cm) | Width: 5.750 inches (14.605 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Bella Jakubowicz (later Tovey) was born in 1926 in Sosnowiec, Poland. She was the oldest of four children. Her father owned a knitting factory which the Germans confiscated after they invaded Poland in 1939. The family's furniture was given to an ethnic German woman. They were forced to move to the ghetto where Bella was a forced laborer in a factory. At the end of 1942, the family was sent to the ghetto in Będzin, Poland. In 1943, Bella was deported to Gräben a subcamp of Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Germany. In 1944, she was sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. She was liberated in April 1945 by British forces. Bella emigrated to the United States in 1946.

Archival History

The money was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990 by Bella Jakubowicz Tovey.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Bella Jakubowicz Tovey

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Scope and Content

Weimar Germany 10 mark note acquired by Henry Tovey. After Nazi Germany occupied Poland on September 1, 1939, Henry was confined to the ghetto on Łódź, renamed Litzmannstadt. The Germans closed the ghetto in summer 1944 by deporting the residents to concentration camps or killing centers. Henry later married Bella Jacubowicz, who was from Sosnowiec, Poland. Bella, her parents, and her three younger siblings were forced into the ghetto. At the end of 1942, the family was sent to the ghetto in Bedzin. In 1943, Bella was deported to Graben, a subcamp of Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Germany. In 1944, she was sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. She was liberated in April 1945 by British forces. Bella emigrated to the United States in 1946.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Rectangular, offwhite paper banknote with green and red ink. The face has a green design with a red underprint. It has an embossed Deutsche Reichsbank seal. On one side is a watermarked portrait of a man. The note is soiled, with deep creases and folds.

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.