A Private Archive — 1914–1923
Between 1914 and 1923, hundreds of German cities issued their own paper money. These small works of art tell the story of a nation in crisis.
A special series of 210 banknotes issued in 1922 by seventy Mecklenburg towns to honour the Low German poet Fritz Reuter — never meant as money, but as small works of art for collectors.
Discover the ReutergeldNotgeld — literally "emergency money" — was issued by German cities, towns, and private institutions during the economic turmoil of World War I and the Weimar Republic hyperinflation (1914–1923).
Unlike standard currency, Notgeld was often beautifully illustrated, featuring local landmarks, folklore, and satirical imagery. Many were collected as art objects rather than used as money.
This is a private collection of 1,498 Notgeld from 307 cities and towns — mostly within historical Germany, including border regions now in Denmark and Poland — catalogued using the Grabowski/Mehl, Keller, Geiger, Müller, Tieste, and Diessner references.