us-005578-irn43437-irn43909
title: Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 2 kronen, acquired by Kindertransport refugee
biographical history: Franz Peter Kien was born January 1, 1919, in Varnsdorf, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic), to Leonard and Olga Frankl Kien. His father Leonard was born in 1886, in Varnsdorf, and was a member of the German-speaking Jewish population in the, the Sudetenalnd, which bordered Germany. Leonard was a textile manufacturer with his own factory. Peter’s mother Olga was born in 1898, in Bzenec, Austro-Hungary (Czech Republic), to Jewish parents. After 1929, the Kien family moved to Brno. Peter enrolled at the German Gymnasium, where he excelled at drawing, painting, and writing. In 1936, he graduated and moved to Prague to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. He also attended the Officina Pragensis, a private graphic design school run by a well-known Jewish artist, Hugo Steiner-Prag. On September 29, 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland. On March 15, 1939, Germany invaded Prague and annexed the Bohemia and Moravia provinces of Czechoslovakia, ruled by a Reich Protector. Jews were banned from participation in government, businesses, and organization, including schools. Peter had to leave the Academy, but continued to study at the Officina Pragensis. He also taught at Vinohrady Synagogue. In September 1940, Peter married Ilse Stranska, who was born on May 9, 1915, in Pilsen, to Jewish parents. In late September 1941, Reinhard Heydrich, the SS head of RSHA, Reich Main Security Office, became Reich Protector. Soon there were regular deportations of Jews to concentration camps. At the end of November, Theresienstadt concentration and transit camp near Prague got its first shipment of Jewish prisoners. On December 14, Peter was transported to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp. He was assigned to the technical department where he worked as a draftsman and designer alongside other artists, including Bedrich Fritta, Leo Haas, and Jiri Lauscher. On July 16, 1942, Peter’s wife Ilse arrived in the camp. On January 30, 1943, Peter’s parents Leonard and Olga were transported from Bzenec to Te…
has record set type: Item
archival history: The scrip was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2011 by Gustav Jacob Meyer.
type: RecordSet
scope and content: Scrip, valued at 2 [zwei] kronen, of the type distributed in German occupied Czechoslovakia acquired by Gustav Meyer. Gustav was sent to safety on a Kindertransport from Germany to Great Britain ca. 1938. Inmates in Theresienstadt were not allowed to have currency. The SS ordered the Jewish Council to design scrip for use only in the camp. Notes were printed in 7 denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100. The scrip was issued to create a false appearance of normalcy. There was little to obtain with it. The camp was in operation from November 24, 1941 until early May 1945. Approximately 140,000 Jewish men, women, and children were transferred to Theresienstadt; nearly 90,000 were then deported, likely to their death, further east. About 33,000 Jews died in Theresienstadt.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Theresienstadt scrip printed on rectangular, offwhite paper in red-brown and light red ink. The face has a vignette with an image of Moses, a bearded man with a wrinkled brow, holding 2 stone tablets with the 10 Commandments in Hebrew. To the right is the denomination 2 and German text. The background rectangle has a geometric latticework pattern. On the right is a wide, offwhite border with 2 in the bottom corner below a Star of David. The reverse has a background rectangle with an interlocked diamond pattern, overprinted with German text, an engraved signature, and a scrollwork line. The denomination 2 is in the upper right corner. On the left is a wide, off-white border with 2 in the lower corner below a Star of David in a lined circle. The plate letter and number are in the upper left corner. The scrip has brown stain, discoloration, and a central crease.
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn43437-irn43909/alternateIDs/1
record resource extent: overall: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Width: 4.250 inches (10.795 cm)
is or was included in: us-005578-irn43437
has or had some members with language: deu
date: 1943 January 01
has or had holder: us-005578
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn43437-irn43909/acquisitions/1
identifier: irn43909