Die Währungsreform in Polen in den Jahren 1944-1945. Ein unterschätzter Aspekt des Alltagslebens nach dem Krieg

Abstract

Money Exchange on Polish Territories in the Years 1944-1945. An Underestimated Facet of Postwar Everyday Life Abstract The aim of this article is to present mainly the social consequences of money exchange undertaken at the end of the Second World War on Polish territories that had previously been occupied by Germany. Since a number of currencies were in use at the time (Occupation Zloty, German Marks, Russian Rubles, even Allied military marks), one of the goals was to unify and introduce a new currency for the recreated Polish state. Above all, the new Polish authorities needed their own currency in order to finance expenditures; thus, it was crucial to diminish the quantity of money on the market. Rules regulating the exchange varied, they were introduced gradually on various territories, and resulted in a number of problems for citizens. A common consequence was the lack of any money at all or a shortage of small change, which resulted in a worsening food supply. The situation at its worst was to be observed in the Western part of today’s Poland, the so-called “Ziemie odzyskane”, or Recovered Territories. ----- Bibliographie: Bartosz, Dziewanowski-Stefanczy: Die Wahrungsreform in Polen in den Jahren 1944-1945. Ein unterschatzter Aspekt des Alltagslebens nach dem Krieg, JB historie, 1-2016, S. 156-180. https://doi.org/10.3224/jbh.v8-9i1.16