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Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 100000 mark, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object | Accession Number: 2004.709.8
2004.709.8 front Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 100000 mark, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee Click to enlarge 2004.709.8 back Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 100000 mark, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee Click to enlarge

Emergency currency, valued at 100 thousand marks [hundert tausend] mark, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was issued in 1923 by the German government during the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Date
issue:  after 1923 February 01
Geography
issue: Berlin (Germany)
Language
German
Classification
Exchange Media
Category
Money
Object Type
Emergency currency (lcsh)
Credit Line
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Robert Jonas Gross

About This Object

Physical Description
Rectangular 100,000 mark bank note on watermarked paper in brown, purple, and green ink with a purple stain. The face has an offcenter rectangle with an embellished pale border with the denomination 100000Mark at the bottom. Within the rectangle is the serial number, German text, including the denomination Hunderttausend, 2 Reichsbank Weimar eagle seals, and a portrait of a man in a flat cap, a wealthy 16th century merchant. In the wide right margin is the denomination 100000 within an embellished oval. The reverse has an offcenter rectangle with a scalloped border and ornate latticework background. In the center is a large, embellished, multi-part oval with 100000 MARK. The wide, left margin has an oak leaf branch watermark. It is slightly discolored, with creased folds and slight wear.
Dimensions
overall: Height: 4.500 inches (11.43 cm) | Width: 7.500 inches (19.05 cm)
Materials
overall : paper, ink
Markings
face, top, brown ink : Reichsbanknote
face, top right, green ink : N·05256270
face, center, brown ink : Hunderttaussend / Mark / zahlt die Reichsbankhaupt / kasse in Berlin gegen diese / Banknote dem Einlieferer. / Berlin, den 1.Februar 1923 / Reichsbankdirecktorium [One hundred thousand / Mark / pays the Reichsbank in Berlin against the Central Cash Office. Berlin, February 1, 1923 Reichsbankdirecktorium]
face, bottom left, green ink : N·05256270
face, bottom center, brown ink : 100000Mark
face, right margin, purple ink : 100000
back, center, red ink : Reichsbanknote / R·B·D / 100000 / mark / HunderttausendMark
Contributor
Subject: Erich Maier
Issuer: Reichsbankdirektorium
Biography
Erich Maier was born on August 25, 1889, to Max and Julia Kohn Maier in Neunkirchen, Austria, where his father (d. 1929) was born. The family was descended from the revered Talmudic scholar, Rabbi Eisenstadt (d. 1744, Hungary.) Erich’s mother was born on August 6, 1854, in Lajtaszentmiklos, Hungary (now Neudorfl, Austria.) Erich had five brothers: a twin Ernst, Otto, b. 1877, Leo, b. 1882, Benno, b. 1884, and Arthur, b. 1886, and three sisters: Flora, b. 1878, Helena, b. 1880, and Minna, (approximately 1892-1932.) Erich had a law degree from the University of Vienna and was active in the Jewish community. He became an associate in a law firm with Leo Hermann Gruber. Gruber, a well-known criminal defense attorney and outspoken opponent of the Nazi Party, died of cancer at age 41 on December 29, 1934. His widow, Ella (Elisabeth), who handled the firm’s business records, agreed to let Erich take over the practice. Erich and Ella married on December 15, 1935. Ella, the only daughter of wealthy parents, Jonas and Jetti Tannenblatt Hochstadt, was born in Vienna on January 16, 1908. She had married Leo Gruber on August 2, 1925, and they had two daughters, Amelia, born September 24, 1929, and Gerda, born April 25, 1931. Erich and Ella were a well-to-do Jewish family.

Nazi Germany merged Austria into the German Reich in March 1938. They enacted anti-Jewish laws to disenfranchise Jews as citizens and Jews were no longer permitted to take part in many activities and professions. Erich’s law practice was forced to close in June because he was Jewish. The family’s home was often searched by the Gestapo. On one visit, they demanded to see Leo Gruber and Ella had to give them directions to his gravesite as proof that he was dead. They confiscated and stole personal belongings, including a doll carriage.

The family decided to leave Austria. Ella found a cousin, Nathan Rennert, in America, who provided an affidavit of support for the family to obtain US visas. The Austrian exit fees were extremely costly, but on November 8, 1938, they fled Vienna for Le Havre, France. They were not allowed to take anything of value. When the train was searched by German authorities, Ella hid her jewelry in her soup. The family fled on the SS Normandie and arrived on November 24 in New York, where they remained. Erich’s brother, Ernst, his wife, Margit, nee Fleischmann, and 7 year old son Thomas escaped to the US in 1939 with his help. Erich and Ernst's brother Arthur joined them in 1941. Their mother, Julia Maier, 85, had died in Vienna in approximately 1939. Her mother Jetti was born in Usciebiskupie, Galicia, Austro-Hungary, (now Usti︠a (Ternopilʹsʹka oblastʹ, Ukraine) on November 8, 1874, and her father Jonas was born in Rostoki, Romania, on December 20, 1875. They were on the Romanian quota for the US, which was very small. Ella arranged exit visas to England, which were so expensive they had to sell properties in Vienna, but the visas expired by the time the properties were sold. Ella then obtained transit visas for Bolivia via the US and her parents arrived in New York in August 1940. They were allowed to remain and moved in with Ella and her family. Erich got a position with the World Jewish Congress and, by 1942, Ella worked there as well.

Both Erich and Ella became naturalized citizens in 1944. Ella and Erich submitted 24 affidavits of support for relatives, and 15 family members reached the US. The others perished. After the war ended in May 1945, they learned that Erich’s other five siblings were killed in concentration camps: Benno in Jasenovac in Croatia in 1941; Leo in Gyor, Hungary, presumably during forced labor service; Leo's wife Sarika in Auschwitz in 1944; Otto in Theresienstadt in February 1944; Flora Frankl and Helena Salz in Auschwitz on October 12, 1944; and Helena’s husband Moritz in Theresienstadt in 1943. Ella’s first husband Leo had two brothers, Erich, (1895-1942), and Fritz, (1900-1939.) The three brothers were born in Vienna to Simon and Amalie Herzstadt Gruber (d. 1900.) Fritz was married to Sofia Selinger (1894-1942) and had a son Siegfried (Fred) (1922-2014.) Fred, 16, received a space on the Kindertransport, a rescue operation that sent Jewish children to safety in Great Britain, and fled Vienna on December 16, 1938. Fritz died due to illness on April 21, 1939. Sofia was deported on November 27, 1941, to Riga, Latvia, and then to Maly Trostenic killing site near Minsk, Belarus, where she was killed on June 15, 1942. Erich Gruber was deported in February 1941 to Kielce, Poland. Ella received a postcard from him dated July 29, 1941, asking for food packages. The ghetto was liquidated in spring 1942, and residents were shipped to Treblinka killing center. Erich Gruber did not survive.

Erich Maier, who was fluent in German, English, French, and Yiddish, had been working as a censor for the US War Department since 1943. After the war ended, he was sent to work in the American zone of occupation in Germany. While there, he acted as the unofficial representative of the World Jewish Congress. He visited displaced persons camps in Germany to gather information and provide aid for Jewish refugees. He collected the names of all the children at Foehrenwald, Mittelbau, and Beth Bialik DP camps, so that the WJC could send letters and care packages. The WJC tried to arrange for Erich to remain as their official representative after his contract with the US War Department ended in 1946, but they could not get the permits. He continued to work for the WJC until 1948. He then took a position with the law firm of Rosenman, Colin, et al. Erich’s law license was not valid in the US, and he worked as librarian and researcher until his retirement. He also continued to volunteer with the WJC, coordinating shipments of books, clothes, and supplies, and searching for relatives of displaced refugees. Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress for over 25 years, retiring as chief archivist. Ella’s father Jonas, 75, died in 1950. Her mother Jetti, 78, passed away in 1952. Amelia married and had two daughters. She passed away in 1967 while working on her PhD. Gerda married Morton Gross and had three sons. She was a special education teacher, with a graduate degree in the subject. Erich, 71, passed away on April 22, 1963. Ella, 79, passed away in May 1987.

Keywords and Subjects

Administrative History

Legal Status
Permanent Collection
Provenance
The paper currency was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004 by Robert Jonas Gross, the step-grandson of Dr. Erich Maier.
Funding Note
The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Rights and Restrictions

Conditions on Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions on Use
No restrictions on use

 
Record last modified: 2022-09-06 14:15:07
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn516981

Also in Ella Hochstadt Gruber Maier and Erich Maier family collection

The collection consists of a bar of soap, paper currency, documents, and photographs relating to the experiences of Ella Hochstadt Gruber Maier, Erich Maier, and members of their families in Austria before World War II and in Europe and the United States during and after the war.

Date: 1899 September 01-1968

Soap bar acquired postwar by an Austrian Jewish refugee working for the WJC

Soap bar acquired postwar by an Austrian Jewish refugee working for the WJC

Object

Bar of soap likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier in 1945 in Germany where he worked for the US War Department and the World Jewish Congress. He was told that it had been made from murdered Jews, although this is not true. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Maier and Gruber families papers

Document

The papers consist of documents, photographs, passports, clippings, and identification cards relating to the Gruber and Maier families, their experiences in Austria, and their immigration to the United States during the Holocaust. The collection documents Erich Maier’s legal career in Austria through 1938 as well as Erich and Ella Maier’s attempts to facilitate their family members’ immigration to the United States in the 1940s.

Japanese invasion banknote, 5 centavos, acquired postwar by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Japanese invasion money, 5 centavos, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier in 1945-1946 in Germany where he worked for the US War Department and the World Jewish Congress. Japan occupied the Philippines in January 1942 and soon began issuing invasion currency. The serial letters PM, suggests an early issue. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Japanese invasion banknote, 10 pesos, acquired postwar by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Japanese invasion money, 10 pesos, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier in 1945-1946 in Germany where he worked for the US War Department and the World Jewish Congress. Japan occupied the Philippines in January 1942 and soon began issuing invasion currency. The serial letters PM, suggests an early issue. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Japanese invasion money, half gulden, acquired postwar by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Japanese invasion money, half gulden, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier in 1945-1946 in Germany where he worked for the US War Department and the World Jewish Congress. Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies in March 1942 and soon began issuing invasion currency. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 500 million marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 500 million marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was issued in 1923 by the German government during the period of hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic. The small circle watermark indicates a private firm printer.After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 100 billion marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 100 billion marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was issued in 1923 by the German government during the period of hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Dr. Maier and his family decided to leave due to the anti-Jewish laws and persecution by the German authorities. In November 1938, Erich, his wife Ella, and his stepdaughters, Amelia, 9, and Gerda, 7, left for the US. He and Ella submitted several affidavits of support to help family members escape Europe, but Erich lost nearly all his family. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the US War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He and Ella worked for the World Jewish Congress in New York and, while in Europe, Erich was their unofficial representative and provided aid in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 2 million marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 2 million marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was issued in 1923 by the German government during the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic. The oak leaf garland watermark indicates a private firm printer. It features an image of the Hanse merchant, Georg Giese. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Erich’s law practice in Vienna was confiscated because he was Jewish. In November, he decided to leave the country for the United States with his wife, Ella, and two step-daughters, Amelia and Gerda. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the United States War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He also worked with the World Jewish Congress in Germany to provide aid for those in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 1 billion marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 1 billion marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was originally issued in 1922 by the German government in the amount of 1,000 marks but as a result of hyperinflation it was overprinted with a 1 billion amount in 1923. It features an image of the Meister of the Imperial German Mint, Jorg Herz. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Erich’s law practice in Vienna was confiscated because he was Jewish. In November, he decided to leave the country for the United States with his wife, Ella, and two step-daughters, Amelia and Gerda. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the United States War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He also worked with the World Jewish Congress in Germany to provide aid for those in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 1 billion marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 1 billion marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was originally issued in 1922 by the German government in the amount of 1,000 marks but as a result of hyperinflation it was overprinted with a 1 billion amount in 1923. It features an image of the Meister of the Imperial German Mint, Jorg Herz. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Erich’s law practice in Vienna was confiscated because he was Jewish. In November, he decided to leave the country for the United States with his wife, Ella, and two step-daughters, Amelia and Gerda. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the United States War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He also worked with the World Jewish Congress in Germany to provide aid for those in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 1 billion marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 1 billion marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was originally issued in 1922 by the German government in the amount of 1,000 marks but as a result of hyperinflation it was overprinted with a 1 billion amount in 1923. It features an image of the Meister of the Imperial German Mint, Jorg Herz. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Erich’s law practice in Vienna was confiscated because he was Jewish. In November, he decided to leave the country for the United States with his wife, Ella, and two step-daughters, Amelia and Gerda. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the United States War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He also worked with the World Jewish Congress in Germany to provide aid for those in displaced persons camps.

Weimar Germany Reichsbanknote, 500 million marks, owned by an Austrian Jewish refugee

Object

Emergency currency, valued at 500 million marks, likely acquired by Dr. Erich Maier. The note was issued in 1923 by the German government and is an example of the money printed during the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic. The small circle watermark indicates a private firm printer. After Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Erich’s law practice in Vienna was confiscated because he was Jewish. In November, he decided to leave the country for the United States with his wife, Ella, and two step-daughters, Amelia and Gerda. After the war ended in May 1945, Erich worked as a censor for the United States War Department in the American zone of occupation in Germany. He also worked with the World Jewish Congress in Germany to provide aid for those in displaced persons camps.

View All 13 Items in the Collection