Features of monetary circulation in the concentration camps of the Third Reich in Northern Germany: Neuengamme, Sachsenhausen, Ravensbruck

This article addresses the issues of monetary circulation in concentration camps during the entirety of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany (January 1933 - April 1945). Throughout this period, concentration camps were established both within and outside the state’s borders, serving to detain individuals deemed undesirable by the Reich, racially impure, and, with the onset of the large-scale war, military prisoners as well. The authors examine the financial aspects of the Nazi camp system, highlighting issues such as currency replacement, the intricacies of currency production, the visual characteristics of monetary notes, and the methods of their acquisition and implementation. The primary focus is on three concentration camps located in northern Germany: Sachsenhausen, Neuengamme, and Ravensbrück. The article is founded upon universally recognized principles in historical scholarship, specifically objectivity and historicism, with a comparative method being employed as the primary approach. The analysis draws on secondary data and historical sources to elucidate the nuances of monetary practices in these camps. In investigating these financial practices, the authors aim to contribute to the broader discourse on the economic dimensions of the Nazi concentration camp system, providing insights into how monetary circulation functioned as a tool of oppression, as well as a means of survival for detainees in a highly controlled and coercive environment.