Notgeld of the Week #11 (9/23/2025)
A very detailed set from Friedrichsbrunn, 50 & 75 pf.
The 75 pfennig note pictures the Luftkurort (air spa), a title given to towns that were known for having the finest air quality and held to the highest air quality testing standards. These air spas became popular wellness attractions amidst the natural health craze of the gilded age. Friedrichsbrunn became a destination in 1884, and grew to have three major hotels (seen on the bottom 50 pf. note) along with 2 sanitoriums for treating various ailments with so-called "natural" techniques. While these outdated methods of healthcare have since died off, Germans still have a culture of getting lots of fresh air, whether it be through hiking, exercise, or letting fresh air circulate in the home (known as "Lüften). The Ernst Thälmann sanatorium is pictured along with a Red stag, a symbol of Friedrichsbrunn, in the background of the vignette.
The top 50 pf. note features two monuments, the one on the right is the Pfeil-Denkmal: dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm Leopold Pfeil who pioneered German forest managment and dedicated his life to studying and preserving the forests of Germany. The left picture is of a traditional style wooden cabin, a popular vacation destination across Germany's forests.
The bottom 50 pf. note is of the three main hotels in Freidrichsbrunn.
The obverse of all three notes has the portrait of Frederick the Great, who, in 1775, settled in the area, giving it its name.
As well as a local Hyperinflation note of Freital, of 50 Billion Marks.
(Translators note, while German and English have fairly similar words for many numbers, they deviate at the Billions. German uses the word "Milliarde" for our Billion, and "Billion" for our Trillion. This can sometimes lead to misattribution by non-speakers when handling hyperinflationary bills.)
