Rare 1920 German-Austrian Anti-Semitic Anti Jewish League 50 Heller Notgeld Student Movement

An unusual and historically significant original 1920 Austrian/German nationalist 50 Heller fundraising note issued by the Schutzverein Antisemitenbund in Amstetten, dated 15 April 1920.

The front is headed “Fünfzig Heller” (50 Heller) and features an illustration of newspapers being consumed by flames. Several newspaper titles can be seen, including Wiener Journal, Freie Presse, Abend and others.

The issuer is prominently identified as:

Schutzverein Antisemitenbund

The lower inscription states that the note was issued in Amstetten on April 15, 1920, with printed and handwritten official/signature information.

Reverse

The reverse is particularly historically revealing and carries a large swastika alongside an appeal concerning the “Gefahr des Judentums” (“danger of Jewry”), reflecting the openly antisemitic political propaganda of the organization.

The text calls upon Germans of all political persuasions who believed in this supposed threat and wished to combat it to join the Schutzverein “Antisemitenbund.” It directs applications to local groups and encourages readers to read and distribute the organization’s Aryan writings.

The design credit at lower right reads:

“Entwurf: Böschl-Rozal.”

Historical Interest

This is an interesting example of the politically charged Notgeld / private emergency-money and fundraising issues that circulated in Austria and Germany during the turbulent years following WWI. Unlike ordinary municipal Notgeld, this piece was issued by a political organization and therefore has particular interest as an artifact documenting the growth and organized dissemination of antisemitic propaganda in the early postwar period.

It predates the Third Reich by more than a decade and is useful as a primary-source artifact illustrating the radical nationalist and antisemitic movements operating in Central Europe during the immediate post-WWI era.

Condition

Original circulated condition with considerable age and handling wear. There are creases/folds, edge wear, small tears/splits, staining/toning and a small hole visible on the reverse. Despite the wear, the elaborate printing, denominations and political text remain quite legible. Please see all photographs for exact condition.

Historical artifact offered strictly for collecting, research and educational purposes.

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