Action Bernhard (also operation Bernhard) was called a falsification of money action of the security agency (SD) in the Central Reich Security Office (RSHA) in the third realm. It is the so far largest well-known money counterfeiter action of history.

Expiration

Walter clip mountain, the boss of the SD, called the action after her leader, the storm spell leader Bernhard Responsibly for the operation Bernhard in the realm safety principal office was probably the office VI (SD foreign country) F (technical aids).

In the KZ 144 Jewish prisoners foreign currencies, above all English Pound notes in the nominal value in billion height falsified Saxonia living, in order to destabilize the national economies of the allied ones.

The following notes were placed: 5, 10, 20 and 50. Between 1942 and 1945 roughly 100 million of falsified Pound notes were manufactured and brought partly in circulation. Later the plan was however given up to bring the wrong Pound notes to larger extent in circulation. Instead thereby foreign exchange was bought and different actions of the SS with the falsified Pound notes were supported.

Toward end of the war pressure plates and remaining counterfeit money were sunk in the Austrian Toplitzsee.

The falsifications were so perfect that they could not be differentiated nearly from the original money. One of the former prisoners could recognize however for the surprise of his British Befrager with amazing speed falsified notes. As explanation it indicated that the pressure-fresh notes were still worked over again, in order to lend this appearance of used lights. In addition also tacking together lights belonged by means of safety pins, a then usual procedure, which left parting holes in the paper. In the tendency to prevent the plans of their clients the prisoners stung thereby by the coat of arms which no patriotic Britisher would do.

The bank OF England recalled all 50-Pfund-Noten after the war and replaced these by a new series.

A survivor prisoner of the action, Adolf Burger, wrote a book concerning its experiences during this time and holds to today occasionally lectures to this topic.

Goals and effects

A goal of the action was original it to inundate the British economy with counterfeit money. To explain this goal with three reasons leaves itself:

First of all the action would have had the same negative effects during consistent conversion as an extremely expansive monetary policy of the bank OF England - by the inundation of the national economy with money it would have come ideally to an enormous inflation.

Secondly was to be assumed the action would have led Pound when becoming known in the British public to a loss of the reliability of the Sterling. Thus it could have come to large extent to a loss of the currency function of the British money (i.e. British consumers and shops would not have the own currency any longer accepted), whereby the economic circulation of the national economy would have been substantially disturbed.

Thirdly the operation the LV regime furnished substantial incomes from Seigniorage (creation of money), since it could sell the falsified notes on the international financial market.

Literature

• Adolf Burger: The devil workshop. The money counterfeiter workshop in the KZ Saxonia living, Hentrich & Hentrich, Teetz 2004 ISBN 3-933471-80-X
• Werner Kopacka: Revealed secret Toplitzsee, Steiri publishing house company, Graz 2001 ISBN 3-85489-041-9

Related links

• The business by Friedrich Schwend and Klaus Barbie with IDGR
• Tracing in the Toplitzsee with Second Channel of German Television

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