About Fædrelandet Notes

by Flemming Lyngbeck Hansen, LM190 IBNS

 

The notes are called "Propaganda-anvisninger" in Danish (Propaganda - money orders/checks) and they were issued in 1942 by the Danish Naziparty (D.N.S.A.P., Danmarks National Socialistiske Arbejder Parti - Danish National Socialist Workers Party) to support their newspaper "Fædrelandet", in the denominations 50 (øre), 1 (krone), 2 (kroner) and 5 (kroner). In WW2R the "50" is listed as the biggest denomination, I consider that incorrect. It is the smallest. I base that on the serial numbering system of the notes. The "50" starts with 1...., the 1 starts with 2...., the 2 with 3.... and the 5 with 4.... . This could mean that a "25" (øre) was planned and maybe printed with numbering starting with 0.... . It would fit naturally into the value system of 25, 50, 1, 2 and 5. Yet there is no hard evidence of a "25" ever being made, and no known sources mention this. As correctly described in WW2R, the notes are not denominated. But the text on the back indirectly indicates, that it is in Danish kroner.

 

The reason that the notes are not denominated, could come from previous experience. In 1931-33 another organisation called JAK (their notes are described in Siegspapermoney catalog) issued notes in kroner, and these notes were eventually banned by law. JAK then tried to get around the ban by issuing a series denominated in "andele" / "shares" . That didn't help, they were banned too. The same happened to these D.N.S.A.P. notes. In September 1943, three men were sentenced with fines for producing the notes, and the notes were confiscated and destroyed. The signatures on the notes are from two of these men. The left signature is of C.B. Nielsen (Carl Bernhard Nielsen, CEO of "Fædrelandet") and the right is of C. Thomsen (Carl Henry Thomsen, employee of "Fædrelandet"). The third man sentenced, was Claus Alfred Langgaard Nielsen, leader of propaganda in D.N.S.A.P. Yet not all notes were destroyed, in the 1970's the notes started showing up in the numismatic community. And in the 1990´s whole sets were sold by coin dealers. Where these notes originated from, no one knows. One theory is that they came from an estate from a nazi, and from there went into collectors circles.

 

"Fædrelandet" ("The Fatherland" in direct translation) was the daily newspaper of the Naziparty. The first issue came 6 January 1939. It was to advertise for and/or support this newspaper, the notes were made. The emblem/logo of the newspaper was/is the Viking ship, shown in the middle of face of the notes. The text just below says: For Denmarks honor, freedom and right. If we continue with the face of the notes, the "50" shows two young people in uniform. They represent N.S.U. - NationalscialistiskUngdom - National Socialistic Youth. It was the youth movement in D.N.S.A.P. The "1" shows the logo of the SA. I am uncertain whether the man in the center wears a SA uniform. The "2" points to something called "lands-arbejds-tjenesten" in Danish. (The direct translation is something like "land-work-service.) Their logo is shown at the top. It was a department for workcamps in D.N.S.A.P., workcamps in which young people, on volunteer basis, could work for the fatherland and get the correct Nazi spirit. The "5" shows the SS symbol and an SS soldier. The back are the same on all notes. The swastika in the center is surrounded with the value to the left and right. At top is the logo of N.S.U. - the youth movement. It's a solar wheel/solar cross/Odins cross (it has many names), an old Nordic pre-Christian symbol. To the NW is the SA logo, to the NE is the SS logo, to the SW and SE are

 

the logos of the above mentioned work camp department. The SW one shows the department logo, and the SE shows the logo made especially for leaders in the department. The bottom logo shows the Viking ship, the logo of the newspaper "Fædrelandet". The text below says in English: Propaganda - money order/check).

 

The word "anvisning" I have found difficult to translate exactly, but the two words, money order or check, are what I think come closest. The text continues: This Money order/check can be used as payment for purchases in D.N.S.A.P. headquarters and publishing company in Bovrup, district offices, The Trinity printing works inc. and the in the telegram hall of Fædrelandet, and as payment for ads in "Fædrelandet" and "National-Socialisten". ("The National Socialist", another paper of D.N.S.A.P.). It can only be cashed at the head office of "Fædrelandet", St. Kongensgade 40, København. (Greater King´s street 40, Copenhagen).

 

Some of this text needs explanation: Bovrup is a small village in Southern Jutland, the home of the D.N.S.A.P. leader FritsClausen and headquarters of the party. The village later gave name to the "Bovrup-files" (Bovrup-kartoteket). It was a membership list from D.N.S.A.P., which was published after the war, by a group who was dissatisfied that so many former Nazis could return to normal life without being tried in court. In 1998 the files were closed, and only researchers and historians have, after individual permission, access to the files today.

 

The Trinity printing works inc (In Danish: Trinitatistrykkeriet A/S) were based in Copenhagen and did the more sophisticated printing for the party. It is beyond doubt, but not proven, that it was here, the notes were printed. The headquarters of "Fædrelandet" were seized by groups in the resistance movement on May 5, 1945. They used it for printing their newspaper "Information" which still exists today, housed in the same offices.

 

"Fædrelandet" ceased to be printed on May 5th, 1945 when the resistance movement took over the offices. It reappeared in 1952 and closed again in 1972. It appeared for the third time in 1993 now as a monthly paper, published to this day. It is now in the hands of DNSB -DanmarksNationalSocialistiskeBevægelse, (DenmarksNationalSocialist Movement). DNSB has a homepage, and upon checking it, it seems that "Fædrelandet" is published as an e-paper only. It also looks like that new issues has not come out since 2007. But I can't be sure, as they are not dating their stuff. Only the copyright date in the bottom gives a clue.

 

If the notes were used as indicated on the back, is not known. Some scholars believe the notes were handed out as rewards for people who had done good deeds for the newspaper. It is also possible the notes were sold for face value at meetings etc. to get funds for the newspaper.