What does money tell us about trust? The exhibition “Collecting Value” opens in Klaipėda

On June 18 at 5 p.m., the exhibition “Collecting Value: Money in East Prussia and Lithuania, 1914–1924” will open at the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor in Klaipėda. Organized by the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania and the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor, the exhibition will tell the story of a period when the old political order in Europe was collapsing, new states were being formed, and war, money shortages, and inflation were transforming people’s daily lives and their understanding of the value of money.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see the currency and alternative means of payment used in East Prussia and Lithuania during World War I and the postwar years: emergency currency, war currency, credit union tokens, and coupons. These monetary instruments emerged as a response to money shortages, inflation, and currency devaluation, when it was necessary to find ways to ensure that money—the “lifeblood” of the economy—would not run out.

“In this exhibition, we tell the story not only of money, but also of people’s daily lives during a complex historical period. When regular money starts to run out, temporary solutions emerge that later become important historical records,” says Asta Ravaitytė-Kučinskienė, director of the Money Museum at the Bank of Lithuania.

According to Dr. Jonas Genys, director of the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor, the unique nature of the Klaipėda region’s history—Lithuania Minor, East Prussia, and the legacy of the German Empire—allows us to explore distinctive themes that are significant to Lithuanian history. One of these is the economic development of the Klaipėda region and the issue of currency. According to him, the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania is an important expert partner in this field, and the exhibition stands out for its professionalism and rich collection of money and other means of payment.

The currency on display at the exhibition tells the story of the monetary system created by the German Empire and implemented in Lithuania during the war years. They also serve as a reminder of the period following the restoration of independence, when German currency was still in use in Lithuania for some time, and both countries suffered the consequences of rapid inflation. Visitors are invited to view these processes through the lens of everyday life and understand how people adapted to the constantly changing value of money.

Some of the exhibits in the exhibition are related to Lithuania Minor and East Prussia—a region that has been significant for Lithuanian history, language, press traditions, and everyday economic ties. The exhibition features items from the collections of the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania, the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor, the National Museum of Lithuania, as well as from private collections.

The exhibition will run from June 18 to August 30 at the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor, located at 2 Didžioji Vandens Street in Klaipėda.

The exhibition is organized by the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania and the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor.

The exhibition is curated by Karolis Tumelis, coordinated by Asta Grušelionienė and Dmitrijus Papariga, and designed by Inga Varnelė.