Kruger, Bernhard

Bernhard Kruger ( him. Bernhard Krüger ) - Sturmbannführer SS , head of Operation "Bernhard" (one of the largest operations for the production of counterfeit money)

During the Second World War in Germany, a grandiose secret operation was carried out on the mass production of fake banknotes - "Bernhard". Basically, within its framework, German experts were engaged in the manufacture of counterfeit US dollars and British pounds. It is noteworthy that the participants of this “greatest” operation did not suffer the deserved punishment.

This operation was headed by SS Sturmbannführer Bernhard Kruger (hence the name). In strict secrecy, he needed to set up the production of counterfeit money, so that Germany could implement its previously thought-out strategic plan.

To fulfill his assignment, Kruger among the prisoners of the Sachsenhausen camp picked up a team consisting of printers, artists, engravers, as well as the famous counterfeiter Solomon Smolyanov. In two separate barracks of Sachsenhausen, Bernhard organized an underground workshop. All prisoners who participated in the organization of the production of counterfeit money were provided with normal living conditions, compared with ordinary prisoners.

The production of money itself was fully established only in 1942, since it took a lot of time to disclose the algorithms for generating serial numbers, selecting paper, making printed matrices and inventing a method for applying watermarks. At the end of 1943, this “factory” produced almost a million pounds per month.

The quality of all counterfeit bills was so high that even bank employees could not always distinguish them from real ones. This money was initially intended to destabilize the British economy. They were planned to be dropped from airplanes onto populated areas to simple sections of the population. Thus, the money should have been in circulation in the country. This plan did not work for long, since by 1943 German aircraft had no opportunity to fly over Britain. Then this money began to be used to pay for strategic imports. Also this money paid off with agents of the German intelligence.

In total, by the end of the war, 8,965,080 banknotes were produced, worth £ 134,610,810.

Fake banknote of five pounds sterling of the Bank of England. 1937

Just before the end of World War II, this underground factory began to produce US dollars, but, due to the defeat of the German troops, large-scale production was not established. When the Soviet troops were approaching Sachsenhausen, all equipment and all imprisoned counterfeiters were transported to Mauthausen. In the first days of May 1945, the prisoners were to be moved to Ebensee camp and destroyed, but this was not to be, because the American troops arrived in time and were freed from German oppression.

But still, the Germans managed to drown part of the counterfeit banknotes in Lake Toplitz, located near Ebensee. From its bottom in the period from 1959-1963. boxes filled with counterfeit banknotes were raised. Also there were matrixes for printing money and a personal list of prisoners.

After the war, this story was not disclosed, because the British were afraid to undermine the credibility of their currency. However, due to the large number of fakes launched into circulation, the Bank of England had to change all the bills, with a value above five pounds sterling.

Bernhard Kruger, the organizer of the manufacture of counterfeit banknotes, was detained by the British for the first two years after the war, then he was handed over to the French. After a year of imprisonment in France, Bernhard was acquitted. He worked for a paper company until the end of his life. Bernhard Kruger died by his death in 1989.

More details of all the details of the operation "Bernhard" can be found by reading the book "Devil's Workshop", which was written by its participant, concluded by Adolf Burger. Based on this book, the Austro-German film “Counterfeiters” was shot. It will also be very interesting for you to familiarize yourself with the 2008 documentary Hitler's Counterfeiters, which tells in detail about the entire operation.

In 1957, the well-known journalist Murray Teig Bloom wrote that, despite the size of Operation Bernhard, the authorities tried to keep silent about its scope. “In the books, in the publications, many real facts were omitted. The only person who can tell the truth about this operation, Bernhard Kruger, remains silent, so many secrets will remain unsolved, ”Bloom wrote.