At the end of WWI Weimar Germany was suffering from rising inflation, which was starting to get out of control. During a two year period from 1921 through 1923 Inflation was running away. During the time, nearing the end of 1923 Weimar Germany would forever be remembered as a place where one of the greatest hyperinflationary events in history took place. When hyperinflation finally took hold of Germany during this time, its devastating grasp wiped out the entire Weimar Society.

These are times where iconic photos taken of the time can be seen in history books. Photos such as a man using his German marks as “wall paper” or of people trying to buy a single loaf of bread while pushing a wheel barrel full of cash around just to pay for it. Another iconic photo of a woman burning her German marks in a woodstove just to keep the bitter cold away. At that time the money was worthless, burning money was cheaper than burning wood to use as fuel for heat. The hyperinflation was so terrible that on November 1st in 1923 at the height of the crisis 1 pound of bread cost 3 billion German marks while a glass of beer cost 4 billion and a pound of meat cost an incredible 36 billion marks.

As the Weimar example shows their devastation and suffering, this could become an economic event to reach America soon enough. Can the United States actually fall into a Weimar Style Hyperinflation?

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