Banknotes for Firewood: Weimar Germany's Hyperinflation Hell

During the Weimar Republic in Germany, hyperinflation reached catastrophic levels in the early 1920s, particularly by November 1923. The government printed excessive amounts of currency to pay off war debts and reparations from World War I, causing the German mark to lose its value rapidly. By November 1923, the exchange rate had skyrocketed to 4.21 trillion marks for just one U.S. dollar. This extreme inflation rendered the currency almost worthless, and daily life became increasingly chaotic,