Berlin’s Black Market

Malte Zierenberg is an Assistant Professor of twentieth-century European History at Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. He specializes in Urban, Economic, and Transnational Media History.

• 1. Prologues2. The Wartime Networks: The Martha Rebbien Case3. Destruction, Disorientation and New Patterns of Order: Changes in the Black Market Landscape during the Transition from War to Postwar4. Black Markets from the End of the War to the Currency Reform5. Stories of a New Beginning: The Economy of the Streets between the Currency Reform and the 'Economic Miracle'Conclusion: Black Market Trading as a Radical Experience of a Free Market

“This fascinating book responds to a strange paradox in the history of Germany after 1945. … Zierenberg’s book gives readers a rich cultural and social as well as economic history of Berlin’s black markets. … the publishers clearly made the right decision when they decided to have Zierenberg’s book translated into English … thus making it available to a wider audience of English-speaking readers. I think they will find this book as fascinating and thought provoking as I did.” (David F. Crew, Journal of Modern History, Vol. 89 (4), December, 2017)“Central Europeanists with a focus on urban history, the history of everyday life, and the culture of consumption in Berlin during the first half of the twentieth century will read Malte Zierenberg’s recent monograph with keen interest and appreciation. … Berlin’s Black Market offers a fresh perspective on Berliners’ experiences through several transitional periods with an emphasis on the micro-level economy and the culture of consumption. The book’s sophisticated methodological approach is to be applauded.” (Matthew Berg, H-German, H-Net Reviews, h-net.org, November, 2016)