Reparations Collection

Parma was a four-masted steel-hulled barque which was built in 1902 as Arrow for the Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd, London. In 1912 she was sold to F. Laeisz, Hamburg, Germany

Ruhr Crisis / 1923
The French forcibly take coal from the Ruhr when Germany defaults on reparations

Aristide Briand and Lloyd George taunt the drowning Germany, December, 1921 (litho)
KDC400247 Aristide Briand and Lloyd George taunt the drowning Germany, December, 1921 (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Germany is crushed by the Treaty of Versailles, 1931 (colour litho)
CHT212485 Germany is crushed by the Treaty of Versailles, 1931 (colour litho) by Schilling, Erich (1885-1945); Private Collection; © Archives Charmet

Belgian soldiers guarding a bridge during the occupation of the Rhineland demilitarised
GBW466694 Belgian soldiers guarding a bridge during the occupation of the Rhineland demilitarised zone by Belgian and French troops, Germany, 1921 (autochrome) by French Photographer

French soldiers in the marketplace at Ratingen, following the occupation of the Rhineland
GBW466693 French soldiers in the marketplace at Ratingen, following the occupation of the Rhineland demilitarised zone by Belgian and French troops, Germany, 1921 (autochrome) by French Photographer

German carters showing their papers before being permitted to enter the British Rhine
STC359588 German carters showing their papers before being permitted to enter the British Rhine Zone (b/w photo) by German Photographer (20th Century)

German propaganda depicting the front page of a French newspaper featuring a cartoon showing Prime Minister Raymond
6000246 German propaganda depicting the front page of a French newspaper featuring a cartoon showing Prime Minister Raymond Poincare eating the children of the Ruhr during the French occupation of

Spanish Consul demands Reparations for Insult
At Tampico, the Spanish consul demands reparations for insults against the Spanish nationality. A huge crowd of people are gathered outside a large building flying the Mexican flag

Limit of French Zone in the Ruhr
France extend their sphere of influence after German default in reparations - limit of French Zone in the Ruhr. 1923

German booty dump in Belgium, 1914-19 (b / w photo)
STC359583 German booty dump in Belgium, 1914-19 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Nearing the end: Sessions of Inter-Allied Conference at Versailes to settle the terms of
STC359559 Nearing the end: Sessions of Inter-Allied Conference at Versailes to settle the terms of armistice, 1914-19 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

First page of a broadside outlining the Act for Blocking up the Harbour of Boston
AQS256885 First page of a broadside outlining the Act for Blocking up the Harbour of Boston, 1774 (newsprint) by American School, (18th century); American Antiquarian Society, Worcester

Second page of a broadside outlining the Act for Blocking up the Harbour of Boston
AQS256886 Second page of a broadside outlining the Act for Blocking up the Harbour of Boston, 1774 (newsprint) by American School, (19th century); American Antiquarian Society, Worcester

Cash Payment - Arrival of the French Cavalry, published by H. R
AQS251298 Cash Payment - Arrival of the French Cavalry, published by H.R. Robinson, New York, 1836 (engraved) by American School, (19th century); American Antiquarian Society, Worcester

German railway workers expelled from the Ruhr for participating in the campaign of civil disobedience during the French
6000251 German railway workers expelled from the Ruhr for participating in the campaign of civil disobedience during the French occupation

The Reckoning
THE RECKONING. Pan German: Monstrous, I call it. Why, its fully a quarter of what WE would have made THEM pay if WE D won. Supposed German reaction to war reparations after the First World War

Squeezing Germany
The French squeeze Germany for reparations payments for the damage and destruction of World War One

Launch of the LZ-126 Zeppelin - USS Los Angeles
The USS Los Angeles - a rigid airship, designated ZR-3 (Construction number LZ-126), which was built in 19231924 by the Zeppelin company in Friedrichshafen, Germany as war reparation

Zeppelin 126 Building
Zeppelin LZ-126 under construction. Next year she will be given to the United States as war reparations, and named Los Angeles Date: 1923

German Donkey / 1927
How much can the German donkey carry? A reference to Dawes Plan of economic aid designed to enable Germany to pay war reparations. Date: 1927

French Occupy the Ruhr
The French occupy the Ruhr to obtain reparations. Date: 1923

Berlin reduced to Protesting, crowds gather outside the Reichstag to protest
XJF618898 Berlin reduced to Protesting, crowds gather outside the Reichstag to protest against the Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr, from The Illustrated London News

Hotel des Sports - Vouvray, France - Restaurant and Garage
Hotel des Sports - Vouvray, France - Restaurant, Family Pension (Hotel) and Automobile Garage! In my eyes, the phrase atelier de reparations has so much more style and charm than Motor Garage !

Germans Dismay at Allies Reparation Decision A crowd sitting of the Reichstag listen with close attemion to the speech of Dr Simons the Foreign Minister 5 February 1921

Hugo Stinnes discusses the restoration of devastated French areas. Hugo Stinnes ( 12 February 1870 - 10 April 1924 ) was a German industrialist and politician The French Senator

Dr Luther, the German Finance Minister, arriving at Victoria Station, London. He will sign the bond for the loan of ? 40, 000, 000 to Germany under the Dawes scheme. 1 October 1924

German Reparations Committee
Basel, Switzerland: 1929. The Young Plan Advisory Committee at the opening of its official conference in Switzerland. It replaced the Dawes Plan established in 1924 for reparation payments to be made

Hoover Plan / 1931
US President Hoover, Germanys knight in shining armour, eases her reparations burden by accepting a 1 year moratorium on debt. France is jealous. Date: 1931

YOUNG PLAN
Germany fettered by the Young Plan - an American scheme to enable Germany to make war reparations payments. 1929

SS Berengaria leaving Southampton for Jarrow, 1938
Photograph of the Cunard Liner Berengaria heading out of Southampton, with tugs, to head to Jarrow to be broken up, December 1938

Zeppelin Lz 126 (Zr3)
Zeppelin LZ-126 goes to USA as war reparations : before its departure it flies over Berlin during its test flight and drops a message in the Konigsplatz

STEAMSHIP LEVIATHAN
Atlantic liner of the United States Lines, formerly the Hamburg-Amerika liner Vaterland, made over as war reparations and reconditioned for 2 million (1924 value !"

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"Reparations: A Journey Through History's Debt" In the vast ocean of history, the barque Parma sailed with a heavy burden on its steel-hulled frame. Built in 1902 as Arrow, this vessel would become a symbol - a concept that has shaped nations and ignited conflicts throughout time. One such momentous event was the Ruhr Crisis of 1923. The world watched as Germany drowned under the weight of its obligations. In an act reminiscent of taunting, Aristide Briand and Lloyd George stood by, witnessing Germany's struggle for survival. The echoes of this reckoning reverberated across borders. Fair Play gegen Deutschland adorned the cover of Simplicissimus in Munich, depicting a crushed Germany at the mercy of the Treaty of Versailles in 1931. Pinback buttons from later years demanded reparations for another dark chapter - the Tulsa Race Massacre. As Belgium guarded bridges during their occupation of Rhineland demilitarized zone, French soldiers patrolled marketplaces in Ratingen. German carters anxiously presented papers to enter British-controlled Rhine territories; all these scenes painted vivid pictures reflecting tensions surrounding reparations. Propaganda fueled further animosity between nations during these tumultuous times. German lithographs depicted Prime Minister Raymond Poincare devouring children from Ruhr region newspapers – an outrageous portrayal aimed at stoking resentment against French occupation. Beyond Europe's borders, even Spain demanded reparations when insulted abroad – showcasing how this notion transcended continents and cultures alike. Through it all, one question lingers: Can debts be truly repaid? As we delve into history's annals filled with strife and demands for restitution, we witness both triumphs and failures in seeking justice for past wrongs. They have been more than just financial transactions; they embody complex emotions rooted deep within societies scarred by injustice.