Jeremy Stern will talk about Operation Bernhard, a German scheme to counterfeit British bank notes during World War II. Jewish prisoners were forced to become counterfeiters for the Nazi state. The Nazis hoped to use forged British paper money both to finance their agents across Europe and to undermine the British economy. Skilled Jewish captives were ordered to operate a makeshift forgery factory at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Their only choice was to produce convincing counterfeits for the SS, or to die. The conscripted forgers made astonishingly close copies of British notes, with only a few subtle errors. The prisoners faced a deadly dilemma: risk finishing the work and face certain death, or play for time and risk the SS deciding the scheme was no longer worth the trouble. Finally, the operation fell to pieces as the German war effort failed, leaving the forgers’ fate hanging on the decisions and self-interest of the scheme’s SS commander.

When : Sunday, April 12, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT / 1–2 p.m. CST / 2–3 p.m. EST

Where : Zoom

Cost :

Early bird : $18 (if registered before Sunday, March 29, 2026)

Regular admission : $25

About the Speaker :

Jeremy A. Stern, Ph.D. is an independent historian, writer, and history educator. In addition to consulting on educational standards and content across the country, he has written and spoken for both popular and professional audiences on a wide range of historical subjects. He has long been intrigued by the story of Operation Bernhard, especially since he acquired an original forged Bernhard note – a rare direct physical trace from the Nazi camps.