Date of use : 1923 Germany
Nitsche & Günther Price Policy Change Card, 1923
Nitsche & Günther was an optical manufacturing company operating in Germany, most likely based in Rathenow, a city historically associated with the development of the German optical industry. The firm appears to have been engaged in the production of a wide range of optical goods, including spectacle lenses as well as instruments such as microscopes, telescopes, projection devices, and compasses. In addition to its own product line, the company is understood to have supplied optical components, particularly lenses, to other manufacturers, indicating its role within a broader industrial supply network.
The reverse side of the card provides valuable insight into the company's commercial practices and pricing policies. The document, dated 30 October 1923, communicates a change in discount structures, specifically noting the discontinuation of a previously applied reduction on spectacle lenses for new orders. At the same time, the company confirms that existing orders will continue to be fulfilled under earlier pricing conditions. This dual approach suggests an attempt to balance contractual reliability with necessary adjustments in response to changing economic circumstances. The announcement also highlights a significant reduction in the price of toric lenses, implying either a strategic repositioning within a competitive market or an effort to stimulate demand for specific product categories.
The timing of this correspondence is particularly significant. The year 1923 corresponds to a period of severe economic instability in Germany, marked by rapid currency depreciation and widespread disruption of standard pricing mechanisms. In such an environment, companies were frequently compelled to revise their pricing strategies in order to maintain operational continuity. The adjustments described in this document can therefore be interpreted as a direct response to these broader economic pressures.
From a historical perspective, the card illustrates how industrial firms navigated volatile market conditions while attempting to preserve customer relationships. The emphasis on honoring existing orders alongside the introduction of revised pricing reflects a negotiation between economic necessity and commercial trust. As such, the document serves not only as a piece of business correspondence but also as evidence of the adaptive strategies employed by optical manufacturers during one of the most turbulent economic periods of early twentieth-century Europe.
Record Information
Title: Nitsche & Günther Price Policy Change Card, 1923
Category: Optical Industry History / Commercial Correspondence
Subcategory: Pricing Strategies / Hyperinflation Era
Country: Germany (Rathenow Optical Industry Hub)
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City: Rathenow (inferred, center of German optical industry)
Date of use: 30 October 1923
Company (Sender): Nitsche & Günther, Rathenow. Optical manufacturer producing spectacle lenses, microscopes, telescopes, projection devices, compasses. Also supplied optical components (lenses) to other manufacturers.
Object Type: Business card / commercial notice
Content Summary (Reverse): Dated 30 October 1923. Announces discontinuation of discount on spectacle lenses for new orders, while honoring existing orders under previous terms. Also announces significant price reduction on toric lenses.
Historical Context: 1923 hyperinflation in Germany – rapid currency depreciation, disruption of pricing mechanisms. This document reflects corporate adaptation to economic volatility.
Language: German
Material: Paper card
Dimensions: Standard business card format
Collection Theme: Nitsche & Günther history, Rathenow optical industry, 1923 hyperinflation, pricing strategies, customer relations, toric lenses, German optical supply networks.
Archival Significance: This 1923 business card from Nitsche & Günther documents the impact of hyperinflation on German optical manufacturers. The price policy changes illustrate strategic adaptation to economic chaos, while honoring existing orders reflects an effort to maintain trust. This item is a primary source for understanding commercial practices and industrial resilience during one of the most turbulent periods in 20th-century German economic history.
Research Note:
This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.
This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
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