Knowledge (XXG)

Tuzex

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94:) was founded in order to get convertible foreign currency into the country. This currency came directly from foreigners visiting the country, but also from relatives or citizens working abroad, who could send currency to friends and family to buy items in Tuzex, with Tuzex vouchers instead of Darex ones. The vouchers could not be re-exchanged for foreign currency and were valid for a limited time. (The state would convert unused vouchers back to normal currency at a rate of 2 crowns per Tuzex crown, a fraction of their effective purchasing power.) 163: 180: 30: 22: 190:
Initially, Tuzex stocked export-quality Czechoslovak products (e.g. fine chocolate, alcohol) at what would be a good price for foreigners, and Western products such as cigarettes. Better quality/style clothing became important, with Tuzex clothes becoming an indicator of success for some people. The
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Tuzex vouchers were originally issued in values of 0.50, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 crowns and later 500 crowns. However, from 1958 there was a voucher of 71.50 crowns, being issued in exchange for US$ 10. Tuzex also issued vouchers to foreigners to buy motor fuel. In 1988 the first payment card in
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As well as running the shops, the Tuzex corporation had activities in various countries in order to trade Czechoslovak goods and obtain supplies for the shops. This continued for a while after the closure of the shops in 1992 to complete contracts and for liquidation of the assets.
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in 1989 and the reformation of the country, citizens were able to travel abroad more freely and to legally deal with other currencies. In addition, improved domestic economy and more imports meant that Tuzex sales declined. The sale of Tuzex vouchers ceased on 30 June 1992.
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which could be purchased from banks using foreign currency. They supplied luxury items: local goods in short supply and in particular foreign goods. The Tuzex vouchers were effectively an unofficial parallel currency.
482: 72:, that is, not exchangeable for other currencies outside the country. In 1948, shops were established under the name Darex to sell goods to foreigners for foreign (hard) currency only (based on the earlier 80:). Later, these became open to ordinary citizens, but not for crowns. In 1950, to speed up transactions and limit fraud, foreign currency was first converted into Darex vouchers in values of crowns. 112:(technically illegal but tolerated) buying Tuzex vouchers with Czechoslovak currency at a high premium, typically 5 to 1. The Darex and Tuzex vouchers were colloquially known as 603: 593: 468: 588: 613: 608: 206:
In 1988, Tuzex had 170 shops which sold $ 250 million worth of goods, two-thirds western imports, and one-third export-quality items from Czechoslovakia.
598: 475: 203:, and motor cars. The advantage in many cases was that such goods were available immediately instead of a long wait of possibly years. 184: 381: 511: 230: 325: 289: 220: 274:
Alan, Josef (27 November 1989). "Social Impact on Tuzex Vouchers Analyzed (translation of article in Slovak)".
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However, the fact that otherwise unavailable luxuries could be purchased led to an unofficial or
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who would offer sell them on the street (close to a Tuzex shop) were known as
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The bonds disappeared. The jeans survived, but for Tuzex it was a deadly blow
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Czechoslovakia was introduced to allow cashless purchases at Tuzex stores.
21: 142:) reflects the daily lives of petty criminals dealing with the vouchers. 48: 411:"Social Criticism in Czech Literature of 1970s and 1980s Czechoslovakia" 557: 517: 507: 225: 73: 52: 98: 440: 83:
In 1957, the PZO (Foreign Trade Enterprise) Tuzex (a contraction of
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clothes selection eventually included jeans (the first being the
382:"Bony zanikly. Džíny přežily, ale pro Tuzex to byl smrtící úder" 117: 464: 199:
in 1968) as the epitome of western or "Texas" clothing,
316:Šustek, Zbyšek; Karasiewicz, Vít; Klim, Martin (2005). 105:. In 1961 there were 14 shops, rising to 170 in 1988. 44:from 1957 to 1992 which did not accept normal 476: 8: 16:Chain of stores in socialist Czechoslovakia 604:Czechoslovak companies established in 1957 594:Hard currency shops in socialist countries 483: 469: 461: 278:. p40–43: US Dept of Commerce NTIS. 589:1992 disestablishments in Czechoslovakia 341: 339: 337: 311: 309: 307: 305: 303: 301: 299: 614:Retail companies disestablished in 1992 375: 373: 371: 369: 367: 257: 281: 269: 267: 265: 263: 261: 7: 609:Retail companies established in 1957 128:- exchange) A 1987 film with title: 101:on Rytířská street, and the next in 185:Museum of Communism, Czech Republic 40:was a series of state-run shops in 183:Display of a Tuzex counter in the 97:The first shop was established in 14: 599:Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 231:Beryozka (Russian retail store) 138:as a (phonetical) reference to 1: 239:, an East German counterpart 233:, a Soviet Union counterpart 221:Foreign exchange certificate 409:Pynsent, Robert B. (1986). 276:JPRS Report JPRS-EER-89-130 630: 351:www.tuzexovepoukazky.7x.cz 166:Tuzex voucher for 5 crowns 502: 288:: CS1 maint: location ( 136:vouchers and tranquility 347:"Tuzex a jeho historie" 318:Odběrní poukazy Tuzexu 245:, a Polish counterpart 216:Eastern Bloc economies 187: 167: 34: 26: 182: 165: 32: 24: 496:socialist countries 66:Czechoslovak koruna 46:Czechoslovak koruna 188: 168: 116:. The hustlers or 35: 27: 576: 575: 147:Velvet Revolution 33:former Tuzex shop 621: 534:Czechoslovakia: 524:Friendship store 485: 478: 471: 462: 456: 455: 453: 451: 437: 431: 430: 428: 426: 406: 400: 399: 394: 392: 386:archiv.ihned.cz/ 377: 362: 361: 359: 357: 343: 332: 331: 320:. Merkur Revue. 313: 294: 293: 287: 279: 271: 140:Bonnie and Clyde 629: 628: 624: 623: 622: 620: 619: 618: 579: 578: 577: 572: 498: 489: 459: 449: 447: 439: 438: 434: 424: 422: 408: 407: 403: 390: 388: 379: 378: 365: 355: 353: 345: 344: 335: 328: 315: 314: 297: 280: 273: 272: 259: 255: 249: 212: 177: 160: 62: 17: 12: 11: 5: 627: 625: 617: 616: 611: 606: 601: 596: 591: 581: 580: 574: 573: 571: 570: 564: 554: 544: 540:East Germany: 538: 532: 526: 520: 514: 503: 500: 499: 490: 488: 487: 480: 473: 465: 458: 457: 445:rifle-jeans.cz 432: 401: 380:Gallo, Roman. 363: 333: 326: 295: 256: 254: 251: 247: 246: 240: 234: 228: 223: 218: 211: 208: 176: 173: 159: 158:Tuzex vouchers 156: 145:Following the 68:(crown) was a 61: 58: 42:Czechoslovakia 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 626: 615: 612: 610: 607: 605: 602: 600: 597: 595: 592: 590: 587: 586: 584: 569: 565: 563: 559: 555: 553: 549: 548:Konzumturiszt 545: 543: 539: 537: 533: 531: 527: 525: 521: 519: 515: 513: 509: 505: 504: 501: 497: 493: 492:Hard currency 486: 481: 479: 474: 472: 467: 466: 463: 446: 442: 436: 433: 420: 416: 412: 405: 402: 398: 387: 383: 376: 374: 372: 370: 368: 364: 352: 348: 342: 340: 338: 334: 329: 323: 319: 312: 310: 308: 306: 304: 302: 300: 296: 291: 285: 284:cite magazine 277: 270: 268: 266: 264: 262: 258: 252: 250: 244: 241: 238: 235: 232: 229: 227: 224: 222: 219: 217: 214: 213: 209: 207: 204: 202: 198: 194: 186: 181: 174: 172: 164: 157: 155: 151: 148: 143: 141: 137: 133: 132: 127: 124:(from German 123: 119: 115: 111: 106: 104: 100: 95: 93: 91: 87: 81: 79: 76:shops in the 75: 71: 70:soft currency 67: 59: 57: 54: 50: 47: 43: 39: 31: 25:Logo of Tuzex 23: 19: 535: 530:Dollar store 448:. Retrieved 444: 435: 423:. Retrieved 418: 414: 404: 396: 389:. Retrieved 385: 354:. Retrieved 350: 317: 275: 248: 205: 189: 169: 152: 144: 135: 129: 125: 121: 113: 107: 96: 89: 85: 84: 82: 78:Soviet Union 63: 37: 36: 18: 201:white goods 131:Bony a klid 110:grey market 583:Categories 516:Bulgaria: 441:"Historie" 327:8090366201 253:References 103:Bratislava 568:Comturist 566:Romania: 546:Hungary: 542:Intershop 494:shops in 421:(1): 1–36 237:Intershop 51:but only 556:Poland: 512:Beryozka 210:See also 122:veksláci 53:vouchers 49:currency 558:Baltona 522:China: 518:Corecom 508:Torgsin 415:Bohemia 226:Torgsin 193:Italian 126:Wechsel 74:Torgsin 60:History 528:Cuba: 506:USSR: 450:23 May 425:23 May 391:22 May 356:23 May 324:  195:brand 99:Prague 88:emský 562:Pewex 536:Tuzex 243:Pewex 197:Rifle 175:Goods 118:spivs 38:Tuzex 552:IKKA 452:2018 427:2018 393:2018 358:2018 322:ISBN 290:link 114:bony 92:port 64:The 86:tuz 585:: 560:, 550:, 510:, 443:. 419:27 417:. 413:. 395:. 384:. 366:^ 349:. 336:^ 298:^ 286:}} 282:{{ 260:^ 90:ex 484:e 477:t 470:v 454:. 429:. 360:. 330:. 292:) 134:(

Index



Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovak koruna
currency
vouchers
Czechoslovak koruna
soft currency
Torgsin
Soviet Union
Prague
Bratislava
grey market
spivs
Bony a klid
Bonnie and Clyde
Velvet Revolution


Museum of Communism, Czech Republic
Italian
Rifle
white goods
Eastern Bloc economies
Foreign exchange certificate
Torgsin
Beryozka (Russian retail store)
Intershop
Pewex

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