Warenschulden

Warenschulden, a term from German meaning "debts of goods," refer to obligations under which a debtor must deliver specific goods or commodities rather than money. They are a form of in-kind debt or payment obligation and have appeared in various historical and contractual contexts.

Historically, such arrangements were common in barter economies, feudal and manorial obligations, and in wartime finance when coin and cash were scarce or unstable. Debts payable in grain, wine, salt, wool, timber, or other staples were settled through delivery of the specified goods rather than currency.

Valuation and delivery posed challenges: the debtor had to match agreed quality and quantity, while price fluctuations, perishability, and storage costs created risk. Enforcement depended on contract terms, market institutions, and property rights, with standards for measurement and quality helping to reduce disputes.

Today, explicit "warenschulden" are rare in modern monetary economies, where monetary payments prevail. In-kind settlements still occur in barter arrangements or commodity-financed transactions, and some long-term procurement contracts may include payment in goods as a secondary option. The concept remains of interest for economic and legal historians studying the evolution of money and wartime finance.