Cipher syndrome, also known as zero stroke or cipher stroke, was an alleged mental disorder, reportedly diagnosed by physicians in Germany during the hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic (1921–24). It was characterized primarily by the compulsion to write endless rows of zeros.
Historical Context
This reported condition emerged during a specific and turbulent period in history: the hyperinflation crisis that gripped Germany's Weimar Republic between 1921 and 1924. As the value of the German currency plummeted dramatically, prices soared, and transactions involved increasingly large numbers, often with many zeros. It was in this chaotic economic environment that some physicians reported seeing patients exhibiting the symptoms described as cipher syndrome.
Reported Symptoms
The most prominent and defining characteristic of cipher syndrome was the irresistible desire of affected individuals to repeatedly write large numbers of zeros. These zeros are sometimes referred to as ciphers, which gives the condition its name. While not recognized as a formal clinical diagnosis today, this alleged symptom was noted by some medical practitioners during the hyperinflationary era as a peculiar behavioral manifestation, possibly linked to the overwhelming presence of zeros in the economic reality of the time.
This phenomenon is often cited as an interesting, albeit alleged, example of how extreme societal stress, like hyperinflation, might manifest in unusual psychological or behavioral patterns.
