Forced labor artifact and book collection

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn517821
• English
• 1938-1945
• oversize boxes box 40 1
• Updated 8 months ago

Contains 801 forced labor work books of laborers from Western, Eastern, and Southern Europe stationed in Vienna, Austria.

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523539
• English
• overall: Height: 3.625 inches (9.208 cm) | Width: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Used Star of David badge with the German word for Jew that Jews were required to wear in Germany and Austria. The patch made it easy to identify the person as Jewish and to mark him or her as an undesirable outcast from society. In September 1941, the Nazi government in Germany ordered all Jews over the age of 6 to wear a badge with a Judenstern [Jewish star] displayed on their clothing at all times. Jews were responsible for the manufacture and distribution of the badges. This type was printed on rolls of cloth and would be cut off singly or in strips depending on how many a person require...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523540
• English
• overall: Height: 4.625 inches (11.748 cm) | Width: 3.875 inches (9.843 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused Star of David badge with the German word for Jew that Jews were required to wear in Germany and Austria. The patch made it easy to identify the person as Jewish and to mark him or her as an undesirable outcast from society. In September 1941, the Nazi government in Germany ordered all Jews over the age of 6 to wear a badge with a Judenstern [Jewish star] displayed on their clothing at all times. Jews were responsible for the manufacture and distribution of the badges. This type was printed on rolls of cloth and would be cut off singly or in strips depending on how many a person requi...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523541
• English
• overall: Height: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Width: 3.000 inches (7.62 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused OST badge that would have been worn by a forced laborer to identify them as an Ostarbeiter [Worker from the East], usually Russian or Ukrainian, deported to work in Nazi Germany. The patch would have been sewn to the chest with the outer white border visible. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, the need for forced labor to support the war effort became an urgent necessity. Beginning in 1942, millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories and other civilian labor details. They were housed in so-called residence camps tha...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523542
• English
• overall: Height: 3.375 inches (8.573 cm) | Width: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P and a purple border, that would be worn to identify a Polish forced laborer in Nazi Germany. German regulations required the workers to wear the badge with the purple band visible around the P on the right chest to keep them separate from the German populace. During the German occupation of Poland, 1939-1945, many non-Jewish Polish people were sent to Germany as conscript labor for civilian labor details on farms and factories. Workers did sometimes volunteer for the forced labor service, but the majority were forcibly recruited and conditio...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523543
• English
• overall: Height: 2.875 inches (7.303 cm) | Width: 2.375 inches (6.033 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P and a purple border, that would be worn to identify a Polish forced laborer in Nazi Germany. German regulations required the workers to wear the badge with the purple band visible around the P on the right chest to keep them separate from the German populace. During the German occupation of Poland, 1939-1945, many non-Jewish Polish people were sent to Germany as conscript labor for civilian labor details on farms and factories. Workers sometimes volunteered for the forced labor service, but the majority were forcibly recruited and conditions...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523544
• English
• 1942-1945
• overall: Height: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm) | Width: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused OST forced labor badge that would have been worn by a forced laborer to identify them as an Ostarbeiter [Worker from the East], usually Russian or Ukrainian, deported to work in Nazi Germany. The patch would have been sewn to the chest with the outer white border visible. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, the need for forced labor to support the war effort became an urgent necessity. Beginning in 1942, millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories and other civilian labor details. They were housed in so-called reside...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523545
• English
• overall: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Width: 2.250 inches (5.715 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Used Polish forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P and a purple border, sewn to gray felt backing, that would be worn to identify a Polish forced laborer in Nazi Germany. German regulations required the workers to wear the badge with the purple band visible around the P on the right chest to keep them separate from the German populace. During the German occupation of Poland, 1939-1945, many non-Jewish Polish people were sent to Germany as conscript labor for civilian labor details on farms and factories. Workers sometimes volunteered for the forced labor service, but the majority were f...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523546
• English
• overall: Height: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) | Width: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Metal badge stamped with the number 46998 worn by 23 year old Karol Malkiewicz, a Polish Roman Catholic prisoner in Dachau concentration camp. Karl was arrested on March 2, 1943, in Munich, Germany, and deported to Dachau on April 9, 1943. He was liberated by the United States Army on April 29, 1945.

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523547
• English
• overall: Height: 4.125 inches (10.478 cm) | Width: 7.500 inches (19.05 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Purple armband with a V in fraktur font for Vlaamse [Flemish] to identify a prisoner from the Flanders region of Belgium. Nazi Germany had many systems using armbands or badges to identify a particular group of people, in this case, a Flemish person. These systems made it easier to separate the different types of prisoners from other groups. This was often done to indicate the different levels of privileges or restrictions that were allowed to the group or individual.

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523548
• English
• 1942-1945
• overall: Height: 3.250 inches (8.255 cm) | Width: 2.875 inches (7.303 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused OST badge that would have been worn by a forced laborer to identify them as an Ostarbeiter [Worker from the East], usually Russian or Ukrainian, deported to work in Nazi Germany. The patch would have been sewn to the chest with the outer white border visible. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, the need for forced labor to support the war effort became an urgent necessity. Beginning in 1942, millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories and other civilian labor details in Germany. They were housed in so-called residenc...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523549
• English
• 1942-1945
• overall: Height: 6.880 inches (17.475 cm) | Width: 4.750 inches (12.065 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Savings stamp block of 50 stamps issued as wages in place of currency to some Ostarbeiters [Eastern workers], forced laborers, usually Russian or Ukrainian, forcibly recruited by the Germans to work in Nazi controlled territories. They could be exchanged for limited goods available in the work camps. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, and the need for forced labor to support the war effort and to keep the German economy functioning was an urgent necessity. Millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories. They were housed in so-...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523550
• English
• 1942-1944
• overall: Height: 6.880 inches (17.475 cm) | Width: 4.750 inches (12.065 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Savings stamp block of 50 stamps issued as wages in place of currency to some Ostarbeiters [Eastern workers], forced laborers, usually Russian or Ukrainian, forcibly recruited by the Germans to work in Nazi controlled territories. They could be exchanged for limited goods available in the work camps. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, and the need for forced labor to support the war effort and to keep the German economy functioning was an urgent necessity. Millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories. They were housed in so-...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523551
• English
• 1942-1945
• overall: Height: 4.690 inches (11.913 cm) | Width: 6.810 inches (17.297 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Savings stamp block of 50 stamps issued as wages in place of currency to some Ostarbeiters [Eastern workers], forced laborers, usually Russian or Ukrainian, forcibly recruited by the Germans to work in Nazi controlled territories. They could be exchanged for limited goods available in the work camps. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, and the need for forced labor to support the war effort and to keep the German economy functioning was an urgent necessity. Millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories. They were housed in so-...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523552
• English
• 1942-1945
• overall: Height: 6.880 inches (17.475 cm) | Width: 4.750 inches (12.065 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Savings stamp block of 50 stamps issued as wages in place of currency to some Ostarbeiters [Eastern workers], forced laborers, usually Russian or Ukrainian, forcibly recruited by the Germans to work in Nazi controlled territories. They could be exchanged for limited goods available in the work camps. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, and the need for forced labor to support the war effort and to keep the German economy functioning was an urgent necessity. Millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union to work in factories. They were housed in so-...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523553
• English
• 1943-1945
• overall: Height: 8.250 inches (20.955 cm) | Width: 5.750 inches (14.605 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused reply paid postcards with instructions in German, Russian, and Ukrainian created for use by Ostarbeiters [Eastern workers], forced laborers from eastern Europe, mostly Russians and Ukrainians, forcibly recruited by the Germans to work in Nazi controlled territories. They were allowed to send two postcards a month, subject to censorship. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, and the need for forced labor to support the war effort and to keep the German economy functioning was an urgent necessity. Millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union t...

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• irn523822
• English
• 1943-1945
• overall: Height: 8.250 inches (20.955 cm) | Width: 5.750 inches (14.605 cm)
• Updated 8 months ago

Unused reply paid postcards with instructions in German, Russian, and Ukrainian created for use by Ostarbeiters [Eastern workers], forced laborers from eastern Europe, mostly Russians and Ukrainians, forcibly recruited by the Germans to work in Nazi controlled territories. They were allowed to send two postcards a month, subject to censorship. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941, and the need for forced labor to support the war effort and to keep the German economy functioning was an urgent necessity. Millions of forced laborers were deported from the Soviet Union t...