Cast iron cleaver from cafe used as rendezvous point by French resistance
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 10.250 inches (26.035 cm) | Width: 3.130 inches (7.95 cm)
Archival History
The cleaver was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Cleaver from cafe-coiffeur (cafe-hairdressing salon) of Mere Beylier in the village of Chateau-Cherviz, in the Limosin region of France. The cafe was near two orphanages operated by the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants [OSE: Children’s Aid Society], Chateaus Chabannes and Montintin. Both homes sheltered Jewish children and other young refugees from deportations during the German occupation of France. The cafe, which was the town gathering place, also served as a resource center and temporary refuge for Jews and others who opposed the German occupation and the pro-German Vichy government. In this village of 3,000 people, over 1,000 Jews were provided assistance and temporary refuge.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Cast iron cleaver with blade and handle forged from one piece of metal. The handle is elongated with a curved end. An incised line is on one side of the blade, opposite the knife edge. Also opposite the knife edge is an ellipticall section of widened metal. The top corner of the blade has a hole through it. Each end of the blade is concave.
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Underground movements--France.
- France--History--German occupation, 1940-1945.
- Jewish children in the Holocaust--France--Limousin.
- Jewish refugees--France.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--France.
Genre
- Object
- Tools and Equipment