Coin found at a concentration camp by a US liberator
Extent and Medium
overall: | Diameter: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm)
Archival History
The coin was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by Beth Joshua Congregation, which received them from Joshua Scharff, the son of Leon Scharff.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Beth Joshua Congregation of Aspen Hill
Scope and Content
Coin found at Buchenwald concentration camp following liberation by Lt. Leon Scharff, US Army Signal Corps, who was among the first wave of American troops to enter the camp. In early April 1945, as US forces approached Buchenwald, near Weimar, Germany, the German guards began to evacuate the camp. On April 11, the prisoners revolted and seized control. Later that day, soldiers from the Sixth Army Armored Division, part of the Third Army, arrived in camp and discovered more than 21,000 starved and ill inmates.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Octagonal metal coin.
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Liberation--Germany--Weimar (Thuringia)--Personal narratives, American.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Object
- Exchange Media