Box iron of the type used in Łódź Ghetto
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 6.500 inches (16.51 cm) | Width: 12.500 inches (31.75 cm) | Depth: 3.750 inches (9.525 cm)
Archival History
The iron was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Box iron, similar to those used by Jewish forced laborers in the Łódź Ghetto in German-occupied Poland from May 1940 to summer 1944. The iron would have been heated by inserting a hot piece of metal, called a slug, into the hollow cavity of the iron. Generally, two slugs were alternated, so that one was always being heated while the other was in use. Unlike the flat, or sad iron, the surface of the box iron could be kept away from the fire, ensuring that the garment was not soiled by soot or dirt. Łódź was occupied by Germany a week after the September 1939 invasion of Poland. It was renamed Litzmannstadt, and in February 1940, the Jewish population of about 160,000 people was confined to a small, sealed-off ghetto. All residents had to work, and 85 percent of the ghetto population labored in nearly 100 factories. The major ones produced textiles, including uniforms for the German Army. Occupying authorities seized much of the specialized machinery from the Jewish population, forcing them to use hand techniques for production. Due to severe overcrowding and scarce food, disease and starvation were common. The Judenrat (Jewish Council) administered the ghetto for the Germans, and chairman Mordechai Rumkowski thought hard work and high output would preserve the ghetto. However, in January 1942, mass deportations to Chelmno killing center began; half the residents were murdered by the end of the year. In summer 1944, Łódź, the last ghetto in Poland, was destroyed and the remaining Jews were sent to Chelmno and Auschwitz-Birkenau killing centers.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Silver-painted box iron with a long, horizontal, turned wood handle with three sets of incised lines. The handle is attached by an L-shaped mount, screwed to the top of the iron, and extends horizontally over the front tip by approximately five inches. The body of the iron is hollow with a flat base, an arched top, and curved sides that taper into a rounded point. The back end is open and has a cover that rotates on a threaded pin, which is attached to a small tab that protrudes from the upper-right side of the base.
Corporate Bodies
- Litzmannstadt-Getto (Łódź, Poland)
Subjects
- Poland--History--German occupation, 1939-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945--Conscript labor--Poland--Łódź.
- Poland.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland.
- Jewish ghettos--Poland--Łódź--Economic aspects.
Genre
- Object
- Personal Equipment and Supplies
- Irons (Pressing)