Shoemaker's hammer of the type used in Łódź Ghetto
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 11.750 inches (29.845 cm) | Width: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Depth: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm)
Archival History
The hammer was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Hammer, possibly for a shoemaker, similar to those used by Jewish forced laborers in the Łódź Ghetto in German-occupied Poland from May 1940 to summer 1944. 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
Tack hammer with a long metal handle and a short, turned wooden grip. The head of the hammer is a rectangular, metal block that is flat on one end, and tapers to a slight point on the other end. On the pointed end, the top side of the head steps down. Extending from the center of the head is a long, cylindrical handle that culminates in a metal ferrule that fits on the top end of the wooden grip. The body of the handle is cylindrical, with a rounded end. Attached to the bottom end of the handle is a small, black leather hanging tab with a small slit in the center. Green metallic paint covers the surface of the handle, neck, and head. The paint has partially worn off the metal components, which have a mildly corroded surface.
Corporate Bodies
- Litzmannstadt-Getto (Łódź, Poland)
Subjects
- Jewish ghettos--Poland--Łódź--Economic aspects.
- Poland.
- Poland--History--German occupation, 1939-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945--Conscript labor--Poland--Łódź.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland.
Genre
- Object
- Tools and Equipment
- Hand tools.