Factory-printed Star of David badge acquired by an Austrian refugee

Factory-printed Star of David badge worn by a relative of the donor between 1941 and 1945. On September 1, 1941, all Jews in the Reich six years of age or older were required to wear a badge, a yellow Star of David with a black-outline and the word “Jew” printed inside the star in German, to identify themselves. The badge was used to stigmatize and control the Jewish population. Prior to this large-scale decree, identification requirements for Jewish individuals varied by locality and administration. As Germany annexed territory, the same or similar decrees were enforced in other countries, resulting in the manufacture of similar badges with text in various languages. The badges specified in the decree were first produced by Berliner Fahnenfabrik Geitel & Co., a flag factory. They were distributed by government and police authorities at the cost of 10 Reichspfennig each (in France, they cost a textile ration coupon). Later, they were duplicated by other factories, such as De Nijverheid, a formerly Jewish-owned firm in the Netherlands that printed a large amount of Dutch language stars.