Forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P, to identify a Polish forced laborer acquired by a US soldier
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm) | Width: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm)
Archival History
The forced labor badge was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1995 by Jim Newton.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of James D. Newton
Scope and Content
Forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P and a purple border, found by Jim Newton, a US soldier, in April 1945 in Germany. This badge would be worn to identify a Polish forced laborer in Nazi Germany. German regulations required the workers to wear the badge with the purple band visible around the P on the right chest to keep them separate from the German populace. During the German occupation of Poland, 1939-1945, many non-Jewish Polish people were sent to Germany as conscript labor for civilian labor details on farms and factories. Workers sometimes volunteered for the forced labor service, but the majority were forcibly recruited and conditions worsened as the war continued. The German work force was depleted by the war and unpaid foreign workers were needed to keep the economy functioning.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Square yellow cotton badge with a dyed purple border and a purple P in the center, that is worn in a diamond orientation. The cloth is frayed and has small holes.
Subjects
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Foreign workers--Germany--History--20th century.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Forced labor--Germany--History--20th century.
Genre
- Identifying Artifacts
- Object