Food ration coupon issued to a Polish forced laborer

Identifier
irn3349
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 1990.259.1
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 6.500 inches (16.51 cm) | Width: 10.500 inches (26.67 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Joseph Wardzala was born on October 11, 1923, in Smigno, Poland. He was the youngest of five sons in a Roman Catholic family. After Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Joseph was no longer able to attend school. One of his brothers joined a partisan group and provided food for Polish Jews in hiding. Joseph began to help his brother with these activities and was arrested three times from 1939 to 1941. In April 1941, Joseph was kidnapped from the street in Tarnow and taken to a labor camp in Watenstedt-Salzgitter in northwest Germany, where he was forced to work in construction for the German Army. In April 1945, the camp was liberated and Joseph was taken to a United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency camp. He remained there for five years while attempting to acquire a visa to the United States. In 1950, he was able to emigrate to the US where he settled in Connecticut. He married Dorothy Gutrick in 1946 and they had two sons. Joseph dedicated himself to church and commnuity charity work and received many awards for his service. Joseph, age 91, died on November 1, 2014.

Archival History

The coupon was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990 by Joseph Wardzala.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Joseph Wardzala

Scope and Content

Food ration coupon issued to Joseph Wardzala for Lebenstedt Firmenlager, a work camp near Braunschweig, Germany. The coupon has separate sections for warm and cold food and for sugar rations. Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany in September 1939. In April 1941, Joseph, age 18, a Roman Catholic, was kidnapped by the Germans from the streets of Tarnow and deported to Watenstedt-Salzgitter labor camp in northwest Germany. He was forced to work in construction for the German Army. Joseph was liberated by American troops in April 1945. He was taken to a United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA) displaced persons camp. After five years, he finally acquired a visa to the United States and, in 1950, emigrated to the US where he settled in Connecticut.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Identification verso

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.