The Holocaust: an Encyclopedia and Document Collection [4 Volumes] by Bartrop Paul R.; Dickerman Michael;

Author:Bartrop, Paul R.; Dickerman, Michael;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 5050666
Publisher: ABC-CLIO, LLC

A Croatian Jew, left, wears the symbol that all Jews in Yugoslavia had to display on their chest and back during World War II. Alongside, a Jewish woman wears the badge which is of yellow cloth with the Star of David. Jews in many parts of Nazi Europe were required to wear a yellow cloth patch emblazoned with a Star of David in order to mark them off as Jews within a non-Jewish environment. In Poland, the practice began when Jews were forced to wear a white armband with a blue Star of David on it, but this underwent a change over time. In many places, the German word Jude (Jew) was added to the star; this was then gradually introduced in non-German speaking areas in occupied Europe (for example, Juif in French or Jood in Dutch). (AP Photo)

In the Old Reich proper, the order for all Jews to wear identifying badges was issued on September 1, 1941, and applied on September 19. That date also applied to the Jews of Moravia, Slovakia, and Bohemia. Dates for other parts of Europe varied. In Holland, the order was applied in May 1942; in Belgium and France in June 1942; in Bulgaria, it was September 1942; in Greece, February 1942; and in Hungary in April 1944. It was only in Denmark that the Germans were unable to impose the identification regulation. According to popular legend, King Christian X had threatened to wear the badge himself had the Germans imposed the regulation on his country’s Jewish population. The story is apocryphal, but it represents the dedication the Danish king felt for his country’s Jews.

The age at which Jews were required to wear the identification badges was six years of age for Germany and most of Western Europe, and 10 years of age for most of Eastern Europe; however, in certain areas the age differed. In some ghettos even Jewish babies had to wear identifying armbands or stars.

The type of identifying badge also varied, though many took varying forms of a yellow badge in the shape of the Star of David. The badge was sometimes inscribed with the letter J, written in the local language, with stylized Hebrew-style lettering. Other forms of identification included white armbands with a blue Star of David, yellow arm bands with or without inscription, a Shield of David in various colors, a yellow button, a metal tag inscribed with a J, a yellow triangle, or a yellow circle. When the Jews were forced to live in ghettos they were sometimes also made to wear distinctive signs indicating the region in which the ghetto was located. In some ghettos, certain individuals were given unique badges to identify them as having specials skills; these groups included police officers, doctors, and factory workers. Jews were responsible for buying and distributing their own badges. Jews caught without their badge could be fined, imprisoned, or even executed.

The main objective in the introduction of the identifying badges for Jews was to create a divide between the Jews and the non-Jews, and to restrict Jewish movement.

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