Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Cigarette case created in the Łódź Ghetto. It was given as a gift to Bernard Fleming (original surname Fuchs) by the members of his labor unit in the Lodz ghetto in 1941. This case was hidden by friends of the Flemings during WWII, was recovered after the end of the war, and ultimately returned to Bernard Fleming.
Translation of the inscription on the case reads: "To our dear leader, Bernard Fuchs, on his birthday from his O.D. [Jewish Order Police] men, S. Wolkowyski and D. Pyttel/Litzmannstadt Ghetto, September 17, 1941."; upper right, "The founder and honored leader of the labor department from his first colleagues/28-VI 28-VI/BF"; lower right, "Our dear leader Bernard Fuchs/the staff of the labor insertion unit/Litzmannstadt Ghetto, May 29, 1941." - Date
-
received:
1941 September 17
- Geography
-
received:
Litzmannstadt-Getto (Łódź, Poland);
Łódź (Poland)
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Bert and Irene Fleming
- Contributor
-
Subject:
Bernard Fleming
Physical Details
- Language
- German
- Classification
-
Personal Equipment and Supplies
- Category
-
Smoking paraphernalia
- Object Type
-
Cigarette cases (lcsh)
- Physical Description
- Engraved with inscriptions and graphic designs on back of case; inside, yellow bands for holding cigarettes.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 2.990 inches (7.595 cm) | Width: 4.020 inches (10.211 cm) | Depth: 10.200 inches (25.908 cm)
- Materials
- overall : metal, cloth
- Inscription
- recto: upper left, bears inscription with Star of David, "Unserem/lieben Leiter/Bernard Fuchs/zu seinem Geburtstage/seine O.D. Maenner/S. Wolkowyski D. Pyttel/Litzm. Getto. 17/IX 1941"; upper right corner, raised book-shaped design with images of two Stars of David, two laborers, a tassled book mark, the initials, "B.F.", and the inscription, "Dem/Gruender/und/verehrten/Leiter/des/Arbeitsreferates/von seinen/ersten/Mitarbeitern/28-VI/28-VI"; bottom, raised logo of crossed axe, pick and shovel; raised plaque bearing inscription with Star of David, "Unserem teuren Leiter/Bernard Fuchs/das Personal/des Arbeitseinsatz-Abteilung/Litzmanstadt-Getto, 29.V.41."
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The cigarette case was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1996 by Bernard Fleming.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-08-31 10:12:05
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn11293
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- By Appointment
- Request 21 Days in Advance of Visit
- Plan a Research Visit
- Request to See This Object
Contact Us
Also in Bernard Fleming collection
The collection consists of a cigarette case created in the Łódź Ghetto and given as a gift to Bernard Fuchs (later Fleming), a hand-made case for an I.D. card which was also given to Bernard Fuchs from members of his labor unit in the Łódź ghetto, and a Jewish calender printed by the Jewish Council in Łódź.
Jewish calendar printed in the Łódź ghetto
Object
Encased Jewish calender printed by the Jewish Council in Łódź [Litzmannstadt] during the Holocaust.
Handmade leather ID case made for a Jewish work leader
Object
Hand-made case for an I.D. card which was presented as a gift to a Jewish work group leader from the Łódź ghetto.
