Advanced Search

Learn About The Holocaust

Special Collections

My Saved Research

Login

Register

Help

Skip to main content

Waffen-SS Muslim red fez found by a US soldier at Ohrdruf concentration camp

Object | Accession Number: 2006.167.1

Search this record's additional resources, such as finding aids, documents, or transcripts.

No results match this search term.
Check spelling and try again.

results are loading

0 results found for “keyward

    Waffen-SS Muslim red fez found by a US soldier at Ohrdruf concentration camp
    Loading

    Please select from the following options:

    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    Red fez with a swastika and Death's head found by James Howard Edwards, a US army soldier, in Ohrdruf concentration camp, following the liberation of the camp by the United States Army on April 29, 1945. He found the fez in the commandant’s barracks. The red fez was part of the dress uniform of a Waffen-SS military detachment composed of Muslims from Bosnia, Croatia, and Herzegovina in occupied Yugoslavia. There was a field gray one for combat. The creation of this unit was authorized by Hitler in 1943. The original purpose was to combat Tito’s partisans. Through recruitment and conscription, the unit had 26,000 soldiers within a few months. The group was commanded by German or ethnic German officers, and the uniforms were designed to reflect the religion/ethnicity of the recruits.
    Date
    found:  after 1945 April
    Geography
    found: Ohrdruf (Concentration camp); Ohrdruf (Germany)
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of James H. Edwards
    Markings
    front underside of head band, black ink : 55
    Contributor
    Subject: James H. Edwards
    Biography
    James Howard Edwards served in the United States Army, European Theater, during World War II. He entered Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany following its liberation in 1945. Ohrdruf, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp, was the first concentration camp liberated by the U.S. Army.

    Physical Details

    Classification
    Dress Accessories
    Category
    Headgear
    Object Type
    Fezes (lcsh)
    Physical Description
    Dark red wool fez with a black tassel. On the front is a triangular white and green emblem of an eagle holding a wreath containing a swastika with a Death’s head (skull and crossbones) below. A tan leather band is sewn around the interior.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 5.000 inches (12.7 cm) | Width: 7.000 inches (17.78 cm)
    Materials
    overall : wool, cotton, leather, cord, thread, dye, ink

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Corporate Name
    Waffen-SS

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The fez was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2006 by James Howard Edwards.
    Record last modified:
    2024-10-03 12:59:58
    This page:
    http:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn523648

    Download & Licensing

    In-Person Research

    Contact Us