Star of David badge with Jude for Jew worn by a young woman assigned to forced labor
- Date
-
issue:
approximately 1941 September 19
- Geography
-
issue:
Berlin (Germany)
- Language
-
German
- Classification
-
Identifying Artifacts
- Category
-
Badges
- Object Type
-
Star of David badges (lcsh)
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Ron and Susan Miller
Yellow cloth Star of David badge worn by Ruth Kittel, her sister, Hannelore, or their Jewish mother, Marie, while living with their Catholic father Josef under the Nazi dictatorship in Berlin, Germany. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked up government mandated Judenstern from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, her Jewish school closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to two collection camps untile her release on March 6. Ruth returned in May to her forced labor detail. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the US on August 26, 1946.
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Record last modified: 2021-02-10 09:45:38
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn61103
Also in This Collection
Ruth Miller papers
Document
The Ruth Miller papers consist of biographical materials, correspondence, photographs, and printed materials documenting the Kittel family from Berlin, Josef Kittel’s Catholic ancestry, wartime persecutions, and the Kittels’ immigration to the United States. Biographical materials include birth, marriage, and death certificates; school records; military papers; medical records; identification papers; ration coupons; employment records; immigration and travel papers; certificates of naturalization and social security cards for Josef, Marie, and Ruth Kittel. This series also includes Ruth’s release paper from the Rosenstrasse detention center, ration coupons for Hannelore Kittel, birth certificates for ancestors Josefa Gross, Anna Franziska Krieger, Franziska Steffan, Josef Kittel, Sr., Karl Kittel, and Johan Stephan, and a death certificate for Franziska Kittel. Correspondence primarily consists of correspondence documenting Josef Kittel’s genealogy. It also includes a 1942 letter to Ruth from a friend name Ellen conveying Ellen’s wartime anxiety, and a 1975 letter to Ruth from the Bundesversicherungsanstalt für Angestellte about insurance payments. Photographs comprised three photograph albums. The first album includes photographs of Ruth Miller, the Kittel family, friends who perished in the Holocaust (some wearing yellow stars), bombed out buildings in postwar Berlin, soccer games, demonstrations, trains preparing to depart for displaced persons camps, the Kittels’ ship en route to America. The second album also includes photographs of Ruth Miller, the Kittel family, friends and classmates, after the war in Germany, and in America. The third album also include photographs of the Kittel family, their ancestors, Josef Kittel in uniform during World War I (with postcards written on the backs from Josef to Marie), the Kittels’ ship en route to America, and life in America. Printed materials include a brief pamphlet published by Jewish Friends Society containing the lyrics to “The Star‐Spangled Banner” in English and Hebrew and a map of Germany divided in quadrants and centered on Berlin.
Allied Military Authority currency, German ½ mark, acquired by a female forced laborer
Object
Allied military currency, 1/2 mark, acquired by Ruth Kittel while she and her sister, Hannelore, were living with their Jewish mother, Marie (Maria), and Catholic father, Josef, in Berlin, Germany, during the Holocaust. Military currency or occupation money was produced for use by military personnel in occupied territories. The notes for different currencies: lire, francs, kroner, marks, schillings, and yen, had similar designs for ease of production. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked-up government mandated Judenstern or Star of David badges from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, Jewish schools were closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to a collection camp on Lehrter Street and then another on Rosen Street. On March 6, she was released. In May, Ruth returned to her forced labor detail, and worked at several factories. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. On August 22, 1946, Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the United States.
Allied Military Authority currency, German 1 mark, acquired by a female forced laborer
Object
Allied military currency, 1 mark, acquired by Ruth Kittel while she and her sister, Hannelore, were living with their Jewish mother, Marie (Maria), and Catholic father, Josef, in Berlin, Germany, during the Holocaust. Military currency or occupation money was produced for use by military personnel in occupied territories. The notes for different currencies: lire, francs, kroner, marks, schillings, and yen, had similar designs for ease of production. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked-up government mandated Judenstern or Star of David badges from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, Jewish schools were closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to a collection camp on Lehrter Street and then another on Rosen Street. On March 6, she was released. In May, Ruth returned to her forced labor detail, and worked at several factories. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. On August 22, 1946, Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the United States.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 5 kronen note, acquired by a female forced laborer
Object
Scrip valued at 5 kronen, acquired by Ruth Kittel while she and her sister, Hannelore, were living with their Jewish mother, Marie (Maria), and Catholic father, Josef, in Berlin, Germany, during the Holocaust. All currency was confiscated from deportees upon entry to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp and replaced with scrip and ration coupons that could be exchanged only in the camp. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked-up government mandated Judenstern or Star of David badges from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, Jewish schools were closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to a collection camp on Lehrter Street and then another on Rosen Street. On March 6, she was released. In May, Ruth returned to her forced labor detail, and worked at several factories. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. On August 22, 1946, Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the United States.
Unused Star of David badge with Jude for Jew owned by a young woman assigned to forced labor
Object
Yellow cloth Star of David badge, not yet cut from square, received but not used by Ruth Kittel, her sister, Hannelore, or their Jewish mother, Marie, while living with their Catholic father Josef under the Nazi dictatorship in Berlin, Germany. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked up government mandated Judenstern from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, her Jewish school closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to two collection camps untile her release on March 6. Ruth returned in May to her forced labor detail. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the US on August 26, 1946.
Star of David badge with Jude for Jew worn by a young woman assigned to forced labor
Object
Yellow cloth Star of David badge worn by Ruth Kittel, her sister, Hannelore, or their Jewish mother, Marie, while living with their Catholic father Josef under the Nazi dictatorship in Berlin, Germany. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked up government mandated Judenstern from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, her Jewish school closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to two collection camps untile her release on March 6. Ruth returned in May to her forced labor detail. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the US on August 26, 1946.
Star of David badge with Jude for Jew worn by a young woman assigned to forced labor
Object
Yellow cloth Star of David badge worn by Ruth Kittel, her sister, Hannelore, or their Jewish mother, Marie, while living with their Catholic father Josef under the Nazi dictatorship in Berlin, Germany. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked up government mandated Judenstern from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, her Jewish school closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to two collection camps untile her release on March 6. Ruth returned in May to her forced labor detail. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the US on August 26, 1946.
Unused Star of David badge with Jude for Jew owned by a young woman assigned to forced labor
Object
Yellow cloth Star of David badge received but not used by Ruth Kittel, her sister, Hannelore, or their Jewish mother, Marie, while living with their Catholic father Josef under the Nazi dictatorship in Berlin, Germany. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked up government mandated Judenstern from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, her Jewish school closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to two collection camps untile her release on March 6. Ruth returned in May to her forced labor detail. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the US on August 26, 1946.
Star of David badge with Jude for Jew worn by a young woman assigned to forced labor
Object
Yellow cloth Star of David badge worn by Ruth Kittel, her sister, Hannelore, or their Jewish mother, Marie, while living with their Catholic father Josef under the Nazi dictatorship in Berlin, Germany. On September 19, 1941, 14 year old Ruth picked up government mandated Judenstern from the Office of the Jewish Organization because she, Hannelore, 17, and Maria had to wear one at all times to identify themselves as Jewish. In spring 1942, her Jewish school closed, and Ruth had to register as a forced laborer with the Work Office for Jews. In November, Ruth was assigned to the Osram light bulb factory. On February 27, 1943, she was taken from Osram and transported to two collection camps untile her release on March 6. Ruth returned in May to her forced labor detail. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Ruth, Hannelore, Maria, and Josef immigrated to the US on August 26, 1946.