Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Factory-printed Star of David badge, owned by a Jewish person in the Netherlands. Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. On April 29, 1942, all Jews in the Netherlands were required to wear a badge, which consisted of a yellow Star of David with a black outline and the word “Jew” printed inside the star in Dutch. The badge was used to stigmatize and control the Jewish population. Prior to this large-scale decree, identification requirements for Jewish individuals varied by locality and administration. Duplicated from those printed in Germany, these badges were made by factories such as De Nijverheid, a formerly Jewish-owned firm in the Netherlands that printed a large amount of Dutch stars.
- Date
-
use:
after 1942 April 29
acquired: approximately 1998
- Geography
-
use:
Netherlands
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Lea Rosendahl and Emmy Rosendahl Reid, daughters of Helmut Rosendahl.
- Markings
- front, center, printed, black ink: Jood [Jew]
- Contributor
-
Previous owner:
Lea Rosendahl
Physical Details
- Language
- Dutch
- Classification
-
Identifying Artifacts
- Category
-
Badges
- Object Type
-
Star of David badges (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Magen David.
- Physical Description
- Yellow, cloth badge in the shape of a 6-pointed Star of David. The star outline is formed by two black triangles, printed to overlap one another. In the center is Dutch text in a font resembling Hebrew. The edges are folded over, leaving an uneven border around the outline. The badge is stitched to a white cloth backing that has a centered slit opening that is machine stitched along the edges with white thread. A remnant of black thread remains at the upper tip. The badge is creased and stained throughout.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 4.125 inches (10.477 cm) | Width: 3.250 inches (8.255 cm)
- Materials
- overall : cloth, ink, thread
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The badge was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Lea Rosendahl and Emmy Rosendahl Reid, daughters of Helmut Rosendahl.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-10-03 12:57:45
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn616232
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Also in Helmut Rosendahl collection
The collection consists of two Star of David Badges, Westerbork scrip, testimony, and a speech relating to the experiences of Helmut Rosendahl during and after the Holocaust in the Netherlands and Germany.
Date: 1941-1995
Uncut factory-printed Star of David badge acquired by a Jewish person in the Netherlands
Object
Factory-printed Star of David badge, owned by a Jewish person in the Netherlands. Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. On April 29, 1942, all Jews in the Netherlands were required to wear a badge, which consisted of a yellow Star of David with a black outline and the word “Jew” printed inside the star in Dutch. The badge was used to stigmatize and control the Jewish population. Prior to this large-scale decree, identification requirements for Jewish individuals varied by locality and administration. Duplicated from those printed in Germany, these badges were made by factories such as De Nijverheid, a formerly Jewish-owned firm in the Netherlands that printed a large amount of Dutch stars.
Westerbork transit camp voucher, 10 cent note, acquired by a former inmate
Object
Voucher, valued at 10 cents, distributed in Westerbork transit camp, and acquired by Helmut Rosendahl, a German Jewish man held there in 1944. While at the camp, inmates were compelled to work, and a special currency was issued to incentivize output, but the money had no real monetary value outside the camp. After Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, the German authorities began using Westerbork as a transit camp, holding internees until they were deported to forced labor camps or killing centers in other countries. The special currency was first distributed in 1944, and designed by Werner Löwenhardt, a Jewish artist who was imprisoned by the Germans in Westerbork from October 1942 until the camp was liberated in April 1945. The front design features a large chimney from the camp laundry and a street known as the Boulevard of Misery. The back design also features the chimney, in addition to a large, toothed spur gear. Both images support an illusion of an industrious camp as well as the hopelessness of inevitable deportation. Helmut was interned in Westerbork on September 2, 1942. His brother, father, and sisters were also held in Westerbork and several other camps. Helmut was deported to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp on September 4, 1944. He was deported again to Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center and Gleiwitz I as a forced laborer. In January 1945, Helmut was sent on a death march to Blechhammer, where he was liberated by the Soviet army. After Germany surrendered to the Allies in May 1945, Helmut was able to return to Amsterdam, where he reunited with his father.
Westerbork transit camp voucher, 25 cent note, acquired by a former inmate
Object
Voucher, valued at 25 cents, distributed in Westerbork transit camp, and acquired by Helmut Rosendahl, a German Jewish man held there in 1944. While at the camp, inmates were compelled to work, and a special currency was issued to incentivize output, but the money had no real monetary value outside the camp. After Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, the German authorities began using Westerbork as a transit camp, holding internees until they were deported to forced labor camps or killing centers in other countries. The special currency was first distributed in 1944, and designed by Werner Löwenhardt, a Jewish artist who was imprisoned by the Germans in Westerbork from October 1942 until the camp was liberated in April 1945. The front design features a large chimney from the camp laundry and a street known as the Boulevard of Misery. The back design also features the chimney, in addition to a large, toothed spur gear. Both images support an illusion of an industrious camp as well as the hopelessness of inevitable deportation. Helmut was interned in Westerbork on September 2, 1942. His brother, father, and sisters were also held in Westerbork and several other camps. Helmut was deported to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp on September 4, 1944. He was deported again to Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center and Gleiwitz I as a forced laborer. In January 1945, Helmut was sent on a death march to Blechhammer, where he was liberated by the Soviet army. After Germany surrendered to the Allies in May 1945, Helmut was able to return to Amsterdam, where he reunited with his father.
Helmut Rosendahl papers
Document
Contains a testimony of Helmut Rosendahl (donors' father) and a speech he gave in Germany, along with a copy of the English translation of the speech, regarding his experiences during the Holocaust.
