Yellow Badge The Yellow Badge served as a

Yellow Badge – The Yellow Badge served as a symbol of shame that was used to single out Jews in Nazi Germany and the countries under German occupation during the course of WWII. It was a tool that enabled the Nazis to humiliate, harass and isolate Jews from the rest of the population. It was another step towards the Final Solution. The creation of the Jewish badge was inspired by practices dating back to the Middle Ages. In Islamic countries the practice was introduced in the eighth century when Jews and other non-Muslim citizens (Dhimmis) were compelled to wear a distinguishing garment; In part of Christian countries, it was introduced following the Fourth Council of the Lateran convoked by Pope Innocent III (1198 -1216). The practices were designed to prevent unwanted sexual relations, to set Jews apart from the general population, and to humiliate them. Reinhard Heydrich first brought up the idea of the Jewish badge following the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938. In the ensuing year this idea was put into practice: In the wake of Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Nazis ordered Jewish businesses to display a distinguishing mark. On November 23, Hans Frank, the Governor-General of the Generalgouvernement, ordered that all Jews must wear an identifying sign: every Jew was forced to wear a white armband at least 10 cm wide, featuring a blue Star of David. Subsequently, the practice spread into all of the Nazi-occupied territories. The Jews were responsible for acquiring and distributing their badges. Any Jew caught without a badge was fined, incarcerated or shot. In certain Ghettos, some Jewish groups were required to wear a different badge to set them apart from the rest of the local Jewish population. These included, for example, members of the Jewish police, physicians, and factory workers. The designs of the badge were varied, but in 1941 the familiar design was determined: a yellow six-pointed star, 10 cm long, to be worn front and back on the left side of the garment. Other versions of the Star still existed afterward. In September of that year, the scope of the order was expanded to include the territories of the German Reich and was also applied in territories of some of the other Axis Powers. The German rural sociologist, Herbert Morgen, who visited the newly conquered German territories, described the scene as follows: “The general impression one receives of this human mass is appalling. And one quietly arrives at the conclusion that one is dealing here with a completely degenerate, inferior part of human society. ”

Łódź Ghetto Calendar of the Year 5702/3, 1942 Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski: Pictured here is Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski (1877 -1944), the Chairman of the Judenrat (Ältestenrat, 'Council of Elders') in the Łódź Ghetto. Rumkowski served as 'Elder of the Jews' (Der Älteste der Juden) beginning with his appointment by the German authorities, on October 13, 1939, and up to the liquidation of the Lodz Ghetto in August 1944, at which time Rumkowski and his family were deported to Auschwitz and murdered. The powers granted to Rumkowski by the Germans were extensive and encompassed all spheres of life in the ghetto, from medical services up to the establishment of factories, and appointment of functionaries. Rumkowski maintained that working for the Germans would be a way of ensuring survival and of keeping hope alive. He believed that working and sustaining the peace in the ghetto would help to save Jews. He strove to follow through on this perception, among other things, by consolidating his standing in the ghetto as the only Jewish authority as well as preventing any kind of dissent among the Jewish population. The Calendar: The calendar, printed and published by the Judenrat, highlights events that were considered significant in the daily life of the Łódź ghetto. For example, it lists dates on which organizational units, offices, and institutions were established at the ghetto dating back to October 14, 1939, and until the end of 1941, including their addresses and phone numbers. For example, the ghetto hospital was opened on April 29, 1940, and the nail factory on November 3, 1941. In addition, the calendar specifies Shabbat times and the bottom of each page features a chosen quote by Rumkowski demonstrating his principles of ghetto management, including among others: “In the ghetto work is done by all for one and one for all”; “do not get in the way of my work for the benefit of the ghetto”; “work should be done with joy. ” The five principles that guided Rumkowski in his managerial work, and which he considered imperative, were as follows: work, food, care for the sick, child supervision, and discipline.

Bills and coins from Łódź Ghetto – The idea to print special ‘Ghetto Money’ was probably conceived in April 1940. In the early days of the month, the heads of the offices that were in charge of managing the Ghetto attended a meeting where it was decided to confiscate all Jewish property, including cash money. The Germans then approached Chaim Mordechai Rumkowski, Chairman of the Judenrat in the Łódź Ghetto, and informed him that every resident in the Ghetto must hand in the money they had; but after Rumkowski pleaded that without money, it would not be possible to lead a financial life in the Ghetto, the Germans came up with the idea of issuing money substitutes: special ‘Ghetto Money’ would be issued, but the Ghetto residents would only receive it from Rumkowski in exchange for their Reichsmarks. This way, Rumkowski would attain all Reichsmarks of the Ghetto and would use them to buy the supplies needed to maintain it. Introducing the new ‘Ghetto Money’ was an efficient means to extort Jews in the Ghetto from their money, to isolate the Ghetto from the outside world, to prevent smuggling in and out of it and to fully control the Ghetto’s economy. The official name given to the money was ‘Mark Quittung, ’ meaning ‘a receipt for a Mark. ’ The bills were printed in ‘Manitius’ printing house in Lodź, under the supervision of the municipal office charged with Ghetto affairs. On June 24, the Reich’s Bank in Berlin sent a confirmation to begin putting the bills into circulation in the Ghetto. On July 8, 1940, the residents were forced to exchange their Marks in the Ghetto’s bank. Following that date, all transactions were made with Ghetto Money only, and possession of any other currencies was forbidden. On display are bills with the nominal values of 50, 10 and 1 Marks Quittung. Visible on the bills is the name Litzmannstadt, given to the city of Łódź by Hitler; the signature of the Chairman of the Judenrat, Chaim Rumkowski; and a warning with a threat of severe punishment to anyone who forges money or transfers forged bills and coins. All bills are marked with the date May 15, 1940, and decorated with Jewish symbols such as the Star of David and the Seven Lamps Menorah; the background of the bills consists of lines that create a sea of Stars of David. Towards 1943, and in light of a rising inflation, Aluminum and Magnesium coins were put into circulation, with the nominal values of 10 and 5 Mark Quittung. Łódź Ghetto is apparently the only Jewish Ghetto in which metal coins were made and used. Other Ghettos which are known to have had Ghetto Money are Theresienstadt, Bielsk-Podlaski, and Sokółka.

Bills from Theresienstadt Ghetto – On 1 January, 1943, ‘The Bank of the Jewish Self-Government’ (Bank der juedischen Selbstverwaltung) was founded in Theresienstadt Ghetto. By founding the bank, the Germans aimed to give Theresienstadt a façade of a standard town, whose residents were still having all of their civil rights. It was not possible to withdraw any of the money that was supposedly deposited in the accounts of the residents, and therefore the bills were worthless. Theresienstadt bills were in Korunas currency and were put in circulation on May 12, 1943. A total of 53 million bills were printed in the printing house of Prague’s state bank. The bills were issued with serial numbers and with the nominal values of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 100 Korunas. By the order of Reinhard Heydrich, one side of the bills showed the image of Moses – with a hook nose, curly hair, and long talon-like fingers – to fit the Nazi image of the stereotype Jew. Moses’s hands, which carried the Tablets of Stone, covered the “Thus Shalt Not Kill” commandment. The opposite side of the bill showed a Star of David and the signature of Jakob Edelstein, the first Jewish Elder of the Jewish Council of Elders in Theresienstadt Ghetto was freed on May 8, 1945, by the Red Army, and the bank reached its end in August 1945. By the time the bank was dissolved, about 10, 000 Theresienstadt prisoners who remained at the camp had received from it sums of 1, 000 to 5, 000 Korunas, which helped them materially in the time after being freed.

Firemen brigades in the Ghettos – Because the ghettos were excluded from municipal services, it was necessary to establish special firemen brigades. In the ghettos where some prewar volunteer firemen remained, as was prevalent in the east, they became the nucleus of the ghetto fire brigades. Some of the brigades were subordinate to the ghetto police, and others established departments on their own and worked within the framework of the ghetto administration. The time of their establishment varied. Because of the numerous factories in the ghetto working for the Wehrmacht, the authorities were interested in maintaining an efficient and well-manned fire brigade. Their main task was to guard the ghetto factories and offices. However, with the exception of Ghetto Łódź, the equipment of the fire brigades was quite primitive, and the authorities supplied no substantial fire-fighting machines. In addition to their customary duties, firemen were called upon to serve as auxiliary police. Thus, for instance, in the course of ‘resettlements’ in the Łódź and Żelechów Ghettos, firemen functioned as auxiliary police at the ‘selections’ and during the transportation of the victims. The item on display is an armband worn by the fire brigade in Kraków Ghetto.

A call for defectors to report for work – In June-August of 1944, after the Germans decided to abolish Łódź Ghetto and to move its residents to extermination camps, the last transports of Jews from the Ghetto to the Chełmno and Auschwitz extermination camps began. On 1 August, 1944, Hans Biebow, the chief of the German Ghetto Administration in Łódź, informed the chairman of the Judenrat, Chaim Rumkowski, that the Ghetto is to be evacuated and that its residents will be moved to Germany. It was decided that each factory would be evacuated separately, the tailors and their families first. Biebow, who took part in the planning of the transports, started a false and vast propaganda campaign meant to encourage the Jews of the Ghetto to report to the transports voluntarily. He gave speeches in the Ghetto’s factories and explained to the Jews that since the war front is getting closer, the war industries, as well as the Ghetto’s population, are being moved to Germany. Rumkowski also gave speeches in public assemblies and implored the residents to report to the transports voluntarily. The Jews were not convinced and very few reported. In response, the Germans used violence to force the Jews to report to the transports. The item on display: a proclamation from August 8, 1944, bearing a final warning regarding the transports of workers and administrators in the tailoring factories. It orders all those who were summoned and did not report to the transport, to turn themselves in and report to the central prison, between 8 pm that night and 9 am the following morning. A personal appeal from Rumkowski can be seen at the bottom of the proclamation, directly addressing those who are to be transferred, whom he calls “brothers and sisters. ” He advises them to turn themselves in the time mentioned in order to avoid coercive measures. He also writes that those who will voluntarily report to the prison will be allowed to be transferred with their families and to take luggage with them. Rumkowski then ends his plea with the cry “Do not let today’s (violent) events reoccur. ” The last transport left the Ghetto on August 30, 1944, with Rumkowski, his family and some of the Ghetto’s senior officials on it. The estimation is that less than 5 percent of Ghetto Łódź’s population survived the war.

Badge of the National Socialist People's Welfare Organization (Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt) – The NSV badge: The badge consists of the three initials of the organization’s name, NSV, intertwined. The organization: National Socialist People's Welfare, which started as a small party in berlin in 1932, quickly became the biggest welfare organization in the Third Reich. Lead by Erich Hilgenfeldt, the NSV absorbed a large number of charity organizations and headed many social projects. The structure of the NSV was in accordance with the structure of the Nazi party; its main office was in Berlin and its branches spread across the different regions of Germany. Similarly to the rest of the party’s organizations, the main goal of the NSV was working for the advancement of the Nazi party. One of the main missions of the NSV was shaping family life in Germany according to Nazi worldview: the organization provided aid for pregnant women and established a network of day cares for babies in order to increase birthrate. It was also in charge of finding foster homes for abandoned children and managing their adoption according to the Racial Purity policy. The NSV often discriminated against Jews, as it did not view them as part of the German community. The NSV influenced the lives of almost all German citizens in some way, but the welfare services it provided were of little importance to the party leaders. In the world of internal party politics, the organization was never more than a second-rate entity, only gaining influence as a subordinate of the Propaganda Ministry. The NSV was disbanded after the Second World War as part of the Denazification process decreed by the American Military Government in defeated Germany.

The National Socialist Women's League (Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft) – The league was founded in October 1931, combining several national and national-socialist women’s organizations. The league’s goal was to provide the Reich's women with training in matters of household management and child education according to the Nazi ideology. The league was subordinate to the Nazi party's directives, and the ministry of propaganda made a frequent use of the league's biweekly mouthpiece (NS Frauen Warte) for disseminating the ministry's messages among women. During the Second World War, the league operated refreshment stops for soldiers in railway stations, sent women to collect metal scraps which were used in the war industry and was responsible for cooking and for supplying food to the population. The women's league emblem had three versions: the canvas item displayed in the exhibition is the league's second emblem version from the year 1934. The emblem is composed of a white cross upon a black background; the abbreviation of the Nazi party can be seen in the emblem's upper section; and the three letters H, G and L appear on the emblem’s bottom and sides, representing the words "Faith, Hope and Love" ("Glaube, Hoffnung, Liebe") in German. The pin item displayed in the exhibition is the league's third emblem version from the year 1939. Shown in the emblem is a swastika in the form of a sun wheel and the symbol of life in runic writing upon a black background. The abbreviation of the Nazi party appears in the upper part of the emblem.

The German National Socialist Women's League Children's Group – The German National Socialist Women's League Children's Group was mainly meant for children between the ages of four and ten whose parents were members of the Nazi party. Meetings of the group took place in the afternoon, with the goal of shaping young minds in accordance with the Nazi ideology. During those meetings, the children played games, sang songs in praise of the Führer and listened to tales told by old party members. The leaders of the Children's Groups were members of the National Socialist Women's League (Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft) who were fully qualified as kindergarten teachers. The emblem of the Deutsche Kinderschar The emblem on display here is a badge worn by the leaders of the Children's Groups – a red swastika on a white background. The caption reads: "The German children group of the National Socialist women's league".

Cross of Honor of the German Mother (Mütterkreuz) – The Cross of Honor of the German Mother was a decoration given to German mothers for exceptional merit to the German nation. The decoration was introduced by decree in Berlin on December 16, 1938 by Adolf Hitler. The crosses were awarded annually on the second Sunday in May (Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day), but also extended to include other national annual occasions of celebration. The first decorations were awarded in May 1939. The Mother’s Cross was composed of three classes of order: 1 st Class Order, Gold Cross: given to mothers with eight or more children. 2 nd Class Order, Silver Cross: given to mothers with six to seven children. 3 rd Class Order, Bronze Cross: given to mothers with four to five children. Eligibility for the award was determined according to three criteria : v Both parents had to be of German blood-heredity and genetically fit – the mother needed to provide documents proving that neither she nor her husband was of Jewish descent, according to the Nazi Scientific Racism. v The mother had to be morally "worthy" of the decoration: With no criminal past, no marital infidelities, no unlawful abortions, no past interracial relationships and so on. v The children had to be born with no genetic diseases. Bound to the honor were some financial benefits and preferential treatment, precedence and priority service within society and public services. The decoration could be annulled by the minister of interior in certain circumstances, such as if the mother was proven to be unworthy. The item on display is the Bronze Cross. Inscribed on the decoration´s back are the date of the decoration decree, December 16, 1938, and Adolf Hitler´s signature.

The Iron Cross – (Iron Cross 2 nd Class/Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) Instituted in 1813 by Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, the Eisernes Kreuz or Iron Cross was the best known and most highly regarded of all German awards for valour. Awarded only in wartime, the Iron Cross was reconstituted by Hitler at the outbreak of World War II, for the last time. The award had four grades: Second Class, First Class, Knight's Cross and Grand Cross, the only recipient during WWII of the latter was Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. The item on display is the Iron Cross Second Class which was awarded for an act of bravery, not necessarily in battle. The cross itself was only worn on official occasions; in daily use, only the ribbon was worn on a ribbon bar or in the buttonhole. Approximately three million Second Class awards (EKII) were made; many were presented to German allies or to civilians.

German Labour Front membership book (Deutsche Arbeitsfront) – The German Labour Front was Nazi Germany’s workers union. It was founded in May 1933 and persisted until the end of the Second World War. Its purpose was to integrate Germany’s workers into the “Third Reich” and to crush other workers unions. It had over 25 million members. (Cover) The German Labour Front – work is creation, work is discipline! (Back) “One may be active wherever one shall, one must never forget that the nation lives only through the work of all. ” Adolf Hitler (Inside, right page) German Labour Front - Membership book Name: Rohde / First name: Emmeline / Profession: office clerk Born on February 23 rd, 1889 in Lübeck Joined on January 1 st, 1935 Administration office: Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein The payment of the membership fee starts in this book on the 4 th month of 1938. (Signed by) Dr. R. Ley, Leader of the German Labour Front

Petrol ration coupon This petrol coupon, issued by the Reich Commissioner for petroleum, was meant to oversee the use of petroleum reserves during the war. It allowed its owner to receive motor fuel. The item on display is the identification of the coupon’s owner. The front of the coupon shows rubrics for the owner’s personal details, such as the owner’s name – private citizen, business or organization; a full address; date of issue; and the number of allotted liters. In addition, there are stamps on the coupon of the Reich's Office for Mineral Oil (Reichsstelle für Mineralöl) and of the German Work Front War Office (Die Deutsche Arbeitsfront Amt Heer). The bottom part, which is the punch card, is missing. Used stubs from the coupon were left at the petrol station, which transferred them on to the authorities, and the identification part of the coupon was returned to the authorities by its owner when applying for a new coupon. The back of the coupon includes instructions on how to use the coupon. It grants an allotment of up to 30 liters of petrol and can be used in all public petrol stations; it is personal and cannot be transferred, and cannot be used to sell fuel to a third party. A warning states that any violation of these instructions will result in severe punishment.

A brochure advertising the upcoming Olympic Games in Berlin, 1936 – The brochure was published with the sponsorship of the Berlin brewery Bӧtzow. The item on display: At the brochure’s front is a rotating flat circle with the flags of the 49 countries that were to compete in the 1936 Olympic Games; on the right side is a tab with which one could turn the wheel and pick the flag of any country. The rectangle crossing the wheel displays from left to right the country’s flag, name, and the number of medals it had won over the years. The item on display shows Germany’s flag and its medals: 5 gold medals, 12 silver medals, and 7 bronze medals. Printed at the back of the brochure is information regarding the various competition fields in the Olympics: the names of record holders in each field, the names of the German athletes who hold the national record in each field and the winners of the 1932 Olympic Games, which was held in Los Angeles. The column on the far right was kept empty to be filled by hand with the names of future winners of the Berlin Olympic Games, 1936: The International Olympic Committee determined in 1931, two years before the Nazi party became the ruling party in Germany, that the Eleventh Olympic Games would take place in Berlin in 1936. The Nazi regime saw great propagandist value in hosting the Olympics in Nazi Germany; through the games, it sought to advance the image of a new, strong, united Germany, while disguising its persecution of the Jews and its government’s militarism. A short while before its commencement and for the first time in the Olympics modern history, people in the US and across Europe called for a boycott of the Olympic Games, due to what was later known as human rights violations. However, the boycott movement was unsuccessful and the 49 countries which competed in the games awarded Hitler his victory: legitimizing his regime in the German public opinion as well the international one.

Accounting Book from the "Platterhof" guest house, Obersalzberg, from January-June 1944 – During the rule of the Third Reich, the Obersalzberg resort near the town of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria used to host senior and distinguished members of the Nazi party. Hitler’s private villa, the Berghof, was built in the area, as was a system of tunnels and bunkers. The item on display is an accounting book, which showcases food orders made for the different villas in the resort. The bills include deliveries of eggs, veal, butter, and marzipan, in a time when German citizens were experiencing food shortages due to the ongoing war. An additional bill in the book details the orders made for the wedding of Gretl Braun, Eva Braun’s sister, who married Waffen. SS Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein. The wedding took place at the Berghof on June 3, 1944.