Figure 1.--We do not fully understand the badges that the German occupation forced Jews to wear. As we understand it, in the General Government it was mostly white and blue arm bands. Here this mother and child wear a Sar of David badge with the German word 'Jude'. Perhaps they lived in the areas of Western Poland annexed to the Reich. Only Jews there were subjected to a horrendous reign of terror in an effort to make these new Reich Gaus Juden Frei. And the mother here and her little boy do not look like they are terribly affected yet. We do not have any details on the portrait, except that it was supposedly taken in Poland during 1940. e think it may be a misidentified German photogrph. A reader writes, "This is a very loving photograph. The boy and is mum were obviouslyn very close. You can see that in the image. It must have been summer as the mother is wearing a very pretty flower dress. The boy is dressed in a white shirt, short trousers and he is not wearing long woolen stockings. A loving but tragic picture knowing the cruelty that was being inflicted on other Jews and would eventually reach them as well."

Various NAZI officilas in different areas of occupied Poland, including both areas annexed and the General Government began adopting regulations requiring Jews to wear identifying badges. There was no consistency about the size, color, and shape of the these early Jewish badges. This began as a local ordinance. There never was a single overall NAZI policy. As a result there was a great diverity of these badges. Apparently the idea originated with SD Chief Reinhard Heydrich. Frank readily accepted the idea. Governor General Hans Frank, three months after the Germann invasion decreed that all Jews above 10 years of age were to wear a white badge with a Star of David on their right arm (November 23, 1939). Jews in the Reich were not required to wear these badges until another 2 years (1941). The Frank order theoretically covered all areas of the General Govrnment. We also notice a yellow Star of David wornn on the chest and back. The white arm band with the blue the Star of David had no word. The yellow Star of Davids appear to have the word 'Jude', meaning Jew in German. This may have been used in he areas of Poland annexed to the Reich and thus not part of the General Government. (Many of these Jews wre, however, very rapidly deported to the General Government, often under deplorable conditions.) As far as we know the Polish word was never used. In other occupied areas such as France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Yugoslavia, the local word for Jew was use. And in some countries such as Belgium just the first letter of the world for Jew was used. As far as we can tell the Polish badges either did not use a word or used the German word in the Fraktur script. The Star of David insignia of course simplified the problem of identifying Jews. The NAZIs had leaned in the Reich that not all Jews actually looked like the images of Jews they had. Forcing Jews to identify themselves simpified the whole process of seoarating them from society and taking actions against thm. The regulation informed the population that 'severe punishment is in store for Jews who do not wear the yellow badgeon back and front.' In practice this meant that Jews who failed to desplay the badges could be shot. This dracoania enforcement action forced widespread compliance.

Imposition

Various NAZI officilas in different areas of occupied Poland, including both areas annexed and the General Government began adopting regulations requiring Jews to wear identifying badges. NAZI officials had no legal and public relations constraints in Poland, unlike the situation in the Reich. By the time of World war II , they had largely eliminated legal contraints, but there were still public relations costraints. One problem the NAZIs had in the Reich is that it was not all ghat easy to identify who was was Jewish. so one of the first steps thy took after occupying Poland was to order Jews to wear identifying badges. Apparently the idea originated with SD Chief Reinhard Heydrich. Frank readily accepted the idea. Governor General Hans Frank, three months after the Germann invasion decreed that all Jews above 10 years of age were to wear a white badge with a Star of David on their right arm (November 23, 1939). Jews in the Reich were not required to wear these badges until another 2 years (1941). This theoretically covered all areas of the General Govrnment.

Charactristics

We do not fully understand the badges that the German occupation forced Jews to wear. There was quite a variety in the NAZI Empire. We see no consistency about the size, color, and shape of the these early Jewish badges. This ws not only in Poland, but other areas of the NAZI empire as well. The badges began as local ordinance. There never was a single overall NAZI policy. As a result there was a great diverity of these badges. We also notice a yellow Star of David wornn on the chest and back. The white arm band with the blue the Star of David had no word. The yellow Star of Davids appear to have the word 'Jude', meaning Jew. This may have been used in he areas of Poland annexed to the Reich and thus not part of the General Government. (Many of these Jews were, however, very rapidly deported to the General Government, often under deplorable conditions.) Here this mother and child wear a the German badge. Perhaps they lived in the areas of Western Poland annexed to the Reich. Or perhps it is a misidentified German image. As far as we know the Polish word was never used. In other occupied areas such as France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Yugoslavia, the local word for Jew was use. And in some countries such as Belgium just the first letter of the world for Jew was used. As afar aas we can tell the Polish badges either did not use a word or used the German word in the Fraktur script.

Purpose

The Star of David insignia of course simplified the problem of identifying Jews. The NAZIs had leaned in the Reich that not all Jews actually looked like the images of Jews they had. Forcing Jews to identify themselves simpified the whole process of seoarating them from society and taking actions against them. The regulation informed the population that 'severe punishment is in store for Jews who do not wear the yellow badgeon back and front.' In practice this meant that Jews who failed to desplay the badges could be shotv on the spot. This dracoania enforcement action avhieved widespread compliance.

Jewish Badges in Poland

We do not fully understand the badges that the German occupation forced Jews to wear. As we understand it, in the General Government, Jews mostly wore white and blue arm bands. Here this mother and child wear what would become the German star of David badge with the German word 'Jude' in the Fraktur script. These badges were used in other countries with 'Jew' in the local alnguage. They were never made in Poland with the Polish word for Jew--Zyd. We are not yet sure about the badges used in the other areas of occupied Poland.

Location

The MAZIs and Soviets after invading Poland partitioned the country (Setember 1939). The Soviet took eastern Poland. They did not pursueanti-Semric policies, but actibly ttempted to prevent Jews from fleeing their zone. The Germans converted central Poland to heGeneral Governmnt and launched aggressive anto-Semetic policies. They begn annexing western Poland into the Reich. Some of the territory went to esisting Gaus and some new Gaus were created. Majorefforts were launched to drive Jews in these Gaus into the General Government. We are not sure what the policies regarding Jewish badges were in these areas.

Children

There was no general NAZI ordinance about wearing Jewish badges. SS-Obergruppenf�hrer and General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich promoted the idea. The introduction of the badges was done by local NAZI authorities first in Poland (November 1939). As a result the regulations varied. All adults had to wear them once the regulations were issued in each jurisduction. Often young children were exeemoted, but by ge 10 years old they were required in most jurisduictions. We see much younger children wearing them. This might be mandatory. But we commonly see images where some of the children were wearing the badges and some were not. We suspect that for very young children the regulations were often not strictly enforced even where required. Some parents may have sewed themn on to avoid possible confrontastions with authorities. We suspect that once inside the ghettoes, authorities were not all thast concerned with the younger children. We see images of school children wearing these badges, but this was no common because in mosdt instabces Jewish children were expelled from the public schools are rounded up before the badges were mabdated. More commonly we see the badges in Jewish schools which were allowed in some areas befoire the killing began. In most ghettoes schooling was prohibited. We have not found a detailed assessment of children and the badges. Perhaps readers will kniw more.

Created: 11:25 PM 12/20/2013
Spell checked: 1:59 PM 12/21/2013
Last updated: 3:08 AM 4/28/2018