Yellow Star/ Piece of Cloth with the Number of a Jewish Prisoner during the Holocaust

Yellow Star/ Piece of Cloth with the Number of a Jewish Prisoner during the Holocaust

Yellow star-shaped cloth with the word "Jude" at center / piece of cloth with number of prisoner 71519. c. 1940. The name of the Jew who wearing the yellow patch was Edward Hoffman.

Source: The Jewish Museum in Brooklyn.

According to the laws of the German Reich, beginning in 1938 every Jew in areas occupied by the Germans was required to wear a yellow patch. The patch had to be at least 10 centimeters, it was to be shaped like a star of David with the word "Jude" in the middle. The patch was worn on the left side of the garment, on one's chest or on the right arm. Jews who forgot to wear the patch when they left the house, or wore a patch that did not adhere to the requirements would be punished with fines or imprisonment.  The entrances to homes in Warsaw had large warnings not to forget the patch. A notice to the Judenrat of Bialystock on July 26, 1941 stated that "according to governmental warning, Jews who do not wear the yellow patch will receive dire punishment - possibly shot to death."

The yellow patch measures 10x8 cm. The cloth strip with the personal number: 2.5x6 cm.

The patch and the number are housed in a special case for preservation.