Toy figurine of Hitler in a brown belted uniform acquired by a US family in prewar Vienna

Identifier
irn38401
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2006.265.9
Dates
1 Jan 1937 - 31 Dec 1938
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Ross Allen Baker (1886-1978) was born in Greencastle, Indiana, to Philip and Luemma Baker (née Allen). Ross received a BA in chemistry in 1906 from DePauw University and a PhD in 1914 from the University of Wisconsin. He married Helen Fredericka Porter (1889-1964) on December 30, 1914. The couple had five sons: Philip Schaffner (1916-1986), Porter (1918-1987), Frederick Ross (1920-?), Stanley Allen (1921-?), and Raymond Davis (1921-1958). Ross held various teaching positions at universities throughout the United States and England. He was a national counselor in chemistry for the Boy Scouts of America, and helped write the merit badge booklet. During World War I (1914-1918), Ross served in the Chemical Warfare Service, specializing in the use of mustard gas. He later became active in efforts to have nations ban the use of biological and chemical weapons in the League of Nations, and later in the United Nations. In 1928, he was a US delegate for an International Union of Chemistry meeting at the League of Nations, and in 1938, he was a US delegate to the International Congress of Chemistry in Rome, Italy. In 1930, Ross began teaching at the College of the City of New York, and in 1937, he was given a sabbatical leave to take courses in microchemistry at the University of Vienna. Ross, his wife, and their sons lived in Vienna during the academic year 1937-1938. The boys attended school while in Europe and the family travelled during the summers. During that time, Austria was in the midst of an economic depression, which facilitated the growth of antisemitic and pro-Nazi sentiments. The Baker family was in the city on March 13, 1938, when Austria was annexed into Germany, in what became known as the "Anschluss." Helen kept a detailed diary describing what she saw as Austria was absorbed into Nazi Germany. The university closed temporarily, so Ross took his 16mm camera to film the events of the Anschluss and its aftermath in Vienna. As an American delegate to a convention, Ross had a badge that allowed him to film Hitler and others at close range. Following the Anschluss, many tourists left the country, but the Bakers remained, as Ross was slated to attend a chemistry convention in Rome in May. On April 10, there was a formal vote in support of Hitler as Fuhrer, and the newspapers were filled with Nazi propaganda. Following the elections, the German authorities immediately enacted anti-Jewish laws stripping Jews of their rights as citizens, including the right to vote. Ross filmed the widespread defacement and boycotting of Jewish businesses. There were financial problems as the banks closed to convert from shillings to German marks, and the Reichsbank froze foreign money exchanges to prevent withdrawals as people sought to leave. Although their American passports gave Ross and Helen a sense of security, their Jewish friends were anxious to escape Austria. In May 1938, the family accompanied Ross to Rome and witnessed public events for the summit meeting between Hitler and Mussolini. The family travelled the rest of the summer, and sailed from France back to the United States at the end of August.

Archival History

The toy figure was donated to the United States Holocaust Museum in 2006 by Stanley A. Baker, the son of Ross Baker.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Stanley A. Baker

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Scope and Content

Toy figure of Hitler acquired for the sons of Ross and Helen Baker in prewar Vienna, Austria. The toy was one of a series of Nazi themed figurines created by O. & M. Hausser in the 1930s. Ross was a chemist and professor at the City University of New York. In 1937, he received a sabbatical leave to study at the University of Vienna and moved there with his wife and five sons. During this time, the family witnessed many historic events, such as the Anschluss and its aftermath in Vienna, visits by Hitler and other German officials, and the defacement and boycotting of Jewish businesses. On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Vienna and, the next day, Austria was incorporated into Nazi Germany. The German enacted anti-Jewish laws immediately. On April 10, there was a popular vote on the merger and 99% of the population voted Yes in support of Hitler as Fuhrer. Jews were among those who had already been stripped of their rights as citizens, including the right to vote.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Toy figurine in the form of Adolf Hitler, a white man with a brown mustache, wearing a light brown shirt and darker brown pants with a red armband with a black swastika on the left arm. The right arm is missing. The trademark Elastolin is pressed into the brown painted base underside. Elastolin is a composite material made from sawdust, clay and glue.

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.