Star of David pin made from a Dutch coin worn to protest the German occupation and persecution of the Jews
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm) | Width: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm)
Archival History
The Star of David pendant was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Diane Pelham Burn.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Diane P. Burn
Scope and Content
Star of David pin worn in the Netherlands during World War II. It was a symbol of patriotism, support for the persecuted Jewish populace, and of protest and resistance to the German occupation of May 10, 1940 - May 5, 1945. The pin suggests the yellow Star of David badge that Jews were ordered to wear on April 29, 1942. Men often wore them as stickpins, women as lapel pins or pendants. It is made a from prewar Dutch coin called a dubbelje, the smallest coin in circulation, worth about 10 cents, and features the profile of Queen Wilhelmina. The Germans replaced the currency in 1941.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Dark yellow colored plastic pin in the shape of a 6 pointed Star of David, with a center inlay made from two circular silver coins featuring the engraved left profile of a woman with a braided bun, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. There is black enamel around the image; the letters EN are visible below her neck, the final letters in Nederleden on the original coin. There is a pierced hole in the top point of the star for a safety pin or a suspension ring, if used as a pendant.
Subjects
- Anti-Nazi movement--Netherlands.
- World War, 1939-1945--Occupied territories.
- Netherlands--History--German occupation, 1940-1945.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Netherlands.
Genre
- Object
- Jewelry