Forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P, to identify a Polish forced laborer

Identifier
irn516568
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2005.83.12.2
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 2.625 inches (6.668 cm) | Width: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm)

Archival History

The forced labor badge was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

Scope and Content

Forced labor badge, yellow with a purple P and a purple border, that would be worn to identify a Polish forced laborer in Nazi Germany. German regulations required the workers to wear the badge with the purple band visible around the P on the right chest to keep them separate from the German populace. During the German occupation of Poland, 1939-1945, many non-Jewish Polish people were sent to Germany as conscript labor for civilian labor details on farms and factories. Workers sometimes volunteered for the forced labor service, but the majority were forcibly recruited and conditions worsened as the war continued. The German work force was depleted by the war and unpaid foreign workers were needed to keep the economy functioning.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Square white cloth badge, printed on the front with a yellow square with a purple border and the letter P in the center, applied to be worn in a diamond orientation. The outer edges are frayed.

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.