May Day 1938 pin featuring a dancing couple and Nazi insignia acquired by a US soldier
Extent and Medium
h: Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Diameter: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm)
Creator(s)
- Harold B. Goldberg (Subject)
- Karl Hensler (Manufacturer)
Biographical History
Harold B. Goldberg (1922-2011) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Samuel and Rose Goldberg. Samuel and Rose were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States before the birth of their children. Samuel worked as a presser in a tailor shop. Harold had six siblings and the family spoke Yiddish and English at home. As a young adult Harold worked as a mail carrier and attended City College in New York. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. On October 31, 1942 Harold was drafted into the U.S. military. He entered the army on October 31, 1942 as a private, and received serial number 32613738. He served in Europe until the end of the war. Harold then returned home to New York where he married his wife Rita in 1952. The family lived in New York for the rest of their lives.
Archival History
The pin was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by the family of Harold Goldberg.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold Goldberg
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
May Day 1938 tinnie with a couple dancing near a May pole with a Nazi eagle with swastika brought back from the war by Harold Goldberg, an American soldier who served in Europe, circa 1945-1946.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Circular, corroded, silver colored, pressed tin badge with an image of a couple holding hands and dancing near a May pole with ribbons behind them. At the bottom is a spread winged eagle holding a wreath with a swastika in its talons, flanked by the date. On the back is the maker’s mark and a vertical pin with a spiral hinge and C clasp.
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes)--Soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Jewish soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Object
- Identifying Artifacts