An armband of a Jew from World War II – France, 1940s.
In October 1940, the Vichy regime published the “Law of the Status of the Jews” which effectively abolished the emancipation given to the Jews of France and defined who was a Jew according to race criteria. Under German auspices, the Vichy regime ruled France, imposing on Jews the obligation to mark themselves with armbands with the inscription “Juif” or yellow patches, removing them from their jobs, looting their livelihoods and confiscating their property. Throughout that period, the Jews had to deal with a new, hostile and changing system of laws along with unprecedented anti-Semitism, which was encouraged by the government.
See at length: Being a Jew in France 1939 – 1945, Rene Poznanski, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem.
Perimeter: 46 cm. Height: 10 cm. Stains. Good condition.
