Identification badge of a Jewess from the Ravensbrück women’s camp. Ravensbrück (Germany, north of Berlin), early 1940s.
According to the information we received from the depositor, the badge belonged to the Jewish woman Hana Steiner. Before World War II she lived in Prague, Czechoslovakia. She arrived in Ravensbrück in October 1943, and was murdered in the camp six months later. The tag was kept by her friend Pessie Leonard, as far as we know it was the only item of clothing that belonged to Hannah that was kept after the war.
In the concentration camps themselves, the prisoners were classified with a marking tag according to the reason for their imprisonment. Red triangle political prisoners, green triangle – criminals, purple triangle – Bibelforscher, pink triangle – homosexuals, black triangle – anti-socials, red upside down triangle on a yellow background forming the shape of a Star of David – Jews.
See also the permanent exhibition at the Yad Vashem Museum item number 7079737 (a similar identification badge from Ravensbrück of the Hungarian-born Jewish prisoner Leonora Cohen who arrived at the camp in June 1944).
9×10 cm. Stains. Good condition.
