View Artifacts

Kennkarte issued to Jonas “Israel” Fingerhut, January 16, 1939

When Jonas Fingerhut of Kulm, Germany was ordered to go to the Gestapo in January, 1939 to have his picture taken and be fingerprinted, he was certain that this would not be the last indignity he would suffer from the Nazis.  He was correct.  The kennkarten was only the first of several measures instituted to make Jews immediately identifiable.  Since Judaism is a religion and Jews are not a race, the Nazis had to go to great lengths to achieve this.  The middle names “Israel” or “Sara” were added to the kennkarten and all other documents for Jews.  In September 1941, the law required Jews to wear yellow badges in the shape of the Star of David.

On loan from Darrell English

Return to Artifact Index