Who was responsible for the production of the gold stars that jews were required to wear during WW2?

by rainbowMONKAY

Did the government produce them? Did a private company produce them? How were they distributed?

albe00

These Guys

The company changed its name (used to be called "Geitel & Co")

/e: to clarify: I do not want to put blame on the successor company of the original manufacturer.. few companies could stay completely clear of any connection to the regime, even if they wanted to. I just found it interesting that they still exist.

/e2: some more facts from the article:

  • special identification for Jews had been a goal of the national socialists for years (Hitler talked about it in 1937)
  • during the preparation period for the deportations on August 20th, 1941, Hitler gave Goebbels the order to create the design
  • from then on, all Jews over the age of 6 had to wear the star ("visibly on the left side of their chest", "sewed on"
  • Jews were not allowed to leave their districts without consent of the police
  • leaders of the Jewish communities had to oversee the distribution of the stars
  • Judensterne were distributed on September 16th in Berlin (17th in Vienna)
  • first 1 Star per person, until Oktober 15th up to 4 per person (for different items of clothing)
  • wearing the Star was obligatory from September 19th onwards
  • Jewish community leaders had to pay the cost price of 3 Pfennig per star and individual Jews had to pay them 10 Pfennig (for administrational expenses)
  • The Berlin-based flag manufactury "Geitel & Co" got the order and produced close to 1 million stars in a couple of days for 30,000 Reichsmark
  • Goebbels: Judenstern "a sanitary measure to prevent the Jew from sneaking into our ranks"

Source: http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13531193.html

Konrad Kwiet: Der Weg in den Holocaust (III): Brandmarkung durch den „Judenstern“; C. H. Beck Verlag, München 1988.