Skip to main content

Judenfrei letter

Judenfrei letter
  • Country of origin : Germany
  • Material : Paper
  • Date : 1941
  • Intended for: Soldiers

Judenfrei or 'clean of Jews are terms of Nazi origin to designate an area that has been "cleansed" of Jews during The Holocaust. While judenfrei refers merely to "freeing" an area of all of its Jewish inhabitants, the term judenrein (literally "clean of Jews") has the even stronger connotation that any trace of Jewish blood had been removed as an alleged impurity in the minds of the criminal perpetrators. These terms of racial discrimination and racial abuse are intrinsic to Nazi anti-Semitism and were used by the Nazis in Germany before World War II and in occupied countries such as Poland in 1939.

Judenfrei describes the local Jewish population having been removed from a town, region, or country by forced evacuation during the Holocaust, though many Jews were hidden by local people. Removal methods included forced re-housing in Nazi ghettos especially in eastern Europe, and forced removal or Resettlement to the East by German troops, often to their deaths. Most Jews were identified from late 1941 by the yellow badge as a result of pressure from Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler.

The document shows the number of Jewish executions carried out by Einsatzgruppe A in: Estonia (declared judenfrei), Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia

Most of the items are from my personal collection.
While some major documents are nearly impossible to acquire, every piece on display carries a unique story from the Second World War. That deep connection to history inspired me to start building this small collection, parts of which you see here today.

I believe it’s vital to preserve these pieces of the past, not just as artifacts, but as reminders for future generations. History shouldn’t be forgotten, and with your help, it won’t be.
Do you have a WW2 item?
Consider donating it to my project, where it can be preserved, appreciated, and help tell the story of that important time in history. Even the smallest item can make a big difference.
Yes I want to help!