Worker’s badge from the Rekord enamel factory in Krakow - the factory rented by Oskar Schindler in 1939 and used by him to rescue thousands of Polish Jews from the Nazis. [Krakow, ca. 1937-1939].
Round metal badge, painted orange, with the inscription “Rekord” and the identification number 7533. Pin on reverse.
Following the occupation of Poland by the Nazis, in 1939, the city of Krakow began to attract German entrepreneurs who sought to exploit the new financial opportunities offered by the occupied territory. One of these entrepreneurs was Oskar Schindler, who arrived in the city a short time after the occupation and took control of a factory for the production of enamelware, formerly under Jewish ownership [he also changed the factory’s name from Rekord to Die Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik (“The German Enamelware Factory”)]. Within a short while Schindler turned to factory into a successful business. The factory supplied kitchenware to the German army, and the high demand contributed to its prosperity. In 1942 the factory employed about 800 workers, 370 of them Jews. The persecution of Jews and the organized terror tactics to which they were publicly subjected during this period brought on a change in Schindler, and he began to act for their rescue. To this end he exploited the position of the enamel factory as vital for the war effort - a position that granted him the protection of the German Army authorities, with whom he signed contracts, thereby enabling him to recruit more and more Jewish workers from the ghetto in order to fulfill his contractual obligations. When his Jewish workers were threatened with deportation and transfer to concentration and death camps, he succeeded, with much effort, to obtain exemptions for them. Schindler was questioned a number of times under suspicion of unseemly conduct and preference of Jews, but each time was released and resumed his activities to save Jews. In 1943 Schindler met with Israel Kastner and Shmuel Springman and handed them a detailed report of the genocide in Poland, and particularly in Auschwitz. In 1967 Schindler was recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations”. His story was made famous in Steven Spielberg’s film “The Schindler List”, which won an Oscar for Best Film of 1993.
Diameter: 37 mm. Good condition. Color chipping.

Official paper issued by the Department of Foreign Interests in the Swiss Embassy in Budapest, granted to Jeno Schuk and confirming he holds a valid Swiss passport. Stamped "Legation de Suisse, Budapest" [Swiss Delegation, Budapest]. Budapest, October 1944. German and Hungarian.
Following the occupation of Hungary by the Nazis in 1944, the head of the Department Representing Foreign Interests of the Swiss Delegation in Budapest, Carl Lutz, began to act energetically to rescue the Jews of Budapest. Among other things, he issued Swiss "writs of protection" to Jews holding certificates. After negotiations with high-level Nazi bureaucrats, and with the agreement of the Hungarian authorities, he issued about 8,000 writs of protection - one for each holder of an immigration certificate. Later he applied the writs of protection to the entire family of the certificate holder, thereby allowing about 30,000 Jews to be included in the category of those enjoying the writs of protection. In addition, thousands of writs were forged on paper stolen from the S.S. office. In 1964 Lutz was one of the first to receive the title of "Righteous Among the Nations" from Yad Vashem.
[1] leaf, 29 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and creases. Stains and slight defects. Pen marking.

Two letters from the secretary of "Vaad HaHatzala" in New-York, Rabbi Ya'akov Karlinsky. Printed on official stationery of "Vaad HaHatzala" (committee for the rescue of Jews) and signed in print. New-York, February-March 1945. English.
Both letters were written in reply to letters from a person who asked to find out about a relative, survivor of Theresienstadt Ghetto. In both letters the secretary of "Vaad HaHatzala" writes that he cannot supply the requested information.
On the reverse of one of the letters appears a handwritten draft, from Edward Horwitz with an additional application to "Vaad HaHatzala" asking to get information about his sister, Hermine Goldbaum.
[2] leaves, 27.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks.

17 photographs. Europe, [second half of 1940s].
Among the photographs: five postcard-size photographs of the Jewish Committee school in Nowa Ruda, Poland; three small photographs from Fernwald refugee camp, among them are photographs of the yearly memorial ceremony for victims of Rovno; two photographs from Sosnowiec - Kibbutz of Agudat Israel girls and a Talmud Torah; photographs from Częstochowa; photographs from Saalfelden, Austria; photograph of a meeting in memory of the victims of Chelm; a postcard issued by Joint from a summer camp for children in Swider, Poland, and some additional items.
Size and condition vary.