us-005578-irn49839-irn11664
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/0
physical characterisitics and technical requirements: Blue and gray, striped, mediumweight, twill weave cloth cap. The blue stripes are printed on the gray cloth, and the hidden seams are machine-stitched. The crown is flat, circular, and slightly padded, as though filled with several layers of interfacing. The sides are formed from four rectangular panels sewn into a band, and attached to the edge of the crown to give the cap height and shape. The stripes on these panels are horizontally oriented and precisely aligned along the seams. A headband, roughly one stripe in height, has been stitched along the bottom edge of the side panels with black thread. The interior is lined with several pieces of gray, satin weave cloth that has been handstitched with black and off-white thread. The hatband has been altered to reduce the band size by gathering the fabric, tucking it in on itself, and sewing it in place with black thread along the interior seams. The lining is discolored and dirty, especially around the headband. The altered seams are pulling loose on the exterior and interior.
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn49839-irn11664/alternateIDs/1
is or was included in: us-005578-irn49839
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/3
history: The cap was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1996 by Harvey Shreibman.
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/341
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn49839-irn11664/acquisitions/1
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/403
date: 1945 February-1945 March
history: Erich Sakofski (later Harvey Shreibman, 1925-2007) was born in Pruzana, Poland (now Pruz︠h︡any, Belarus) to Nachum Dawid (1895-1943) and Rachel Ross (1897-1943) Sakofski. He had one older brother, Avrum. Nachum ran a leather business selling raw materials to shoemakers. Nachum was very devout, and attended services at the synagogue three times a day. While at services, Rachel would mind the store, and sometimes Erich would help. Avrum had completed his studies at the local Gymnasium, or public secondary school, while Erich attended school at the local Yeshiva, an Orthodox Jewish secondary school. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded western Poland, and in mid-September, the Soviet Union occupied eastern Poland in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Pruzana fell under Soviet control, and all private businesses were banned. This forced all of the Jewish merchants and shopkeepers, as well as cultural and religious institutions, to close. Soviet authorities seized and nationalized Nachum’s store, and marked his passport to indicate that he was a businessman, which severely lowered his social status. There were very few jobs for Jewish people, and Nachum would have received the worst possible position that required him to work on the Sabbath, a sacred practice he was not willing to break. This decision left him with no income, and had a large impact on the family. Several times that fall, members of the Soviet security forces invaded the Sakofski family’s home in order to call Nachum a parasite for depending on others for his livelihood. Erich’s school was shut down after the invasion, and he was required to attend the Soviet public school and sit through many lectures centered on Soviet indoctrination. The Soviet authorities established a teacher-training course, which Avrum successfully completed and quickly found a post in a neighboring town that helped support his family. In 1940, security forces dug up the family’s yard on the pretense of looking for a cac…
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/803
type: RecordSet
identifier: irn11664
title: Concentration camp uniform cap worn by a Polish Jewish prisoner
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/2
record resource extent: overall: Height: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Width: 8.625 inches (21.908 cm) | Depth: 8.875 inches (22.543 cm)
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
scope and content: Striped uniform cap issued to Erich Sakofski (later Harvey Shreibman) while he was imprisoned at Flossenbürg concentration camp between February and March 1945. Erich was living in Pruzana, Poland (now Pruz︠h︡any, Belarus), with his parents, Nachum and Rachel, and his older brother, Avrum, when Poland was invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1939. Pruzana came under Soviet control with authorities shuttering all Jewish institutions and quickly closing or nationalizing all businesses, including Nachum’s. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded Soviet-occupied Poland, and by September, all Jews in Pruzana were living within a closed ghetto. In late January 1943, the Jews of Pruzana were deported for collaborating with partisans. Avrum hid during the deportation, hoping to join the resistance afterwards, but likely perished. Erich and his parents were transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center. Erich was selected for work details, while his parents were likely sent to the gas chambers. After six weeks in quarantine, Erich was transferred to the main Auschwitz camp and moved to Auschwitz-Monowitz (Buna) in March 1944. In January 1945, as Soviet forces advanced on the region, all Auschwitz camps were evacuated. Erich was deported to three concentration camps in Germany: Sachsenhausen, Flossenbürg, and Platting before being liberated by US forces during a forced march on May 2, 1945. Following the war, Erich lived at Weilheim and Prien am Chiemsee displaced persons (DP) camps in Germany. On December 14, 1947, Erich sailed to the United States aboard the SS Marine Tiger.
has record set type: Item