The tool was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.
Small hand tool with a short, turned wood handle that tapers towards the neck. A raised band circles the top of the handle, which is fitted with a small metal collar. Extending from the handle is a square metal rod that curves downward into a hollow, semi-circular scoop. Covering the scoop is a narrow, rectangular lid with a rectangular thumb tab that extends out at a 90-degree angle. The lid is secured by a small metal pin on one end, which serves as a hinge. A metal wire wraps around the pin and extends to the end of the lid, where it crosses over to the other side. Attached to the bottom end of the handle is a small, black leather hanging tab with a small slit.
No restrictions on access
No restrictions on use
overall: Height: 7.000 inches (17.78 cm) | Width: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Depth: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm)
Metal tool, possibly for a shoemaker, similar to those used by Jewish forced laborers in the Łódź Ghetto in German-occupied Poland from May 1940 to summer 1944. Łódź was occupied by Germany a week after the September 1939 invasion of Poland. It was renamed Litzmannstadt, and in February 1940, the Jewish population of about 160,000 people was confined to a small, sealed-off ghetto. All residents had to work, and 85 percent of the ghetto population labored in nearly 100 factories. The major ones produced textiles, including uniforms for the German Army. Occupying authorities seized much of the specialized machinery from the Jewish population, forcing them to use hand techniques for production. Due to severe overcrowding and scarce food, disease and starvation were common. The Judenrat (Jewish Council) administered the ghetto for the Germans, and chairman Mordechai Rumkowski thought hard work and high output would preserve the ghetto. However, in January 1942, mass deportations to Chelmno killing center began; half the residents were murdered by the end of the year. In summer 1944, Łódź, the last ghetto in Poland, was destroyed and the remaining Jews were sent to Chelmno and Auschwitz-Birkenau killing centers.
Shoemaker's tool of the type used in Łódź Ghetto