Allach porcelain figurine found by a US Army nurse in Dachau concentration camp post-liberation

Allach porcelain figurine found by a US Army nurse in Dachau concentration camp post-liberation 

Allach porcelain figurine found by a US Army nurse in Dachau concentration camp post-liberation 

overall: Height: 10.125 inches (25.718 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm) | Depth: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) 

Porcelain figure of a “Gaukler mit Dolch” (Juggler with Dagger) manufactured by slave labor and acquired by United States Army nurse Helen Rickert at Dachau concentration camp. Helen was deployed to the Mediterranean in March 1943, and served as an Operating Room nurse with the Second Auxiliary Surgical Group in Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. The Porzellan-Manufaktur Allach (PMA) was founded in 1935 in the Munich suburb of Allach. It produced decorative porcelain pieces with the goal of developing a new echelon of German artistic taste. The factory quickly became a pet-project of SS Reichsführer (Reich leader) Heinrich Himmler, who eventually took control of 45 percent of the output and often gifted figures to various SS officials and friends. In 1937, the primary PMA factory moved to the SS Training and Education Camp, adjacent to Dachau. Beginning in 1940, Jewish prisoners from the camp were forced to work in the factory. Allach factories produced several themed series of figurines. A series of Morris dancer figurines was produced exclusively for the city of Munich. Consumer demand led to the creation of a similar series of jugglers, produced at the Dachau factory, and was available for purchase by the public in 1942. The Allach factory at Dachau continued to run until late April 1945. On April 29, U.S. forces liberated over 32,000 people at Dachau. Following liberation, Helen and other medical personnel tried to aid as many sick and dying prisoners as they could. Helen remained in Europe until August 1945, having obtained the rank of first lieutenant, and received Bronze Star for her service.