Yellow Stars Mandated: Holocaust Persecution Deepens
Nazi Germany ordered all Jews in German-occupied territory over the age of six to wear a yellow Star of David on their outer clothing, effective September 19, 1941. The decree, issued on September 1 but enforced from September 19, was part of a systematic campaign to identify, isolate, and ultimately deport Jewish populations to ghettos and extermination camps. The star had to be visible at all times in public, and failure to comply was punishable by fine, imprisonment, or worse. The identification made escape nearly impossible and public persecution routine. Similar marking orders were extended across occupied Europe over the following months, facilitating the roundups and deportations that constituted the Holocaust.
September 6, 1941
85 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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