Jewish badges from Poland

Poland was the first country where Jews were forced to wear a distinctive yellow badge in order to isolate them from the surrounding population. From the beginning of the invasion of Poland in September 1939 all Jews aged 10 and above in the Generalgouvernement, that included the districts of Krakow, Warsaw, Radom and Lublin, were forced to wear a distinctive badge, generally a yellow badge in the shape of a Star of David. On 23 November 1939 Hans Frank, the governor of the Generalgouvernement issued an order that all Jews aged 10 and above must wear a white cloth armband 10 cm wide marked with a blue Star of David on their right arm. In different areas of the Generalgouvernement Jews were forced to wear a yellow badge or an armband.

Even after the Jews were confined in ghettos that physically separated them from the rest of the population, the directive of a distinctive badge was still enforced. Jews who were caught without the star displayed were punished. In each ghetto punishments varied and could range from fines, beatings, imprisonment, to deportation to camps or even being shot on the spot.

In the Lodz ghetto, which was not part of the Generalgouvernement but rather was located in the Warthegau, a directive was issued on 14 November 1939 ordering the Jews to wear a distinctive yellow badge. One month later this directive was amended instructing the Jews to wear a yellow badge in the shape of a Star of David (with no marking) on their clothing on the right side, back and front.

As the Jews of Poland  were required to make the badges themselves, alongside privately fashioned badges, small factories and workshops sprang up for their production.