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On the first of September 1941, Nazi SS and Police General Reinhard Heydrich, Head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD or Nazi Security Service) in Berlin issued a decree which required Jews to wear a yellow 6-pointed Judenstern or “Star of David” on their clothing in both public and certain private circumstances. During the months following that original decree, more and more limitations were placed on the daily lives of Jews. However, the original decree raised more questions as implementation of it began throughout Großdeutschland or Greater Germany and Occupied Territories.

This is a remarkable Nazi document that clearly depicts the very complicated nature of the Third Reich German legal system and the amount of communications required between extremely high level police, military and civil authorities all over Nazi Germany. It is the official police Abschrift or file copy of a two-page letter from Reinhard Heydrich dated 12 May 1942 and it originated at his office at the Reichssicherheitshauptamt in Berlin, 15 days prior to the attack on his life in Prague that would result in his death on 4 June 1942.

It was sent to all police stations in Greater Germany, East Prussia, and German occupied territories in the East and this is the original Third Reich file copy from the Police Archive in Vienna.

The stapled two-page 8-¼ x 11-¾ inch directive clearly outlines rules and regulations for German barbers with Jewish clients. It is in follow-up to regulations already provided to the Union of German Hairdressers by the German government clearly stating that no German hairdresser was allowed to provide services to Jews wearing a Star of David, not in a salon, barbershop or any private location. Only Jewish hairdresser were permitted to cut the hair of Jewish clients.

If German hairdressers violated these official Nazi government laws and were caught dealing with Jewish clients, they would be prosecuted. Jews caught breaking these laws would be arrested.

The text further stipulates which police entity in Greater Germany, East Prussia, and German occupied territories in the East was charged with enforcing these laws. It also mentions that the Nazi Hairdresser Guild and the Vienna Israelitische Kultusgemeinde, or Jewish Culture Community (the organization that kept official records for the huge Jewish minority in Vienna and still exists today), had been notified of this information and were obligated to inform their members.

The original version of this letter had Heydrich’s signature and Rundstempel (rubber stamp). Our official Third Reich archival copy from Vienna, just has Heydrich’s name typed at the bottom of the text on the second page. The two pieces of paper are still stapled together with the original Third Reich staple, shown below.

Please read the text below explaining the origins of this rare historical document.