Heydrich Police Decree - Jewish Star of David

HEYDRICH NAZI POLICE DIRECTIVE RE: JEWISH TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

“Star of David” decree Reinhard Heydrich

SECRET 1942 NAZI
SCHNELLBRIEF POLICE
DIRECTIVE FROM
HEYDRICH REGARDING
THE YELLOW STAR OF
DAVID EMBLEM
REQUIRED TO BE WORN
BY JEWS

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 yellow Davidstern or “Star of David” on their clothing both in public and certain private circumstances. The original decree raised more questions than it answered as implementation of it began throughout Großdeutschland or Greater Germany and Occupied Territories.

The item offered here is the 8-page, A4 size (8-1/4 x 11-5/8 inch) follow-up decree dated 16 February 1942, once again over the signature of Heydrich. Page 1 is bordered by a bright red quarter-inch stripe on all four sides and shows this Schnellbrief was sent by the Reichsminister des Innern (Ministry of the Interior) in Berlin where the offices of the Reichsführer-SS, Sicherheitsdienst and Police were located. It was sent to the Reichsstatthalter (the highest Nazi government authority) in Wien, Baldur von Schirach, and it arrived on 2 March 1942 (blue receiving stamp).

The subject of the SS Schnellbrief was a clarification of the guidelines put in place for the mandatory wearing of the Star of David emblem by Jews, and who in the Nazi hierarchy was responsible for seeing to it that Jews wore the yellow Davidstern on clothing. This SS Schnellbrief makes it clear the responsibility for enforcement of the yellow Star of David decree belonged to the GESTAPO.

This confidential “FOR YOUR EYES ONLY” Heydrich decree also clarifies who was responsible for allowing exemptions for Jews to leave their city of residence and the use of public transportation by Jews. Heydrich further stated that the original Decree of 1 September 1941 already contained so may exemptions (paragraph 3), that no further exemptions would be allowed. He further made it clear that IF additional exemptions had been made to Jews in the meantime, they had to be retracted immediately.

This SS Schnellbrief also made these rules regarding the Star of David emblem and the use of public transportation applicable for Slovakian, Croatian and Romanian Jews. It further states that, “Due to the already overloaded traffic situation, we have to restrict Jewish travel even more and issue fewer exemptions. This also applies to jews who are employed by state recognized Jewish Organizations and those Jews traveling for those state recognized Jewish Organizations.”

Heydrich’s office in Police Headquarters in Berlin then requested that the information in this Schnellbrief (but NOT this Schnellbrief) be passed on immediately to local police personnel. In turn, they were to inform Jewish organizations of the new travel restrictions for Jews. The Sipo and SD in Luxembourg, Metz, Strasbourg, Marburg and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia had to create their own rules to deal with these Jewish matters.

Der Reichsführer-SS und Chef der deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern

At the bottom of the Schnellbrief is a black rubber stamp with an eagle, swastika and the number 116 in the middle, showing this letter originated in the offices of Der Reichsführer-SS und Chef der deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern (Heinrich Himmler, Head of the Nazi Police) on Prinz Albrechtstraße in Berlin.

This Schnellbrief from Heydrich was signed on his behalf (he was already in Prague, having taken the additional job of Deputy Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia several months earlier) by an aide. The blue Heydrich signature is not an actual pen and ink signature, but a rubber stamp.

VERY, VERY RARE ANTI-SEMITIC MATERIAL. It is doubtful than another copy of this 1942 Heydrich Schnellbrief exists anywhere in the world! For additional SS Schnellbrief material from Himmler and Heydrich, click HERE.

This 1942 "Jewish Star of David" Heydrich decree is
**SOLD**.

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