What arm was the number on during the Holocaust?

NUMBERS

Although details are not complete regarding treatment of the Holocaust victims, it seems that not all of them had their bodies marked with a number. Also, of all the concentration camps in Nazi Germany, it appears that only the Auschwitz group of camps (e.g. Auschwitz 1, Auschwitz 2 (Birkenau) and Auschwitz 3 (Monowitz) actually implemented prisoner numbering in a systematic way. This began in 1940, and at first the number was sewn onto the prisoner's uniform.

Body marking did not start until 1941. The number was written or tattooed maybe on the chest, the back, or the left forearm; some were marked on the leg. Sometimes the number included a letter prefix to indicate the 'type' of prisoner. For example, the prefix 'AU' was used for Soviet prisoners of war. Those destined for immediate execution were often not marked with a number.

BADGES

Starting with Poland in November 1939, and then spreading to ther countries under Nazi domination, all Jews were legally requierd to wear badges which identified them as belonging to this particular religious/ethnic group. As an example of the seriousness of this law, the Jewish Community Council of Bialystock in 1941 warned the community that "severe punishment -up to, and including death by shooting-, is in store for Jews who do not wear the yellow badge on back and front."

In the concentration camps, other badges with different shapes and different colors were introduced to identify other groups. They were worn on the chest or on the arm, sewn to the fabric of their coats, on the left side.

For more details, and documentary photographs, see 'Related links' below this box.