Kennkarte
Object numberM1991/033:005
TitleKennkarte
DescriptionKennkarte issued to Martha Wenger; it is a civil identity document issued in Vienna 29 March, 1939. One of six documents pertaining to Martha, born 28 September 1892, in Vienna. She was incarcerated in Terezin/Theresienstadt from 2 October 1942 to 11 November 1945. Martha was a Displaced Person (DP) in Deggendorf (Bavaria) and her occupation was a baby nurse.
Kennkartes were constructed from durable linen material to ensure their longevity within a climate of heightened and incessant persecution. The expense of the material and complex manufacturing process of these documents posed difficulties in the production of forgeries. Jewish citizenry were forced to adopt middle names of either ‘Sara’ or ‘Israel’ and a Hebraic ‘J’ was printed internally and externally, allowing for instant identification.
As the war progressed, citizens of German occupied territories were also issued with similar documents. Both material and design varied between countries. In Poland, the underground resistance discovered an administrative loophole in the provision of replacement documents for those lost or destroyed and were able to provide hundreds of Polish Jews with false identities. In the face of increasing persecution, ingenuity became a necessity of survival.
Kennkartes were constructed from durable linen material to ensure their longevity within a climate of heightened and incessant persecution. The expense of the material and complex manufacturing process of these documents posed difficulties in the production of forgeries. Jewish citizenry were forced to adopt middle names of either ‘Sara’ or ‘Israel’ and a Hebraic ‘J’ was printed internally and externally, allowing for instant identification.
As the war progressed, citizens of German occupied territories were also issued with similar documents. Both material and design varied between countries. In Poland, the underground resistance discovered an administrative loophole in the provision of replacement documents for those lost or destroyed and were able to provide hundreds of Polish Jews with false identities. In the face of increasing persecution, ingenuity became a necessity of survival.
Production placeVienna, Austria
Production date 1939-03-23
Subjectidentity cards, racial discrimination, antisemitism, Sara, identity cards after liberation, DP Camps
Object nameidentity cards
Materiallinen
Dimensions
- whole width: 205.00 mm
height: 152.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Martha Wenger