Material Culture

Collection Jewish Object: Material Culture

An unusual wedding gift, practice signs from half a century ago, a carnival hat, and more: discover exciting stories in our Material Culture collection!

Blue and white flag with Star of David on the blue background.

Flag with the Star of David

In 1935, Martin Friedländer hung a blue and white flag from his window, making a confident statement against the racist Nuremberg Laws

Two busts made of red, transparent glass. The one on the left depicts Karl Marx, the one on the right Ferdinand Lassalle. Between them is a dark brown wooden music box.

“Now we’ll follow the intrepid path that Lassalle led us to!”

On the Anniversary of the Death of Politician and Publicist Ferdinand Lassalle

Model of the Cargo Steamer Max

The Hamburg shipowner Arnold Bernstein received this model of his first ship in 1929 as a gift for his company's tenth anniversary. Eight years later, his career ended abruptly. He was detained and only managed to escape Germany at the last minute

Photo of three medals on a velvet cushion.

Max Haller’s Collection of Medals

Max Haller fought in the First World War for the Imperial German Navy. When SA members threatened him during the April Boycott of 1933, he pointedly placed a velvet cushion with his military distinctions in the shop window

Dark-brown cardboard key containing a rolled-up piece of paper

Cardboard Key for the Korants’ Wedding

Margarete Apt and Georg Korant received an unusual gift for their wedding on 4 October 1903 in Breslau. The dark brown key is made of cardboard and can be opened

Dr. Oscar Hirschberg’s Office Signs

A total of seven office signs used by Dr. Oscar Hirschberg document both his career as a practicing physician and the political changes and antisemitic exclusion during the period of Nazi rule

Brown-leather wallet with thirty-one keys spread out.

The Sommerfelds’ Thirty-One Keys

Thirty-one keys – that's all that remains of the luggage the Sommerfeld family took with them when they emigrated from Berlin. They only managed to leave for England at the very last minute – just before the Second World War broke out

Challenge Trophy from the Oberspree Jewish Rowing Club

The member of the Oberspree Jewish rowing club who logged the most kilometers in the water over the course of a year was awarded a challenge trophy. Fred Eisenberg won the award three years in a row