Jewish Police in Westerbork

The Ordenienst, or Jewish police in Westerbork, were universally detested by camp inmates for their cruelty and role in collaborating with the Nazis. Composed of Jews from Holland and other European countries, members of the OD were responsible for guarding the punishment block and generally maintaining order in the camp. The OD consisting of 20 men in mid-1942, grew to a peak of 182 men in April 1943 and stood at 67 in February 1944. Wearing the "OD" badge on the left breast was decreed in Camp Order No. 27 of 23 April 1943.
Photo credit: Rijksinstituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie, courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives

A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
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