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Synagogue Ornaments Used by Nazis for War Purposes

April 26, 1940
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Under the headline, “Star of David helps to beat England,” the Ostdeutsche Beobachter, Nazi organ, reports that scrap metal collection for war purposes was started in Poznan, Poland, with the ceremony of taking down three huge Stars of David from the cupola of the now unused Great Synagogue.

The metal collectors, headed by storm troopers, uniformed Hitler Youth and a military band, marched up to the synagogue. The bases of the stars had already been partly cut through and ropes had been tied around them. After addresses by Nazi leaders, a signal was given and electric cutters cut through the stars, which came crashing down. They were then carried triumphantly through the city.

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