Kommelkwartier in Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Herdenkingsplein (06): Persoonsregistratie / Personal Registration
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 27, 2023
1. Herdenkingsplein (06): Personregistratie / Personal Registration Marker
Persoonregistratie in het Stadhuis
Nadat de Duitsers ons land zijn binnengevallen wordt een identiteitsbewijs met foto en vingerafdruk verplicht gesteld voor alle inwoners ouder dan veertien jaar.
Persoonsregistraties zijn tijdens de Duitse bezetting gebruikt om Joden, verzetslieden en onderduikers op te sporen en gevangen te nemen.
Personal Registration at City Hall
After the Germans invaded our country, an ID with photo and fingerprint was made mandatory for all residents over the age of fourteen.
Personal registrations were used during the German occupation to track down and capture Jews, resistance members and people in hiding.
Erected 2022.
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is October 14, 1940.
Location. 50° 50.935′ N, 5° 40.93′ E. Marker is in Maastricht, Limburg. It is in Kommelkwartier. Memorial is on Herdenkingsplein, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Herdenkingsplein 10C, Maastricht, Limburg 6211 PW, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Herdenkingsplein (07): Schuilgelegenheid / Shelter (here,
this page online
Also see . . . Legitimatieplicht tijdens de Duitse bezetting (Traces of War, in Dutch). An extended article (unfortunately not available on the English version of the ToW website) explaining how the Germans introduced the mandatory ID card in the Netherlands, and its consequences.
Excerpt on the card (in translation): …On October 14, 1940, the Secretaries General decided to introduce the obligation to provide identification.(Submitted on February 12, 2024.)From that moment on, people had to identify themselves. This could be done with a passport, with the distribution card, on which the municipality had to put a passport photo, or with a specially developed ID…. In April '41, the identity cards were issued. It took several months to distribute this document to everyone.Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 27, 20232. Herdenkingsplein (06): Persoonsregistratie / Personal Registration MarkerThe subject marker is the sixth from the left.
A special type of cardboard that cannot be 'guessed' was used for the OJ containing three watermarks (3 times the Dutch lion). An ingenious grid was printed on the cardboard with the text 'Population registers of the Netherlands'. This design was designed by the Hague artist W.J. Rozendaal. A special type of ink was used to print this screen. This was a new invention: the text became invisible under a quartz lamp. In addition, an ink that reacts strongly to acetone was used for the other text print. This substance could otherwise remove the typed or written letters. Two fingerprints from the right index finger had to be placed on the evidence. One of those fingerprints was placed on a fragile seal that was stuck to the back of the passport photo, so that when the photo was replaced the two fingerprints would no longer be identical. A transparent seal was pasted over this fingerprint with a special type of glue that is very difficult to remove. The OJ also contained a number that corresponded to the municipality of issue. In addition, it also contained a serial number. This number had to correspond with the date of issue. A special register was also kept of this.
A separate arrangement applied to the Jews in our country. At the end of 1940, the occupying forces ordered that Jews had to register separately with the population register. In mid-1941, German police chief Hanns Rauter decided that two large 'J's should be stamped on the identity card of Jews. Jews who had already received a PB had to report again. This measure made this group immediately recognizable during street checks. Later, in May 1942, the obligation to wear the yellow Star of David was added. These measures made it very difficult to escape the occupying forces.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 45 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 12, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
