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Nazi concentration camp badge for "asocials"
An inverted black
triangle
, as used in badges.
The inverted
black triangle
(
German
:
schwarzes Dreieck
) was an
identification badge
used in
Nazi concentration camps
to mark prisoners designated
asozial
("
a(nti-)social
")
[1]
[2]
and
arbeitsscheu
("
work-shy
"). The
Roma
and
Sinti
people were considered asocial and tagged with the black triangle.
[1]
[3]
The designation also included alcoholics, beggars, homeless people,
nomads
, prostitutes, and violators of laws prohibiting sexual relations between Aryans and Jews.
[1]
[2]
Women also deemed to be anti-social included nonconformists.
[2]
[4]
Usage
[
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]
The black triangle in the context of the marking system for prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.
Nazi
[
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]
The symbol originates from
Nazi Germany
, where every prisoner had to wear a concentration camp badge on their prison clothes, of which the design and color categorized them according to the reason for their internment. The
homeless
were included, as were alcoholics, those who habitually avoided labor and employment, draft evaders, pacifists, Roma and Sinti people, and others.
[5]
[6]
Romani
[
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]
Romani first wore the black triangle with a Z notation (for
Zigeuner
, meaning Gypsy) to the right of the triangle's point.
[7]
Male Romani were later assigned a brown triangle. Female Romani were still deemed asocials as they were stereotyped as petty criminals (prostitutes, kidnappers and fortune tellers).
Disabled people
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Some UK groups concerned with the rights of disabled people have adopted the symbol in their campaigns.
[8]
[9]
Such groups cite press coverage and government policies, including changes to
incapacity benefits
and disability living allowance, as the reasons for their campaigns.
[10]
[11]
"The Black Triangle List" was created to keep track of welfare-related deaths due to cuts by the
Department for Work and Pensions
.
[12]
See also
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References
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]
Further reading
[
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]