Concentration camp uniform cap worn by a Polish Jewish prisoner in several concentration camps

Blue and gray striped concentration camp uniform cap issued to 21 year old Jakob Lewkowicz in Blechhammer concentration camp in spring 1944. On September 5, 1939, the German army entered Jakob’s town, Bedzin, Poland. Jakob was sent to Annaberg labor camp and later transported to Auschwitz and made prisoner A-17488. In spring 1944, he was transferred to Blechhammer, a subcamp of Auschwitz III-Monowitz. On January 21, 1945, as Soviet forces approached, Jakob was sent on a death march to Gross-Rosen. He was soon transported to Buchenwald in Germany, where he was assigned prisoner number 130322. On March 11, he was sent to Schörzingen, which was evacuated April 18. The inmates were sent by death march to Dachau. On April 22, before reaching Dachau, Jakob was liberated by US soldiers. In October 1949, Jakob emigrated to the United States.