The front of a used ration card with multiple pieces missing. The card is printed in red ink and has multiple handwritten notes and several stamps.
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Theresienstadt ration card issued to Alice Winternitz (front)

The Theresienstadt (Terezín) ghetto was administered internally by a Jewish Council of Elders (Ältestenrat). Over time, the Jewish Council of Elders built an elaborate administrative infrastructure to oversee life in the ghetto. This included issuing ration cards, such as this one issued to Alice "Lisl" Winternitz in 1944.

In July 1942, Alice (who was 16 at the time) and her parents, Max and Paula, were sent to Theresienstadt. There, they reunited with Alice's older brother, Peter, who had been sent to the ghetto in late 1941. Peter and their parents were deported to Auschwitz and murdered in the Holocaust. Alice survived in Theresienstadt until liberation in May 1945.


Critical Thinking Questions

What was the context of the Holocaust and World War II when this ration card was in use?

How do documents, artifacts, and images enhance our understanding of the events of the Holocaust?

Why are artifacts, photographs, and documents like this one important historical evidence?

What questions does this document raise for you?


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  • US Holocaust Memorial Museum - Collections
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