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The inverted triangle badges were used in the concentration camps in the Nazi-occupied countries to identify the reason the prisoners had been placed there. The triangles were made of fabric and were sewn on jackets and shirts of the prisoners. These mandatory badges had specific meanings indicated by their color and shape.
The shape was chosen by analogy with the common triangular road hazard signs in Germany that denote warnings to motorists. Here, a triangle is called inverted because its base is up while one of its angles points down.
In addition to color-coding, some groups had to put letter insignia on their triangles to denote country of origin. For example, a red triangle with an "F" on it denoted a political prisoner from France.
The most common forms of the badge were:
- Pink inverted triangle - a homosexual.
- Green inverted triangle - a regular criminal.
- Red inverted triangle - a political prisoner.
- Purple inverted triangle - a Jehovah's Witness.
- Black inverted triangle -
- A vagrant
- A Gypsy
- A woman jailed for "anti-social behavior", i.e., a lesbian, a prostitute or woman who used birth control.
- Two yellow triangles, superimposed upon one another, making the Star of David - a Jew.
- Pink inverted triangle superimposed upon a yellow one, making the Star of David - a homosexual Jew.
{| border=1
|
|Political
|Habitual Criminals
|Emigrants
|Jehovah's Witnesses
|Gay males
|Vagrants
|-
|Basic colors
|Red triangle
|Green triangle
|Blue triangle
|Purple triangle
|
|
|-
|Markings for Repeaters
|Red bar above triangle
|Green bar above triangle
|Blue bar above triangle
|Purple bar above triangle
|Pink bar above triangle
|Black bar above triangle
|-
|Inmates of Penal Battalions
|Circled black circle under red triangle
|Circled black circle under green triangle
|Circled black circle under blue triangle
|Circled black circle under purple triangle
|Circled black circle under pink triangle
|Circled black circle under black triangle
|-
|Markings for Jews
|Red triangle over uninverted yellow triangle
|Green triangle over yellow triangle
|Blue triangle over yellow triangle
|Purple triangle over yellow triangle
|Pink triangle over yellow triangle
|Black triangle over yellow triangle
|-
|rowspan=2|Special Markings
|Male Race Defiler: Thick outline of black triangle over uinverted yellow triangle
|Female Race Defiler: Univerted yellow triangle over black triangle
|Escape Suspect: A circled red circle under the appropriate star
|Inmate Number: A white rectangle with serial number
|colspan=2 rowspan=2|Applicable marks were worn in descending order as follows: Inmate Number, Repeater Bar, Triangle or Star, Member of Penal Battalion, Escape Suspect
|-
|Pole: "P" on a red triangle
|Czech: "T" on a red triangle
|Member of the Armed Forces: Univerted red triangle
|Special Inmate: Brown arm band
|+Form and Color of Markings of Camp Inmates in the Concentration Camps
|}
See also
External link
