Forced labor at Salamander Plaque

Did Vera Friedländer ever imagine a simple pair of shoes could hold so much weight? Here, at the Forced labor at Salamander Plaque in Berlin, the story of those shoes unfolds. The plaque, a testament to a painful past, marks the spot where a Salamander shoe repair shop once stood. Vera, a young woman with a Jewish mother and Christian father, was forced to work here during World War II. Her job placement book, stamped with “Salamander A.-G. – Reparatur-Betrieb – Berlin SO 36, Kopenicker Str. 6a-7,” bears witness to this grim reality. Forced labor at Salamander Plaque serves as a chilling reminder of the exploitation of countless individuals like Vera. She toiled alongside Polish shoemakers, French workers, Serbian women, and other Jewish women, under the watchful eyes of SS overseers. At the Forced labor at Salamander Plaque, we confront the horrors of this past. Vera’s story, documented in her autobiography, “It’s Impossible to be Half a Jew,” reveals the dehumanizing conditions she endured. Denied proper tools, she was forced to inspect shoes with her bare fingernails. Her fingertips became infected and festered, “a bloated mess.” The Forced labor at Salamander Plaque stands as a stark contrast to Salamander’s attempts to whitewash its history. The company initially denied the existence of the repair service, dismissing Vera’s experiences. However, evidence like her job placement book and Berlin address books from the 1930s and 40s confirmed the truth. Forced labor at Salamander Plaque speaks to the broader exploitation of forced laborers during the war. Vera’s questions about the origin of the shoes she repaired eventually led her to a disturbing realization. She believed that many of them belonged to concentration camp deportees, a precious commodity repurposed for profit. Here, at the Forced labor at Salamander Plaque, we remember Vera’s suffering and resilience. Her story reminds us to never forget the injustices of forced labor and to challenge those who attempt to erase history.