Public Health Posters in the DP Camps

Postwar public health posters uncovered in the JDC Archives illustrate the comprehensive medical programming JDC undertook to assist survivors in the wake of the Holocaust. These Yiddish-language posters were vital tools in JDC’s fight for health in the displaced persons (DP) camps of Europe, helping to spread awareness about disease and address preventative care.

After World War II, DP camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy, administered by the Western Allies, were often overcrowded with poor conditions. Jewish survivors faced hostile or indifferent treatment, food and clothing shortages, and exposure to disease, all while still reeling from their recent trauma. In response, JDC’s European director Joseph Schwartz collaborated with Earl G. Harrison, the U.S. representative on the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees, to present their findings about the situation of Jews in the camps in the well-known 1945 Harrison Report. The report criticized the treatment of Jewish DPs and called for the establishment of separate Jewish camps, improved living standards, and greater involvement from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA).

To improve conditions, JDC raised funds through partners like the United Jewish Appeal and used them to provide DPs with food, clothing, medical care, and educational and cultural materials. Beyond immediate relief, JDC supported long-term recovery with vocational training, agricultural programs, and emigration assistance, including help for those moving to Eretz Israel.

Providing health and medical care for survivors was central to JDC’s mission in the DP camps When UNRRA and Allied services fell short in meeting the complex needs of survivors, JDC filled vital gaps by deploying medical staff and establishing hospitals and clinics across Europe. According to the JDC Digest, The Fight for Health, by 1946, JDC had set up 155 medical institutions—including hospitals, dispensaries, sanatoriums, and clinics—in Europe. These services proved essential for those suffering from disease and malnutrition.

In the DP camps, tuberculosis emerged as one of the most urgent and deadly health threats. The overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in both the former concentration camps and the early military-run DP camps created a fertile ground for the spread of the disease, making detection and treatment especially critical. According to a 1948 International Refugee Organization report, between December 1947 and November 1948, 245 people died from tuberculosis in the U.S. Zone of Germany alone. By 1949, the disease had become one of the leading causes of death in the camps.

To address this crisis, UNRRA conducted widespread chest x-rays—the only reliable method of tuberculosis detection at the time. JDC supplemented these efforts by supplying additional x-ray equipment and enough film to serve multiple camps. In addition, sanatoriums were established to support recovery and isolate infected patients. Public health education was also critical: posters promoting personal hygiene and tuberculosis prevention were distributed throughout the camps with the aim of reducing the spread of infection. As emphasized in a 1948 JDC memorandum, “The hygienic instruction of the population means the destruction of one of the most important factors for the spreading of diseases: the destruction of ignorance, of harmful habits, of neglect of health.” With this focus on both medical intervention and education, JDC helped equip survivors to protect their health and rebuild their lives.

JDC made extensive use of posters, broadcasts, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, illustrated publications, and films in order to spread awareness about available medical care and community resources. These materials not only informed survivors about health services but also promoted community-building efforts. Since the DP camps were populated almost entirely by Jewish survivors, many of the posters were printed in Yiddish, the most widely understood language among them. However, in a 1947 letter from JDC’s Robert Pilpel to the New York City Cancer Committee, it was suggested that printed public health materials also be produced in German, Italian, and other local languages to reach a broader audience.

One striking Yiddish-language poster from Munich serves as a warning about the dangers of tuberculosis. At the top, in bold red letters, it reads: “Wait, it might be too late.” At the bottom, the message continues: “Make sure you are free from tuberculosis! Visit your trusted doctor!” In the center of the poster is an image of a man with his lungs exposed through an x-ray, accompanied by the phrases “Even today. Get your lungs X-rayed.” The design is visually powerful: the man is framed in a blue circle, with red and yellow lettering that draws the viewer’s eye directly to the central call to action—get checked. The use of yellow and red lettering emphasizes urgency and personal responsibility. The color contrast against the background was clearly intended to grab attention and spur a reaction, even from those simply passing by.

The language of the poster is equally significant. The phrase “trusted doctor” speaks to the deep mistrust many Jewish survivors felt toward local medical professionals—particularly in German-speaking areas—after the trauma of the Holocaust. Before the intervention of organizations like UNRRA and JDC, medical care in the DP camps was not only inadequate but often emotionally fraught. With the support of these organizations, however, newly recruited doctors—many of them Jewish or carefully vetted—were brought in to serve the DP camps, and new hospitals were established. These efforts helped restore a sense of safety and dignity, making it possible for survivors to once again seek medical help with confidence and trust.

Among the other Yiddish-language DP posters in the JDC Archives is one from the U.S. Zone of Germany focused on preventing the spread of disease within the DP camps. Across the top, it reads: “Do not spread bacteria,” while the bottom urges: “Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze.” The illustration is both direct and impactful: the top image shows a man sneezing with his mouth uncovered, visibly expelling the words “cold, influenza [grippe], pneumonia,” while the image below shows a man properly covering his mouth. This simple yet effective poster uses micrography to illustrate illness in a creative way, embodying movement while reinforcing the message through example.

In crowded camp conditions where diseases spread easily, posters like these served as daily reminders that everyone had a role to play in protecting public health. Clear, accessible visuals were not only educational but impactful—giving survivors practical tools to regain control over their environment and their well-being, a key JDC initiative in rebuilding community and Jewish autonomy in the postwar period.