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The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive
A powerful chronicle of the women who used their sewing skills to survive the Holocaust, stitching beautiful clothes at an extraordinary fashion workshop created within one of the most notorious WWII death camps.
At the height of the Holocaust twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp-mainly Jewish women and girls-were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work that they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers.
This fashion workshop-called the Upper Tailoring Studio-was established by Hedwig Höss, the camp commandant's wife, and patronized by the wives of SS guards and officers. Here, the dressmakers produced high-quality garments for SS social functions in Auschwitz, and for ladies from Nazi Berlin's upper crust.
Drawing on diverse sources-including interviews with the last surviving seamstress-The Dressmakers of Auschwitz follows the fates of these brave women. Their bonds of family and friendship not only helped them endure persecution, but also to play their part in camp resistance. Weaving the dressmakers' remarkable experiences within the context of Nazi policies for plunder and exploitation, historian Lucy Adlington exposes the greed, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Third Reich and offers a fresh look at a little-known chapter of World War II and the Holocaust.
At the height of the Holocaust twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp-mainly Jewish women and girls-were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work that they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers.
This fashion workshop-called the Upper Tailoring Studio-was established by Hedwig Höss, the camp commandant's wife, and patronized by the wives of SS guards and officers. Here, the dressmakers produced high-quality garments for SS social functions in Auschwitz, and for ladies from Nazi Berlin's upper crust.
Drawing on diverse sources-including interviews with the last surviving seamstress-The Dressmakers of Auschwitz follows the fates of these brave women. Their bonds of family and friendship not only helped them endure persecution, but also to play their part in camp resistance. Weaving the dressmakers' remarkable experiences within the context of Nazi policies for plunder and exploitation, historian Lucy Adlington exposes the greed, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Third Reich and offers a fresh look at a little-known chapter of World War II and the Holocaust.
Editorial Reviews
"Lucy Adlington tells of the horrors of the Nazi occupation and the concentration camps from a fascinating and original angle. She introduces us to a little known aspect of the period, highlighting the role of clothes in the grimmest of societies imaginable and giving an insight into the women who stayed alive by stitching." -- Alexandra Shulman, Former Editor in Chief of British Vogue
In The Dressmakers of Auschwitz, Lucy Adlington has unveiled not one but several long-hidden histories: the tale of a group of compassionate and audacious Jewish women who sewed for their lives; the story of clothes in the Holocaust; and the history of the fashion industry in World War II. Adlington has expertly interwoven these fascinating strands into an utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read." -- Judy Batalion New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos
"A fresh, moving Auschwitz survival story involving a remarkable group of women." -- Kirkus Reviews
In The Dressmakers of Auschwitz, Lucy Adlington has unveiled not one but several long-hidden histories: the tale of a group of compassionate and audacious Jewish women who sewed for their lives; the story of clothes in the Holocaust; and the history of the fashion industry in World War II. Adlington has expertly interwoven these fascinating strands into an utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read." -- Judy Batalion New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos
"A fresh, moving Auschwitz survival story involving a remarkable group of women." -- Kirkus Reviews
Readers Top Reviews
marlinspike
I have read all of Lucy's books but this one was rather different. Her account of the women who worked in Auschwitz's "Upper Tailoring Studio", sewing as if their lives depended upon it - as it truly did - is moving and awe-inspiring. Although it is a very well-researched non-fiction account it is written in a very accessible and readable style. The author does not shy away from describing the gruesome conditions and almost unimaginable torments of life in the death camps but throughout the story the beacon of courage and survival burns bright. A very worthwhile book which adds an important contribution to accounts of the Holocaust for both those who survived and the families of those who did not.
Kindle
I am an avid seamstress and quilter. When I saw the title of this book I had to read it. It was a three day read! Could not out it down. It's hard to imagine what these women had to go through to survive. And they did!
Cathy Callan
I wasn’t surprised that women were not high on the Nazi’s list. However, as a woman, it hurts me to think about how hard life was for them. They were lucky they had a skill because if they didn’t they would have been sent to the gas chambers. A good, but sad, read.
P White
I am a seamstress so I enjoy hearing about the talented Jewish ladies who created all kinds of quality clothing. I had no idea of what was going on in the fashion world during this time. It sickens me of the horrible way they and others were tortured and killed. These seamstresses in their established and highly esteemed shops were kicked out and looters and less talented people took over. The author of this book did a fabulous job of collecting history, including several pictures of these amazing ladies.
