On My Bedside {The Dressmakers of Auschwitz}

I’ve read a number of books about the Holocaust and World War II, but never one from such a unique perspective as The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington. This well researched true story tells a powerful tale of a group of extraordinary women who worked in Auschwitz’s “Upper Tailoring Studio” sewing for their lives. I was aghast at the thought that while one of the world’s most horrible atrocities was taking place, “free” women were puttering about worrying about fashion. One had the idea to install a fashion workshops right in the most notorious death camps. I cannot recommend this read enough.

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.

My other favorites in this time period are  The Rose Code, The Alice Network, The Women of Chateau LafayetteThe Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey. I also just read The Book of Lost Names and will share that here soon.

What’s on your bedside?

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2 thoughts on “On My Bedside {The Dressmakers of Auschwitz}

  1. I too read a lot of WWII books but have not heard of this one. Thanks for the recommendation, as I just downloaded to my kindle. I have also read the other books you have listed and would add The German Midwife to the list, as another interesting read.

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