The Dressmakers of Auschwitz- The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive by Lucy Adlington
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Web ID: 16777972Interesting book
I really enjoyed reading this and learning details I had not heard before and the history of the dressmakers which I also had been unaware of. Sad and awful details but also inspiring accounts of the survivors. Also interesting facts about the horrid nazi perpetrators and their complicit wives.
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The Dressmakers of Auschwitz
Lucy Adington retells the horrors of the Holocaust with personal stories of a small group of women who survived due to their sewing skills. The Germans needed haute couture amid World War II and turned to captured Jewish women in Auschwitz. Adington captures the background of the Nazi movement in many chapters, many a little too many before turning to the group of Jewish concentration women forced to sew for the Germans. Adington’s story presents many photographs of the women and the conditions of their existence. Loyalty and friendship shine through all the atrocities of Auschwitz.
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Who knew?
I thought I was reasonably well-read on the subject of Auschwitz, however I had never heard about the dressmakers until I read this book. Filled with details and very informative. I highly recommend this book not only to folks who want to increase their knowledge, but also for those who enjoy reading of the triumph of the human spirit.
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Heroic women of WWII
No matter how you look at it, The Holocaust was, and remains, a stain on human existence. Many authors have tried, via fiction and nonfiction, to portray what Jews, and others considered as “non-human” by the Nazis, went through while that evil was in control of Germany. None more eloquently than LUCY ADLINGTON in her book THE DRESSMAKERS OF AUSCHWITZ. Normally, I can read a 300-page book in three or four days of two to three hour reading blocks. Not so with this book, not because of the writer’s skill but because of the sheer inhumanity involved. Emotions run high as you read the about the heroic struggle that the 25 or so women who populate this history went through in order to survive extermination. The main focus of the book is Bracha Kohut who died in 2021 in California (west coast of the United States). She was about 100 years old when she died. Bracha was interviewed extensively by Ms. Adlington and opened many doors for the latter’s research. Bracha was probably the last surviving seamstress of the Upper Tailoring Studio set up in the concentration camp of Auschwitz and its sister extermination camp of Birkenau. Bracha was from the area of Slovakia around Bratislava as were several others. A couple of the women were French Communists and not Jewish. In addition to Bracha, the reader will meet Alida, Marta, Irene, Renee, Katka, Hunya and a few others. Their lives before The Holocaust are examined. Their trials and tribulations at the concentration camps are explored. What happened to them after liberation is also described. Not only will the reader learn about these heroic women but will acquire knowledge about the history of Europe from 1920 to 1950. The author presents the development of fashion during the prewar and wartime years. Among the disturbing things I learned was that the fashion designer Hugo Boss used slave labor to produce his products for the better part of a decade. The horrific “Kristallnacht” is another event covered by this book. I learned about “Arisators” who were Aryan managers allowed to take over Jewish owned businesses for little or no cost. At one point in the story, Irene states, “The only way out (of Auschwitz) is through the chimney!” The Nazis had a rule against stealing anything they stole from the victims but as one said, “Rank has its privileges!” This book should be required reading for Holocaust doubters. It happened. It should never be forgotten so it cannot be repeated. If you are a history buff, this book is for you. If like to read a well-written story, this book is for you. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GO! BUY! READ!
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Very good telling of prisoners Auschwitz.
The most thorough story of the prisoners at Auschwitz I have read.
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Unique topic of the larger history
Outstanding book. Well written. Most of the Holocaust books I have read did not include much about Czechoslovakia (Czech and Slovak) citizens. Even though I had been to the sites, this book has many details that had been left out. Amazing stories of loss and survival.
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Compelling read
I found this book while looking for another book. I was immediately curious about it. There is so much information about these women who endured so much and against all hope managed to survive because of their skills.
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Survival by their talents in the harshest place
Adlington’s research is extensive, including an interview with the last surviving dressmaker. Their story is one of survival with needles, threads and fabric. One should not review this novel but rather feel it.
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