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A woman working in her workshop.

Defiance

Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era: exhibition

“German women wanted to show what a cultural force they had become, what they were achieving in all fields, sometimes in a completely new, independently creative way. An unforgettable image. […] We Jewish women could also walk through this exhibition filled with modest pride. Our work was in no way inferior to that of our sisters of other faiths.”

This is how Ella Seligmann described the opening of The Exhibition of Women at Home and at Work in Berlin in February 1912. One year later, in 1933, the National Socialist regime began to systematically destroy the careers and lives of many of these women.

The exhibition at the Jewish Museum Berlin is the first to honor the work of German-Jewish craftswomen who, during a time marked by exclusion and upheaval, forged their own paths. It presents the lives and works of more than 60 Jewish female designers and demonstrates how they overcame societal barriers to fight for change and visibility — and how they paved the way for other women in the process. 

Fri 11 Jul to Sun 23 Nov 2025

Map with all buildings that belong to the Jewish Museum Berlin. The Old Building is marked in green

Where

Old Building, level 1
Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin

Where, when, what?

All offers for the exhibition

Montage of a historic photo featuring a woman in a workshop and an object image.

Defiance: Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era

Exhibition Webpage

Current page: Defiance: Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era (11 Jul to 23 Nov 2025): visual and audio resources relating to the exhibition and information in German Sign Language

Publications

Exhibition catalog: 2025, in German

Digital Content

Accompanying Events & Tours

Studio Talks, Guided Tours, a Brunch and more: Find all dates in our calendar

Offerings for Groups

Bookable Tour for Groups and Schools: Tour by appointment

See also

(13 items)

  • Defiance

  • Trailblazers

  • Design Education

  • Woman working a clay plate on a turntable.

    Excerpt from an oral history interview with Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain,  14 March 1981

  • Commodity Cosmos

  • Fashioning Identity

  • Livelihood

  • The Jewish Playroom

  • The book cover shows two children and a dog reading the posters while standing in front of an advertising pillar. The cover also says “The Jewish picture book”.

    Reading from Das jüdische Bilderbuch: Bilder Verse mancherlei, Auch viel Jüdisches dabei (The Jewish picture book) by A. Maier with illustrations by Adele Sandler, Jüdischer Volksschriften-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 1910?

  • Restriction, Marginalization, Upheaval

  • Into the Dark

  • Photographic portrait of a woman with short hair.

    Reading of a farewell letter from Paula Straus to the Tannenbaum family, Haigerloch, 15. Aug 1942; speaker and production: audioberlin

  • New Realities

The picture shows a poster with a beige and blue background, with a tree and the words in yellow: “Women at home and at work”.

Defiance

At the turn of the twentieth century, German women faced legal and social restrictions that reinforced male authority and limited women’s rights to marry, work, and study. Jewish women encountered additional struggles: they were subjected to rising antisemitism and discrimination, which reduced their opportunities both professionally and socially. Jewish women designers often challenged conservative attitudes within Jewish cultural circles, and fought for change, representation, and professional opportunities for all women.   

Fig.: The woman at home and at work , printer: Hollerbaum & Schmidt, Berlin, 1912; bpk / Art Library, SMB / Dietmar Katz

Homemade bead bag made from green and black beads and fabrics.

Trailblazers

After the revolts of 1848, German women increasingly challenged social, ideological, and legal barriers to women’s equality. There are many untold stories of women breaking social conventions long before they had the right to vote or to own property. These show how individual women became the sole breadwinners for their families, or lived independent single lives, thanks to their ingenuity and resilience. Emma Trietsch and Franziska Bruck were two such Jewish women from Eastern Europe, who settled in Berlin at the turn of the twentieth century.   

You can find more information about Emma Trietsch and her works in our online collection (in German).

Fig.: Emma Trietsch, oval beaded bag, wood, metal, cotton, Berlin ca. 1909-1933; Jewish Museum Berlin, donation by Allon Haymov, photo: Roman März

Poster of the Reimann school. Beige background with black lettering and black and red graphics.

Design Education

Women were not admitted to most art academies in Germany until 1919, which severely limited their opportunities for careers in design. Some institutions offered vocational courses for young women, the Lette Verein in Berlin being one of the most important. As Jewish families had a high regard for education, their daughters were encouraged to pursue their talents and their numbers were disproportionately high in art institutions. Religious Jewish women did not attend secular institutions that held classes on Shabbat, when no work is permitted.  

Fig.: poster of the Reimann School, design: Julius Klinger, printer: Hollerbaum & Schmidt, Berlin, 1911; bpk / Art Library, SMB / Dietmar Katz

Woman working a clay plate on a turntable.

Excerpt from an oral history interview with Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain,  14 March 1981, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution; production: audioberlin

The complete audio and transcribed version are available for free on the website of the Archives of American Art (Smithsonian Institution).

Learn more about Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain in our online feature about Jewish female designers of the early twentieth century. 

transcription

Marguerite Wildenhain: And there, for the first time did I see, as I move through the factory, that I would see a man sitting at the wheel, and kicking the wheel, and making models. And I was so fascinated by this that I went into that room and asked him to tell me how that works. And he said, “Well, I can't tell you how it works, but I can show you.” And so he threw like this for me. And from then on, I was like, caught. I thought, that's it. That's it. That's not stupid little paintings I'm putting in there. But that's it, the making of those pots.  

And when I arrived there at that Weimar Academy, there was Gropius' program there nailed on the wall. And I read it. I stood like hypnotized in front of it. And I thought, well, that's it, you know.  

Hazel Bray: I see. So you were among–

Marguerite Wildenhain: I was the first potter at the Bauhaus.  

Yeah, when people ask me, “I guess you've done that a few years,” I say, “Yeah, sure. I'd say a few years, yeah, I started in 1919.” At the Bauhaus, we had to register for the whole course. First of all, you had to go through an examination. That means you were a six-month trial student, so to say, before you were accepted. They didn't accept everybody. And then you were accepted. And then you had another six months in whatever workshop you had chosen you had decided to go. 

We had all drawn and sculpted, and done something. And then there were two masters. There was the art teacher, let's say the art master, and the craft master [...] and you had to be accepted by both. Every student was on the trial period.  

And they were all craft master from outside. Not one was from a college. They were all craftsmen of their own. Krehan, my master– his father,  and grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been potters. The workshop in which I learned was marked 1770 and was all potters. You see, the family had all been potters, and the same with the weavers, and so. So there was a background of a craft behind—not art school. This is always what annoys me here. You see the difference?  

Whether we came from the street or from the Academy, it didn't make a bit of difference. The difference was what we could do with our hands or with our heads. That was it. 

Well, we first were with Max Krehan–that was the potter. And he was an old-time potter. And we learned like he would have taught an apprentice of his, right from scratch from the beginning. And we have to make hundreds of this sort, and hundred of this sort, and 500 maybe of this sort. And he would go around and say, “Well, we'll keep that one, and that one. The rest, you can throw away.” That was a learning process. After a little while, he will say, “Well, we can keep all but those.” And after a little while, you were good enough that he said, “Well, we can use them all.”  

Hazel Bray: Let's go on now from the time that you became a master, you began to teach.  

Marguerite Wildenhain: Yeah. Well, I taught before I was a master, actually, although it was illegal, because when the Bauhaus broke up and went to Dessau, the school in Halle got me as a potter. So I was there. But then I had to get my master, and I got it about maybe six or eight months later. So then I taught there. And I taught from 1925 to 1933. And I taught pottery. And then I made all those models for mass production for the porcelain factory.  

And so that's how I started making designs for the industry. And I made many. And I worked quite a few weeks in the factory. I would design the models, and make the master mold, the master model. And I did that for quite a while, 'til the Nazis came into power. And I was thrown out. I had to leave from one day to the other.  

Well, if you are a skillful craftsman and you have some talent, you can get around. But if you are only a skillful craftsman and have no talent–I mean, no other talent, creative talent–you can't make it nowadays anymore, because there is no need for that. Factory does that.  

You see, the Bauhaus was not a school in that way. We were craftsmen. We came every morning at seven o'clock to work, and we worked an eight-and-a-half-hour day.  

And the craft is not the end. It's only the medium with which you can say something. And when they have their craft, they have to get something else. And that's what the schools never understand. You can't do without the craft. And you can't do without the other. You have to have both before it gets something, you see? A fellow who can just paint but has nothing to say with his painting, he's no good. He's just a wall painter, you know?  

Gold-colored plate with Hebrew script, Star of David and two hands.

Commodity Cosmos

The Weimar Republic was a period of rapid change, and a modern consumer economy became one of its defining features. A growing interest in interior design and modern housewares created more opportunities for product designers. A number of Jewish women were at the forefront of this new wave of design, running small home businesses, designing for manufacturers, or working in family firms. They responded to the demand for both modern secular products and Jewish ritual items. Those who worked from home often sold from home as well.    

You can find more information about Rahel Ruth Sinasohn and her works in our online collection (in German).

Fig.: Rahel Ruth Sinasohn, Misrach, Dresden, 1920 - 1928; Jewish Museum Berlin, Photo: Roman März

Illustration from a fashion magazine showing a woman and a man in elegant clothing from the 1930s.

Fashioning Identity

As fashion designers, illustrators, and boutique owners, Jewish women were instrumental in creating a modern visual culture with bold ideas about female self-representation. The “New Woman” was a figure of the popular imagination, representing a changing idea of femininity. Featured in magazines and advertisements at a time when print culture was growing rapidly, she was an aspirational role model: a single, professional, emancipated woman who made daring fashion choices. By communicating fashion in a variety of ways, Jewish women became German tastemakers.   

Fig.: The elegant couple, Franziska Schlopsnies, probably Munich, 1926; Mr. and Mrs. de Vries-Lukszo

Illustration with various elements: A black silhouette, pictures of books and posters and the words “I'm not just a silhouette specialist”.

Livelihood

It was difficult for a woman to earn a sustainable living from her craft without the additional financial support of a parent or husband. Nevertheless, many Jewish women took steps to build professional careers and were able to support themselves modestly and live independently. The expanding world of advertising offered new possibilities, and work for graphic designers could also be found in poster design, book design, and typography. Women who were primarily non-commercial, fine artists found that they could supplement their income with graphic design work.  

Fig.: Not just a silhouette artist! Käte Wolff, from: Unsere Reklamekünstler: Selbstbekenntnisse und Selbstbildnisse, Verein der Plakatfreunde e.V., Berlin, 1921; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Coloured illustration featuring a red fish, a child and houses in the background.

The Jewish Playroom

As progressive educational reform began to take hold in Germany, teaching materials were adapted to meet children’s needs more closely. Jewish communities saw their members drift away from religious life and came to recognize the importance of developing a children’s culture that fostered Jewish identification and self-confidence. Jewish women took a leading role in this niche market, creating child-friendly educational materials and illustrating children’s books. They also became entrepreneurs, marketing and selling their products through the Jewish press, women’s organizations, and exhibitions.  

You can find more information about Tom Seidmann-Freud and her works in our online collection (in German).

Fig.: Tom Seidmann-Freud, illustration for Die Fischreise, ink and watercolors on parchment paper, Berlin 1923; The Collection of Tom's Grandchildren

The book cover shows two children and a dog reading the posters while standing in front of an advertising pillar. The cover also says “The Jewish picture book”.

Reading from Das jüdische Bilderbuch: Bilder Verse mancherlei, Auch viel Jüdisches dabei (The Jewish picture book) by A. Maier with illustrations by Adele Sandler, Jüdischer Volksschriften-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 1910?; speaker and production: audioberlin; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, call number: Res/4 81.12232 

Adele Sandler illustrated this first German picture book for young Jewish children. The book depicts several Jewish festivals and is imbued with religious concepts and values, such as doing good deeds (mitzvot). In the book, Jewish religious life and secular German culture are interwoven: Jews also enjoy sledding in the snow. 

You can find a digital copy of the book on the website of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (in German). 

Fig.: Das jüdische Bilderbuch: Bilder Verse mancherlei, Auch viel Jüdisches dabei (The Jewish picture book) by A. Maier with illustrations by Adele Sandler, Jüdischer Volksschriften-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 1910?; speaker and production: audioberlin; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, call number: Res/4 81.12232 

transcription

The Jewish picture book

Mama has already set the table, 
and lit the Sabbath candles.
She has brought flowers and cake
and dressed up her little boy and girl.
Now all are waiting for Papa —
“Gut Shabbes,” he calls, “I’m here!”

Little Ruth has a piece of cake,
and looks forward to eating it.
Just then a tall man arrives,
tired from his journey.
“Dear Sir, please have a bite,
Mama’s cake is delicious!”

We are building Jerusalem
out of colorful blocks.
Bibi is dancing hopsa-hopsa-hop
and trumpets: I’m looking forward to it!

Hanukkah, Hanukkah!
The beautiful holiday has returned.
In the evening, the children stand quietly
around the big table.
Joy lights up their faces.
Oh, how beautiful our lights are!

Fritz and Franz are racing boldly
one-two-three down the hill.
Max thinks: I can do that too.
Whoops! He lands flat on his tummy.

Look at Bubi, he and Ruth
are decorating the sukkah so well!  
Flowers, wreath, beautiful fruits,
pictures, flags, and colorful lanterns.
It will all be wonderful later tonight
when the lanterns are lit.

Dance joyfully in a circle,
on Purim one must be merry!
Esther, King, and Mordechai,
all three of them are dancing.
Haman sits in the middle
and begs for mercy.
It will not help you, it will not help you,
because you are an evil villain.

I am King Solomon  
With scepter and crown.
Pikkolo is my chancellor
and stands by my throne.

Dear, good Mistress Meier
your basket holds a hundred apples.
They gleam from far away,
and I would love to have one!
Thank you, thank you very much!
Come now, little calf, we must leave. 

Exclusion document of the Berlin Chamber of Crafts: Black lettering on beige paper.

Restriction, Marginalization, Upheaval

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, there were over 500,000 Jews living in Germany, out of the total population of 65 million. Jews now faced restrictive laws and job losses, leading to precarious economic conditions. They were segregated and ousted from cultural life. Jewish artists of all kinds were left without a source of income. Some Jews responded by creating an independent Jewish cultural sector, or by organizing vocational courses, such as handicrafts and nursing, to provide practical skills for those who hoped to emigrate.   

Fig.: Postcard from the Handwerkskammer Berlin (Berlin Chamber of Crafts and Trades) notifying Frieda Behrend (1907–1990) of her professional ban, Berlin, 27 Dec 1938; Jewish Museum Berlin, donation Klaus Behrend

The postcard reads:

“On the basis of the decree on the elimination of Jews from German economic life of November 12, 1938 and the implementing decree issued in this connection on November 23, 1938, we will delete you from the register of craftsmen with effect from January 1, 1939 and hereby request that you return your craftsmen's card immediately, at the latest by December 31 of this year. / Lohmann / President”

You can find the digital copy of the document in our online collection. 

The pictures shows a female puppet wearing a white coat. She is standing on a wooden panel.

Into the Dark

The Nazi regime used violence and economic pressure to encourage Jews to leave Germany of their own accord, but not everyone had the means to do so. Some chose to stay in order to care for vulnerable relatives, others sent their children to safety overseas. Some went underground. Many committed suicide. In October 1941, Jewish emigration from Germany was officially prohibited. Mass deportations to concentration camps began shortly afterwards, and the vast majority of Jews who remained in Germany were murdered.  

Fig.: Edith Samuel, self-portrait as a puppet, Berlin, ca. 1936; Jewish Museum Berlin, Rishon LeZion Museum Collection, Israel, donated by Yoram Samuel and Anat Yaari Samuel, photo: Roman März

Photographic portrait of a woman with short hair.

Farewell letter from Paula Straus to Juliana Maria Tannenbaum and “ihr andren 3” (“the other 3”, namely, the Tannenbaum family), Haigerloch, 15. Aug 1942; speaker and production: audioberlin; Jewish Museum Berlin, donation of Evelyn Grill-Storck in memoriam of Prof. Dr. Joachim Wolfgang Storck

transcription

Please note: Individual phrases in the letter were carefully adapted to the new German spelling rules and translated into English to improve readability for the audio recording and its transcription. 

Dear Maria and the other 3 of you, now it's our turn, on Wednesday we’re off. Of course, we have a lot to do with all the elderly, some of them sick. No-one will have much time to take care of themselves on top of that the elderly, and organizing the food daily. And then there's the rest. The prospects are worse than bad – no-one there who we can still write to. Hopefully we can write to you, we'll try, but will it get through? And we can't really communicate. We'll know how things are, how we are, and that no-one can help us, and that we're not allowed to write, and if so, that no-one is allowed to send us anything.  

I am enclosing Liebel's letters for you to keep. I will also give you the following address as a contact and to whome I will write if we can. It's a private mixed marriage like yours: Dr. Rudolf Schottländer, Berlin-Heiligensee. Schulzendorferstr. 34. Liebel's address: Diplom Ingenieur V. Liebel, Krasnystaw Kreis Lublin, Generalgouvernement, Kreistr. 14.  Though I am not at all hopeful that I will be able to write. But we will try. So, dear ones, when will you hear from us again? And about what? And when will we see each other again if at all?  

We are enclosing Lilly's letter, which we recently received, and which made us very happy. Farewell. I wish you, dear Belein, all the best and that all your wishes come true, may you be happy with your Gerhard. And you, dear Herbert, I hope you don't have to go through too much, that would make me sad and there are enough other victims. We will certainly starve and freeze. I doubt very much that we will make it. Mother is old and I'm not very strong. I am not all that hopeful. Dear Mariechen, don't be sad, you are brave, and you know how much I love you and how much I miss you all.  

Yours, Paula 

Design sketch showing a woman in a black, knee-length dress.

New Realities

Jews desperately sought visas from any country that would accept them, including the United States, Britain, and British Mandate Palestine – with the added pressure of increasingly restrictive immigration policies. Whatever their destination, refugees faced common difficulties, and starting over was a huge struggle. They left behind family, language, financial stability, status, and their business and social networks. Yet, determined women with transferable design skills had a chance of earning a living, however modest.  

You can find more information about Irene Saltern and her works in our online collection.

Fig.: Irene Salinger (formerly: Saltern), costume design for Margaret Sullavan as Ruth Holland in the film “So Ends our Night” (black dress), Los Angeles, 1941; Jewish Museum Berlin, donated by Tom and Lynda Salinger

Information on the accessability of the exhibition
  • All exhibition texts are available in German and English.
  • There is no information in Plain Language.
  • There is no information in British Sign Language (BSL) or International Sign Language (ISL).
  • The opening evening will be translated into German Sign Language (GSL).
  • There is no hearing amplification in the form of induction systems and neck ring loops.
  • The exhibition is accessible.
  • Objects and texts are mostly legible from a seated position.
  • There are places to sit and rest at various points in the exhibition#.
  • Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge from the checkroom. You can reserve the wheelchairs in advance by sending an e-mail to besucherservice@jmberlin.de.  
  • The works of art in the exhibition are not uniformly brightly lit.  
  • The exhibition texts are predominantly visually rich in contrast.
  • There is neither a floor guidance system, nor tactile models in the exhibition.
  • There are neither flashing lights, nor loud sound in the exhibition spaces.
  • All film stations in the exhibition are silent. All films have German and English subtitles.
     

You can find up-to-date information on the museum’s accessibility and facilities on our website. 

Do you have any further questions or comments on accessibility? Then please write to us using our contact form.

Exhibition Information at a Glance

  • When 11 Jul to 23 Nov 2025
  • Entry Fee 10 €, reduced 4 €
  • Where Libeskind-Bau 1. OG
    Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin
    See Location on Map

Credits

Director  

Hetty Berg

Management  

Lars Bahners (Verwaltung), Julia Friedrich (Sammlung), Barbara Thiele (Vermittlung und Digitales)

Executive Assistants and Aides

Milena Fernando, Mathias Groß, Vera von Lehsten, Eva Weinreich

Curator

Michal S. Friedlander

Curatorial Advisor  

Martina Lüdicke

Exhibition Manager  

Deniz Roth

Project Assistant

Julia Dellith

Student Assistant

Laura Schummers

Voluntary Service

Finn Ferschke, Luise Orth

Head of Exhibitions

Nina Schallenberg

Collection Managemet

Katharina Wippermann (Leitung), Ulrike Gast (Registrar), Iris Blochel-Dittrich, Birgit Maurer-Porat, Valeska Wolfgram (Dokumentation)

Conservators

Barbara Decker, Stephan Lohrengel (paper), Rüdiger Tertel (metal), Ava Hermann, Ines Zimmermann (textile)

Exhibition Design (concept, architectur, graphic design, production management)

Anschlaege.de, Studio for Design

Marketing Campaign

Visual Space Agency, Julia Volkmar
Studio Bens, Jens Ludewig

Exhibition Texts and Copyediting

Michal S. Friedlander (texts), Martina Lüdicke, Marie Naumann, Katharina Wulffius (editing), Henriette Kolb, Anika Reichwald (copyediting) 

Translationand and Translation Copyediting

Allison Brown (German-English), Michael Ebmeyer, Tanja Klapp (English-German), Kate Sturge (copyediting English) 

Exhibition Construction

spreeDesign

Art Handling  

Fißler & Kollegen GmbH

Media Planning and Installation  

Eidotech  

Painter

Lazar Malermeister GmbH

Graphic Production

Atelier Köbbert  

Audio Production

Studio Platzhalter  

Exhibition Lighting  

Victor Kégli

Electrician  

Apleona GmbH

Education and Communication

Diana Dressel (Department head), Nina Wilkens

Accompanying Programme  

Daniel Wildmann (Department head), Signe Rossbach (Event curator), Maria Röger, Shlomit Tripp, Katja Vathke

Archive

Aubrey Pomerance (Department head), Franziska Bogdanov, Ulrike Neuwirth, Jörg Waßmer 

Library  

Monika Sommerer (Department head), Bernhard Jensen, Theresa Polley, Ernst Wittmann

Marketing and Communication

Sandra Hollmann (Department head), Katrin Möller, Ha Van Dinh, Margret Karsch, Melanie Franke, Julia Jürgens, Amelie Neumayr

Digital and Publishing

Steffen Jost (Department head), Marie Naumann, Katharina Wulffius (Catalogue), Marina Brafa (Website), Debora Antmann, David Studniberg, Charlotte Struck (Jewish Places), Lea Simon (Research trainee)

Visitor Experience and Research

Christiane Birkert (Department head), Susann Holz, Johannes Rinke

Development

Anja Butzek (Department head), Sarah Winter

FREUNDE DES JMB  

Johanna Brandt (management)

Events

Yvonne Niehues (Department head), Juliane Ganzer, Katja Rein, Falk Schneider, Danny Specht-Eichler, Gesa Struve

Legal Department and Tendering

Julia Lietzmann (Department head), Sascha Brejora, Olaf Heinrich, Jonas Nondorf

Finance and Controlling  

Grit Schleheider (Department head), Odette Bütow, Rainer Christoffers, Andreas Harm, Denise Kurby, Cindy Niepold, Stefan Rosin, Katja Schwarzer

Human Resources

Brit Linde-Pelz (Department head), Manuela Gümüssoy, Lilith Wendt

Facility Management

Manuela Konzack (Department head), Guido Böttcher, Mirko Dalsch, André Küter, Marcel Kühle, Janine Lehmann, Christian Michaelis, Jan Viegils

ICT

Michael Concepcion (Leitung), Anja Jauert, Kathleen Köhler, Sebastian Nadler

Exhibition Maintenance

Leitwerk Servicing

Janitor Service

FAM

Cleaning  

Piepenbrock Reinigung GmbH

Sercurity

Kötter Security SE 

Sponsors

With funding provided by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds. 

We also thank the David Berg Foundation for their kind support. 

Logo Hauptstadtkulturfonds Black letters on white background reading David Berg Foundation.

Media Cooperations

Logo of the public broadcaster “radio3 rbb”. Yellow three on a black circle, next to it white letters on a red background. Logo of the Yorck Cinema Group: On the left, a black, star-like graphic with a white “Y” on it; on the right, the lettering of the cinema group in black.

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