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Eine Frau sitzt und arbeitet an einem Webstuhl.

Defiance

Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era
Catalog Accom­panying the Ex­hibition (in German)

This elaborately designed volume provides insights into the creative power and lives of over 60 women - including those whose names have been largely forgotten until today. 

New educational opportunities in the Weimar Republic gave Jewish women the chance to work in artistic fields of their own choosing. Many of them became successful – although female designers were never given the same recognition as their male colleagues. National Socialism and its systematic persecution and murder of Jews destroyed the lives and careers of these women. Some managed to escape, but only very few succeeded in making a new start as a designer. Almost all of them have remained neglected in German art and cultural history to this day.  

Details

  • Widerstände. Jüdische Designerinnen der Moderne
    320 pages, 250 illustrations in color
    paperback with flaps, 21 x 26 cm
    Hirmer Verlag 
    München 2025
    ISBN: 978-3-7356-1014-0 (in German only)
  • Editor Michal S. Friedlander, Jewish Museum Berlin
  • Including an essay by the editor
  • Design team mao, Berlin
  • Price 39,90 €
Black lettering on a light yellow background: Defiance: Jewish women and design in the modern era.

You can order this publication from a bookstore, or from the museum by contacting

Bavaroi Onlineshop
service@bavaroi.net

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
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
Current page: Exhibition catalog: 2025, in German
Digital Content
Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era: All biographies at a glance
Jewish Places: Important places where the Jewish designers lived and worked on our interactive map
Do you know Eva Samuel?: How the research for the exhibition took off
Small Puppets – Strong Women: community project accompanying the exhibition (in German)
Objects from the exhibition in our collection online in German
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
Paper doll based on a costume design by Dodo (1907–1998): Create your own movable paper doll!
Beaded bracelet based on a design by Emma Trietsch (1876–1933): Make your own beaded bracelet!
Fashion paper doll based on designs by Irene Saltern (1911–2005): Dress your own fashion paper doll!
Jewish Women Ceramists from Germany after 1933: Online feature on Google Arts & Culture, in German

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