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Eine Frau sitzt und arbeitet an einem Webstuhl.

Exhibition Opening

Defiance: Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era

We invite all interested parties to the opening of the exhibition Defiance: Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era, with speeches by Hetty Berg, Director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, and Michal Friedlander, Curator at the Jewish Museum Berlin. The evening will be accompanied by music from the DJ duo “Balagan Sisters”.

The speeches will be translated into German Sign Language.

past event

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

Where

Old Building, ground level, Glass Courtyard
Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin

The exhibition reveals the important role that Jewish women designers played in German society’s process of eman­cipation and modernization in the early twentieth century—as women, as Jews, and as artists. Some managed to escape and start afresh abroad, but almost all have re­mained excluded from the history of German art and culture up to the present day. 

Featuring exhibits by more than sixty designers, this is the world’s first collective exhibition on the theme. It brings together pioneering women who battled social marginali­zation to attain prominent positions in their own domains—until the Nazi regime destroyed their careers and lives. Through their works, the Jewish Museum Berlin gives new visibility to their forgotten biographies and their artistic and entre­preneurial achieve­ments. Visitors to the exhibition will en­counter a broad spectrum of design and craft techniques, from gold­smithing and textiles, ceramics and wood carving, to fashion design and graphics. 

With funding provided by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds. We also thank the David Berg Foundation for their kind support. 

 Golden Hanukkah candlestick with decorations.

Hanukkah lamp, design: Rahel Ruth Sinasohn, manufacturer: Max Otto, Leopold Mache, Dresden, ca. 1920-1928; Jewish Museum Berlin

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 auditive insights into the exhibition themes and information in German Sign Language
Publications
Exhibition catalog: 2025, in German
Digital Content
Jewish Women and Design in the Modern Era: All biographies at a glance
Jewish Places: Information on the designers’ work and study locations on our interactive map
Puppet Show, Menu Card, Children's Book: Digital copies accompanying the exhibition (in German)
Paper doll based on a costume design by Dodo (1907–1998): Do it yourself – create your own movable paper doll!
Fashion paper doll based on designs by Irene Saltern (1911–2005): Do it yourself – dress your own fashion paper doll!
Beaded bracelet based on a design by Emma Trietsch (1876–1933): Do it yourself – make your own thread bracelet!
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: Description in German
Guided Tours
Public Tour in German: tour with fixed dates
Public Tour in English: tour with fixed dates
Public Tour in Hebrew – tour with fixed dates
Guided Tour & Brunch: tour with fixed dates
Bookable Tour for Groups and Schools: Tour by appointment
Accompanying Events
Current page: Exhibition Opening: Thu, 10 Jul 2025, 7 pm (exhibition open to visitors from 5 pm)
Pioneering women of the 1920s – artistic research from the Modeschule Berlin at the JMB: Public presenation, Thu 17 Jul 2025, 2pm
Summer Party at the JMB with free admission, workshops and more: Sun, 20 Jul 2025, 2 pm
Creative Love! Long Night of Museums: Sun, 30 Aug 2025, starting 6 pm
Studio Talk I: Mon 29 Sep 2025, 6.30 pm
Studio Talk II: 15 Oct 2025 (more info to follow)
Studio Talk III: 5 Nov 2025 (more info to follow)
See also
Jewish Women Ceramists from Germany after 1933: Online feature on Google Arts & Culture, in German

Where, when, what?

  • WhenThu, 10 Jul 2025, 7 pm
  • Duration3 hours
  • Where Old Building, ground level, Glass Courtyard
    Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin
    See location on map
  • Entry fee

    free

  • NoteThe exhibition is open to visitors from 5 pm.

    AdmissionAdmission to the temporary exhibition is free on the opening evening.

    LanguagesThe event will be held in German. The speeches will be translated into German Sign Language.

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