The Seamstresses of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive

During the Holocaust, twenty-five young inmates of the Auschwitz concentration camp were selected to create and sew fashionable clothing. Mostly, they were Jewish girls. They hoped that this work would save them from the gas chambers. The girls worked in... the 'elite' workshop at the camp called the 'Upper Atelier', founded by Hedwig Höss - the wife of the camp commandant, who was patronized by the wives of the guards and SS officers. They produced high-quality clothing for the ladies of high society in Nazi Berlin and for the SS themselves. In 'The Seamstresses of Auschwitz', historian Lucy Adlington recounts the feats of these brave women and sheds light on a little-known chapter of World War II and the Holocaust. The familial and friendly bonds among the girls not only helped them survive the persecution but also played a role in camp resistance. The author draws on numerous sources, including interviews with the last surviving seamstress.