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

During the Holocaust, twenty-five young prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp were selected to create and sew fashionable clothing. Most of them 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 'Upper Atelier', founded by Hedwig Höss - the wife of the camp commandant, who was supported by the wives of guards and SS officers. They produced high-quality clothes for the high society of Nazi Berlin and for the SS themselves. In 'The Seamstresses of Auschwitz', historian Lucy Adlington tells the tales of these brave women and sheds light on a little-known chapter of World War II and the Holocaust. The family and friendship bonds among the girls not only helped them survive the persecutions but also played a role in the camp resistance. The author relies on numerous sources, including interviews with the last surviving seamstress.