About the Exhibit
The award-winning Stitching History From the Holocaust exhibit uses the narrative of one couple’s experience to explore the Holocaust and the tragic loss of the talent and lives of 6 million people. Through the story of Hedwig and Paul Strnad, visitors will build their understanding of transcontinental connections during wartime, immigration law and constraints, Bohemian Jewish history, Theresienstadt concentration camp and the fashion industry in Czechoslovakia.
Stitching History From the Holocaust was originally curated by Jewish Museum Milwaukee and was on display at the Museum in 2014-2015 and again in 2018. It has traveled throughout the United States.
Exhibit Introduction
“Behind the pretty and colorful dresses, the sculpted felt hats and the flower prints lies a heartbreaking tragedy.”
– Haaretz (April 17, 2015)
“The fashions are both text and textile, a story of life and death told in fabric.”
– The New York Times (September 26, 2014)
- The New York Times – Eight Mannequins at a Wisconsin Museum Tell of a Holocaust Tragedy
- PBS NewsHour Weekend – Family History Comes to Life: Dress Designs Lost in Holocaust Uncovered
- Milwaukee Public Television The Arts Page – Stitching History From the Holocaust
- Ha’Aretz – (click English to translate) From Ashes of the Holocaust, Fashion Designer’s Dresses Come to Life
- WUWM Lake Effect – Stitching History in Reality and Online: A Holocaust Victim’s Legacy Lives On
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Hedy Strnad’s Dress Designs Tell Story of Czech Woman Who Tried in Vain to Flee Terror
- M Milwaukee’s Lifestyle Magazine – Stitching History
- Wisconsin Public Television – Wisconsin Life: Holocaust Dresses
- Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) – The Jewish Dressmaker FDR Turned Away
- History at the Castle, Appleton, WI (September 30, 2022 – January 2023)
- Florida Holocaust Museum, St. Petersburg, FL (August 2021 – January 2022)
- National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, IA (November 2020 – March 2021)
- Jewish Museum of Maryland, Baltimore, MD (April – July 2019)
- Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, Birmingham, AL (December 2018 – March 2019)
- Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (October – December 2018)
- Holocaust Memorial Center, Farmington Hills, MI (June 22 – December 29, 2017)
- Jewish Museum of Florida, Florida International University (December 19, 2016 – March 19, 2017)
- Ruth Davis Design Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Madison (September 11 – November 13, 2016)
- Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, New York (April 13 – August 14, 2016)
- Cost: $10,000 for 3 Month Rental
- Standard Rental Length: 3 Months (negotiable)
- Shipping Costs: Roundtrip transit or a pro-rated amount based on rental schedule
- Square Footage: Can Be Customized for 300 – 2000 sq ft
Click here to see a digital exhibit created by the UW-Milwaukee Libraries and the UW-Milwaukee Digital Humanities Lab in partnership with Jewish Museum Milwaukee.
Download the Rental Brochure to learn more about the exhibit components and bringing this one-of-a-kind exhibit to your space.