Broken Threads: The Destruction of the Jewish Fashion Industry in Germany and Austria

By now, it would seem that every facet of the Nazi attack on Jewish culture had been told. But the destruction of the Jewish fashion industry in Germany and Austria adds an astounding new chapter to the story. Here, Roberta S. Kramer traces the wanton destruction of a thriving fashion industry whose impact on German high fashion was regarded by the Reich as being too heavily influenced by Jewish designers, manufacturers, and merchandisers. The emergence of ready-to-wear and the development of the modern department store with its innovative merchandising and lavish interior design attracted the attention of the Nazis, who proceeded with a campaign of boycotts, humiliation, and Aryanization. Broken Threads includes photographs and fashion plates that tragically illustrate the social and cultural losses suffered during this period.