I was asked by Ben Fox, who owns Shepherd.com – motto: “Like browsing the best bookstore in the world” – to select five of my favorite books on Berlin. Makes perfect sense since Stolen Legacy is rooted in the history of that city.
You can check out my selections and why I chose them here.
Monte Mallin – host of the podcast series So Important! – has interviewed me. In his billing for our talk, Mr Mallin writes:
This is a story of determination, commitment, and conviction, and never giving up when the cause is just. Dina’s story is an inspiration for all of us, and here it is in her own words.
The concept of ready-to-wear clothing was invented by Jewish Berliners and by the middle of the 19th century some 100 Jewish fashion firms existed around Hausvogteiplatz in central Berlin’s Mitte district. By the 1890s a full 85% of all women’s fashion manufacturing companies had Jewish owners and “Berlin chic” enjoyed an international reputation.
By 1933, there were 2,700 Berlin-based Jewish fashion businesses – making the fashion trade, besides Paris, the largest exporter in Europe.
The central role of Jews in the German fashion industry, and how the Nazis utterly destroyed that legacy, is told in Mr. Westphal’s book. That history has been forgotten for far too long.