This summer, the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum will present “Stitching History from the Holocaust,” a moving exhibition that brings attention to the life and work of Hedwig Strnad, a Jewish fashion designer from Prague whose promising future was cut short by the Holocaust. On view from July 17 through Oct. 19 in the Museum’s Karpati Gallery, the exhibition explores themes of loss, creativity and resilience.

Hedwig’s story is told through eight reconstructed garments based on her original 1939 dress designs. These carefully sketched designs, long hidden from the world, were sent with letters to relatives in the United States as part of an effort to secure visas as a last attempt to escape Nazi-occupied Europe. That effort failed, and both Hedwig and her husband were deported and did not survive.

“Stitching History,” on loan from the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, gives form to designs that might have otherwise remained only on paper. Through these recreated garments and Hedwig’s preserved correspondence, the exhibition highlights the personal toll of the Holocaust and the broader cultural and creative losses it left behind.

The Karpati Gallery, located on the Museum’s lower level and named in memory of József and Peter Karpati, hosts rotating exhibitions that explore history, identity, and the arts.

This exhibition is made possible with support from Pam & Ken Lester, in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and the St. Louis Fashion Fund.

Tickets are currently available at STLHolocaustMuseum.org/StitchingHistory.

The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Founded by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis in 1995, the Museum is committed to using the lessons of the Holocaust to combat hate, promote understanding and encourage change. For more information, go to STLHolocaustMuseum.org.

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