Living with Hope:
The Life and Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis
“If we’re only given a day, we have to live it.” -Friedl Dicker-Brandeis1
Friedl Dicker-Brandeis perished at Auschwitz in 1944 at the age of forty-six2. She
is one of so many heroes who are now historically documented for their extraordinary
efforts during the Holocaust. What Friedl achieved in her short lifespan impacted
thousands of children, women, and men living in Terezin during the Holocaust. What
makes her efforts even more interesting and important is the unique manner in which she
was able to accomplish so much under the worst conditions possible. But how can single
person achieve so much? What strategies did Friedl use to continue her work under the
constant scrutiny, along with the threat of death from her Nazi captors? Friedl was able to
use her own trauma, skills, and passions to overcome the horrors that lie in wait within
the star-shaped walls of Terezin. Not only did Friedl survive for two years within
Terezin, but she also went above and beyond to expose the children to the world of arts.
Friedl experienced life as a Jew in Prague prior to the war, and slowly saw her
world fall into turmoil as the Nazi’s expanded their campaign. She was branded, scorned,
and cast out of society, forced to move from her home and flee to avoid capture. Only to
be caught and sent to be incarcerated with her death not being a question of how many
years away, but how many days. Even through all of that Friedl persevered and managed
to put the needs of others ahead of her own. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis is not a commonly

1
2

Rubin 2001, pg.8
“Friedl Dicker-Brandeis” 2016

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well-known figure of history, but she was certainly one of the most impactful on a
population who desperately needed a reason to have hope. What Friedl accomplished in
Terezin could have easily cost her life, but she did it anyways, despite any backlash that
she may receive. She was utterly selfless despite her life being a mere pawn in the hands
of the guards. She was kept in the model concentration camp for the Jews. Terezin was a
prison like no other, holding no escape for the imprisoned, except the sweet release of
death.
Terezin was a terrible place to live for adults and children alike. Disease would
spread like wildfire and the only escape were the trains which almost certainly would
take them to their deaths.3 Terezin was chosen near the start of Hitler’s campaign to serve
as a guarded ghetto to house the Jews, and other outsiders he deemed unfit for his empire.
The Germans renamed it Theresienstadt and decided to use it due to its close vicinity to a
railway station and the city of Prague4. Terezin boasted high walls, over 250 buildings
including houses, schools, stores, barracks, churches, and a post office.5 It was the perfect
prison guarded by the Schutzstaffel, or secret police, but it served another purpose.
Terezin housed the educated populations of Jews, Germans, and Austrians. Philosophers,
authors, playwrights, musicians, scientists, and scholars along with their families were all
housed in this camp6. Nazi Propaganda referred to Theresienstadt as a “pleasant Jewish
Settlement,” a gift from Hitler to the Jews. In actuality it was the Nazis’ attempt to hide
“the final solution to the Jewish question7”. Terezin, like other Jewish Concentration

“History of Terezin - Terezin: Children of the Holocaust” 2021
Thomson 2011
5
Thomson 2011
6
“History of Terezin - Terezin: Children of the Holocaust” 2021
7
Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001
3
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Camps, was meant to break the imprisoned spirits before they were shipped off to be
killed like cattle to the slaughter. However, Terezin’s main purpose was to deceive the
outside world, through the use of professional artists and performers to promote and
showcase normal life through cultural activities.8 Theatrical plays and musicals were
permitted but only under strict rules and guard, as the incarcerated peoples were belittled
and treated inhumanely. Life for the Jews in Terezin, was entirely in the control of the
Nazis, who would showcase nicer aspects of the camp, and disregard any and all other
problems. The Jews endured torment every day as their rights were non-existent and they
were treated in such a way that they were better off being dead. Friedl’s experience in
Terezin was similar to many of her fellow captives, but she acted as a light in that dark
camp. She provided warmth and comfort to all and was able to make the torturous
Terezin tolerable even if it was only for an hour a day.
Friedl Dicker’s story begins in Vienna, Austria on July 30th, 1898. Her father,
Simon Dicker, was a shop assistant at a stationary store. While her mother, Karolina,
passed away in 1902, leaving four-year-old Friedl without a mother’s nurturing touch9.
Friedl’s passion for art grew from an early age as she often spent her time in her father’s
shop playing with clay and coloring pictures. Friedl went on to attend several universities
to study the arts including drawing, sculpting, painting, acting, theatrical design, interior
design, and much more. She even got a degree in art therapy in order to connect more
closely with the children she worked with before Terezin. Friedl’s art education played a
major role in how she interacted with the children within Terezin. She used art as an

8

Leshnoff 2006, pg.93
Makarova, Hong Kong: 2001

9

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escape in her own life growing up, ended up falling in love with it, and made it her
career. She knew the power that art held if individuals only knew how to utilize it in the
necessary situations. While she hoped to work with children, little did she know she
would be working with children on death row. The lack of a mother-figure wounded
Friedl10, but also played a significant role in her becoming a mother to thousands within
the walled fortress. Friedl’s and the children’s paintings and drawings serve as their
lasting testimony of their will to hope even when their deaths were almost certain.
Friedl’s work along with the work of other adults in the camp gave the children a sense of
normalcy that had been denied to them since entering Terezin. Children were encouraged
to draw, write, act, or sing even under the life-threatening conditions they faced every
day. Friedl risked being killed on the spot if the officers or officials of the camp realized
what she was doing and how she was acquiring the materials. By creating art, individuals
are able to access what it means to be human being by using their imagination to reach
the deepest sense of humanity11. Children can let go of their fears, pain, and restrictions
on their life to find some peace of mind if they are taught to harness creating art to their
own benefit12. Friedl’s story is unique as her use of art to inspire hope was more
impactful than she could have ever imagined. Friedl’s heroics are similar to so many
other heroes of the Holocaust tragedy. In this sense, my research joins the growing body
of literature concerning Holocaust Heroes. Friedl’s story is distinctly unique due to
extraordinary impact as evidenced in the amount of art produced by her and the children
of Terezin.

10

Makarova 1999
Buchanan 2016 pg.6
12
Spitz 2012 pg.11
11

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Friedl began her art-focused studies at the Austrian Federal Education and
Research Institute for Graphics located in Vienna in 191313. Here, Friedl studied under
Johannes Beckmann, a renowned photographer. She went on to the Vienna School of
Arts and Crafts where she began working in a theater, where she organized props, wrote
productions, acted in plays, and sewed costumes. In 1915, Friedl joined the textile
department at the school and studied under Franz Cizek14. Franz Cizek was a popular
Austrian genre and portrait painter who taught his students to expose themselves in their
art. While her next instructor Johannes Itten encouraged students to utilize and follow
their emotions when creating a masterpiece. Itten believed that one’s art should reflect
their soul, so one can better monitor their spiritual progress and wellbeing through the art
produced. Both instructors encouraged Friedl to embrace art in all its forms and shared
with her the keys to her own art-related success. It was in the textile department of the
Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, that Friedl made the acquaintance of a Franz Singer15
who was studying architecture at the time. Franz Singer would play an important role in
Friedl’s personal life while also being instrumental in the development and popularity of
her professional, artistic life. Johannes Itten established his own school, which both
Friedl and Singer attended for a short period of time before Itten left his school to become
a master at the Weimar Bauhaus, leading Friedl to follow him in 191916. Friedl Dicker
established lasting professional connections with several of her professors leading her to
establish a deeper understanding of art and to attend one of the most prestigious art
schools in the region.

“Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
Makarova 1999
15
Another ‘disciple’ of Itten’s
16
“Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
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While at the Weimar Bauhaus, Friedl studied and became accomplished at oil
paintings, charcoals, jewelry, bookbinding, weaving, textiles, and poster art while under
the instruction of several masters17. Itten was so taken with Friedl’s gifts and her
unbelievable teaching abilities that he permitted her to teach his freshman course at
Bauhaus while she was still a student18. Friedl was quite gifted in the arts and thrived
both professionally and personally while she was at Bauhaus. To earn money while
attending the Weimar Bauhaus she produced bookbindings in a private workshop owned
by Otto Dorfner and made marionette dolls to be sold at the state fair in Weimar, drawing
many of the children in attendance19 However, Friedl was not seeking to profit off her
dolls, but rather to see the looks of awe and amusement on the children’s faces. In 1921,
Paul Keene, a famous painter, arrived at the Bauhaus and gave a series of lectures on art’s
nature and how childlike imagination played a role. His teachings opened Friedl’s mind
to the concept of working with and teaching children in a theatrical setting20. Keene was
an inspiration to Friedl, who encouraged her to use her inner childlike curiosity to
establish a practical understanding and relationship with art. The Bauhaus and its
teachings highlighted the use of empathy; how to connect, feel, and understand art in its
many forms21. Friedl and Franz Singer worked close together during their time at
Bauhaus and established a close personal relationship where they even joined a theatrical
troupe together. During their short-lived romance, Friedl experienced joy in having
someone like-minded to share her passion with, as well as saw Singer as her chance to

17

Friedl studied under Johannes Itten, Georg Muche, and Lyonel Feininger (Cohen 2008)
Cohen 2008
19
Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001
20
“Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
21
Elsby 2021
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have her own family. However, in 1921, Singer married another woman while still
maintaining his romantic relationship with Friedl for many years. Singer forced Friedl to
have several abortions against her will, adding more trauma to a life already filled with
it22. Friedl had always longed for a child; so much so that in a letter to her friend, Anny
Wottiz she wrote: “[i]f I had a child, I would be better suited for battle and I would also
hope that where I failed, the child would make a success23.” Having a child, would give
Friedl a new purpose, someone to care for and raise to follow in her footsteps. Friedl
desperately wanted her own child to raise and to establish a loving bond with, partly due
to the fact that she did not have a relationship with her deceased mother. Friedl had to
watch as Singer and his wife had a child and lived happily as a family, until sadly,
Singer’s son passed away ending his and Friedl’s romantic relationship. Between the
traumas of Friedl’s lack of a mother figure in her early life and being forced to give up
her children, acted as motivation for Friedl and helped her to connect and be successful
working with the children in Terezin.
Franz Singer and Friedl maintained a professional relationship and opened the
Workshop of Visual Arts in Berlin in 1923 after leaving the Bauhaus.24 This workshop
focused on producing jewelry, bookbindings, toys, and theater sets. Friedl also got move
involved in the theater by designing set pieces, costumes, and props for Berthold
Viertel’s theater. Friedl opened several galleries to showcase her work and in 1926 Singer
and Friedl established the Atelier Singer-Dicker25 which became of the most popular
design houses in Vienna. Friedl got to foster her love of art and profit simultaneously due

22

Wix 2003
Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001, pg. 20
24
Makarova 1999
25
Architect and design school (Cohen 2008)
23

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to the popularity of her innovative designs and taste. Friedl reimagined interior design;
she designed and created stackable chairs for ease and convenience.26 From there, her
future projects27 would win several awards and expanded her notoriety in the field. Their
business grew past simple interior design as they hired architects to assist on projects
such as the Montessori Kindergarten28 and the guesthouse for Countess Heriot. The
Atelier also later made the architectural designs for the Vienna Tennis Club along with
set designs for Berthold Brecht’s theater and the Vienna Tennis Club29. Friedl’s fame
began to spread as her work became cutting edge in the artist community, but her
passions did not stop there30. Friedl also began teaching art classes to kindergarten
teachers to use in their classes at the city of Vienna’s request31. This was a stepping off
point for Friedl’s teaching career, as her reputation was attracting more attention as each
day went by. She used some of Itten’s teachings to guide her lessons for the teachers but
in the end, it was her own personality and natural abilities that helped her to connect with
the teachers and later the children. Friedl’s main goal for working with children was to
aid in their understanding feelings and the world they live in32. She did not simply want
to teach them how to create art but how to use art to benefit oneself, along with the many
other applications art has.
Friedl was also known as a political activist for the communist party, but not until
the 1930s. The theater community in Berlin was not only filled with theatrical

26

Makarova 2001, pg. 91
Collapsible couches and tables, and adjustable lamps (Vellet 2021)
28
Including collapsible/stackable furniture, Friedl designed, a true innovation for that time (Makarova
2021)
29
Cohen 2008
30
Friedl and many other contemporary artists were swept up in Communist activism (Spitz 2012, pg.4)
31
Makarova 2021
32
Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001
27

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productions but also with political debate between the Communists and Social
Democrats33. Many other educated Jewish individuals turned to the Communist party in
order to combat the rising right-wing ideals that were sweeping through Europe that
threatened the progressive, open-minded, and free ideals of the left wing (Communist
party). However, as Hitler rose and seized power in 1933, the Communist party was
forced underground, and life gradually became significantly harder for Friedl and
Europe’s Jewish populations34. Friedl would not be silenced so easily, she began using
the Communist Manifesto in her adult art classes and made propaganda posters targeting
Hitler himself. She also made inspirational and powerful photo collages for agitprop
Communist posters that would strike the heartstrings of those who would see them35.
Even though Friedl’s photography is not as popular as her paintings or sketches, one of
her more well-known pieces of agitprop posters was called ‘This Is How it Looks Like,
My Child, This World36,’ showing a newborn baby surrounded by Hitler’s war machine.
Hitler shut down the Bauhaus in 1933, as he viewed it as a “breeding ground for Jews and
Bolsheviks37” that spread Communist ideologies. New laws were sanctioned limiting
their ability to work or be out in public. They only became stricter as Hitler’s power
grew; his empire expanded to include parts of Czechoslovakia and threatened democracy
in the region. Hitler rose through the ranks of the Nazi party starting as a mere soldier,
and once he had power, he broke the Treaty of Versailles by rebuilding Germany’s
military38. Hitler blamed the Jews for the bank failures and ultimately for Germany losing

33

Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001
Spitz 2012 (pg.4)
35
Vellet 2003
36
Please see Appendix A
37
Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001
38
“How did Hitler Happen?” 2017
34

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World War I. He believed the ultimate solution was to collect and eliminate anyone who
could not be a part of his master, ‘Aryan’ race. Many protests and putsches occurred
during this time leading many members of the Left-wing Jewish population wondering if
they should flee or stay and fight.
Friedl did not believe that fleeing was the answer and felt that she had a duty to
stay and fight the rising repressive regime. In 1934, Friedl helped her friends hide their
fake passbooks in the Atelier Singer-Dicker studio, however the building was searched
by the new government and the forged passports were found39. Friedl was immediately
arrested and placed in jail. She remained strong while imprisoned by practicing her
sewing skills on the patchy uniforms they were given to wear. During interrogations
Friedl did not break and remained silent even though she was absolutely terrified. It was
not until Singer was called to testify against her for forging official documents40, that she
was acquitted. Once released from jail Friedl fled to Prague as a political refugee, in
hopes of starting over and forgetting her brief imprisonment. Her imprisonment
traumatized Friedl, leading her to paint two main pieces, symbolic of her imprisonment,
Interrogation I41 and Interrogation II. Interrogation I pictures a young individual from
behind being questioned by a cruel looking specter and two hands typing on a typewriter.
The image she painted was an expression of what she herself had experienced while
imprisoned.
Once in Prague, Friedl’s outlook on life had changed, proof coming from her own
artwork. Friedl was trying to come to terms with her imprisonment and developed a

39

Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001, pg. 21
Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
41
See Appendix A
40

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different artistic style as a result. She no longer created the work that was expected of a
former Bauhaus student, instead she began painting in a metaphorical or symbolic style42.
However, that was not the only part of Friedl’s life that changed. The move itself placed
Friedl in one of the Nazi’s strongholds in Europe, not an ideal place for a Jew43.
Additionally, Friedl’s outlook on life also changed to the point where she sought help
from Annie Reich, a psychoanalyst and fellow refugee44. Reich aided Friedl in
uncovering her childhood trauma and helped change Friedl’s relationship with herself
and the outside world. Friedl learned that it was okay to long for happiness and to seek it
in the world. After so many torments and tragedies she endured, she rediscovered who
she was as an individual, reclaiming her identity. While in Prague Friedl ended up finding
her husband through her family connections.
Friedl sought out her mother’s sister, Adela Brandeis, and ended up falling in love
with Adela’s youngest son, Pavel45. Friedl Dicker and Pavel Brandeis married in 1936,
giving Friedl Czech citizenship and granting them a few years of happiness together46.
During this time, it was not uncommon for individuals to marry distant relatives of the
family including cousins. After Friedl married she took Pavel’s last name and began
signing her drawings as Friedl Brandeis (FB). Friedl spent her days spending time with
her mother-in-law, worked on renovating homes, and creating textile designs. Friedl had
finally found happiness in both her personal and professional life, however the quest for a
child was less successful. Friedl diligently took her vitamins and spent every day wishing

42

Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001, pg. 22
Makarova 1999
44
Makarova, Los Angeles: 2001, pg. 22
45
Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
46
Spitz 2012, pg. 5
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and praying for the child. Sadly, Friedl had a miscarriage, and would never have her own,
biological child. She turned her energies to political involvement, as well as her artwork.
Friedl remained as active as she could with the Communist party mainly to protect her
beliefs and those, she cared about47. While in Prague, she met a fellow activist, Hilde
Kothny. They ended up being great friends and helped each other as much as they could.
Friedl felt called to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War by going to Spain, but her
commitment to Pavel reorganized her priorities. Once Friedl met Pavel, she was no
longer making spur of the moment choices, instead she chose her own happiness, even if
it was short-lived.
From 1934-1938 Friedl taught and worked with refugee children. Teaching them
lessons she had adapted from Itten that allowed her to establish a strong bond with the
children and foster their creativity48. Friedl maintained a positive atmosphere when
teaching the children which allowed them to form a close bond with Friedl. Even though
Friedl did not have her own children, the students she taught absolutely adored her. By
November 9th, 1938, Hitler had annexed Sudetenland and was planning to attack the Jews
in his new territory49. The new government of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
began forcing Jews out of professional jobs; jobs in leadership, medicine, business, and
the law. Jewish property owners saw their buildings destroyed among the rubble of their
synagogues. Even after they destroyed Friedl’s old studio, Friedl remained with her
husband, teaching the children, and staying involved in political activities despite the

47

Friedl bravely smuggled the lists of the underground communist members out of Vienna (Makarova
2001, pg. 24)
48
Makarova 1999
49
“Anti-Jewish Policy after the Establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia” 2011

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urge to go and fight on the frontlines50. Several of Friedl’s friends, including Franz
Singer, attempted to convince Friedl to flee Europe for her own safety. Friedl had
received a visa and many invitations for refuge, but she refused to leave her husband
Pavel51. Friedl could have easily left her husband in order to secure her own safety and
try to send for Pavel once she arrived. For Friedl, that was too large of a risk to take, if
she could not escape with Pavel, she would not escape at all. Even though the Nazi’s
initially encouraged Jews to emigrate, by July 1939 the only legal form of emigration was
the Centre for Jewish Emigration.52 Moreover, as Jews continued to emigrate the number
of countries who would accept the fleeing Jewish populations became limited. By the end
of the summer, 1939, emigration was no longer a viable option for the Jewish individuals
still trapped under Nazi rule.
The Nazi’s continued to establish new laws to make life for the Jewish population
much more difficult. During the summer of 1938 Friedl and Pavel left the city of Prague
and chose to go to Hronov in the Czechoslovakian countryside.53 Pavel grew up here, and
Friedl describes, “[i]t is peaceful here…I would not believe even in my final hour that
something evil was taking place…54” The countryside provided a short-term refuge for
Pavel and Friedl to escape from the radical anti-Jewish society the Nazis had created.
During this period in the countryside, Friedl worked mostly with pastels and oils to create
landscapes, portraits, and still-life pieces55. Pavel found work as an accountant at a local

50

Makarova 2001, pg.24
Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
52
“Anti-Jewish Policy after the Establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia” 2011
53
Makarova 2001, pg.25
54
Makarova 2001 pg. 25
55
Spitz 2012 pg. 5
51

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textile factory while Friedl taught art to local children from Jewish families56. She also
worked in the textile factory with Pavel57. Friedl diligently worked on her pieces and
managed to catch the eye of an art dealer she had previously known in Vienna. Paul
Weingraf put Friedl’s work on display at the Arcadia gallery in London in August of
194058. While Friedl’s work was admired by many, it was no longer considered ‘true art’
by Adolf Hitler. His policies made it difficult for Friedl to continue concentrating on her
artwork amidst the rising tides of war. Friedl began finding it difficult to finish her pieces
as the external threats she faced became more real every day. In the summers of 1940 and
1941 they rented a room in the village of Ždarky59. Friedl and Pavel had both lost their
jobs at the textile factory in 1939, but Friedl encouraged Pavel to try carpentry while
Friedl continued to teach local children and converse with friends. Friedl was able to send
letters to her friends outside of Hronov, and she would count the days until the replies
were posted. A great source of strength for Friedl during these times was the words
contained in the letters from her friends. Friedl and Pavel moved several more times
during their tenure in the countryside.
As anti-Jewish laws became worse, they were forced to move in February 1941
and finally in September 194260. Each time their accommodations grew poorer and
smaller. Despite no longer having a sense of home, Friedl and Pavel were able to find
solace in each other’s company and the aid that their neighbors would give them. Jews
were no longer permitted to rent empty housing, forcing Friedl and Pavel to find lodging

56

Jewish children were no longer permitted to be in school (Wix 2010, pg.126)
Makarova 1999
58
Friedl Dicker 1919-1923 Bauhaus Student” 2021
59
Makarova 2001 pg. 26
60
Makarova 2001 pg. 27
57

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with already existing Jewish property owners61. Despite this, Friedl stayed positive as she
wrote in a letter to her friend Hilde, “[d]espite the discomforts, we still have courage and
hope…”62. Friedl and Pavel were forced to move to protect themselves from the horrors
that the Nazi party was enacting upon the Jewish population. By this point Hitler was
shipping Jews by the thousands to one of his many concentration camps. By September
1942, Jews had to wear a yellow star on their clothes anytime they went out. They also
had separate public areas and transportation and could only buy a limited about of
groceries63. Any other wants or needs of the Brandeis’ came from locals or friends. The
locals would assist with cleaning, obtaining extra rations, and would help them keep
themselves busy with books and conversation. Friedl especially loved to read as it would
give her a different world to escape into, similar to what she had found in her passion for
art. However, Friedl began having difficulty with her sight and experienced periods when
she could not read or write. Friedl was diagnosed with retina avitaminosis and could only
receive medicines through the mail from Hilde64. Friedl chose not to paint during her last
few months in Hronov partly due to her eyesight, but more so due to a lack of will. Most
of Pavel’s family had been deported in the spring of 1942, as well as many of Friedl’s
friends.65 By the fall, Friedl and Pavel received their own summons for deportation to
Theresienstadt.
Friedl and Pavel prepared as best they could for their deportation and received
much help from friends and the locals. The locals helped them make trades to obtain the

61

Frommer 2020
Makarova 2001 pg. 27
63
Makarova 2001 pg.27
64
Makarova 2001 pg.27
65
Of whom she drew portraits of often (Makarova 2001 pg.27)
62

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goods they needed for their imminent departure. Friedl would trade her artwork as well as
their non-essential belongings for coats, clothes, and food. Once Hilde received word of
Friedl’s summons she traveled all the way from Hamburg to help her friend prepare.
They spent as much time as they could together, a majority of time which occupied with
packing and unpacking their suitcases. Jews who received summons were limited in the
number of items they could bring with them, only being permitted fifty kilograms per
person66. Friedl was less concerned about bringing items for her own comfort and more
concerned about the children who are going to be in Terezin. She packed some clothes
for herself and Pavel, and filled a majority of her suitcase with paper, paint, brushes,
pencils, and fabric to make costumes. Friedl also encouraged her students who were also
being deported67 to pack whatever art supplies or books that they could fit. Friedl and
Pavel said goodbye to their friends at the school and began walking to the train station,
with an escort from the local police68. During their trek they lost some of their belongings
and had already lost track of some of their friends and loved ones.
Once they arrived at the station they were loaded onto a somewhat crowded, but
decent railway car. Each Jew was given a transport number that would be sewn into their
clothes, Friedl’s was ‘548’ and Pavel’s was ‘549’.69 They had a short stop in Hradec
Králové where they boarded a final train, which left them a few miles away from
Terezin70. They lugged their suitcases for miles before arriving at the gates of their
newfound hell. As they entered the camp they were greeted by the sight of confused,

66

Rubin 2001 pg.9
All Eastern Bohemian Jews were deported in the Fall and Winter of 1942 (Wix 2010 pg. 127)
68
Makarova 2001 pg.28
69
Makarova 2001 pg.28
70
Rubin 2001 pg.10
67

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broken-hearted individuals aimlessly walking around in ragged clothing. Their
belongings were searched at the ‘sluice’71 and whatever was not taken by the guards they
could potentially keep. They received food, bathing, and laundry vouchers, were
deloused, given a medical examination, and were asked about their work history and
skills.72 Pavel who had been recently working in carpentry was sent to the workshops
while Friedl was placed in the technical department with the other artists in the camp.
Friedl was hoping to work as a Matron, supervising a group of children and taking care of
their needs.73 Friedl protested her original assignment and with luck was reassigned to be
a Matron in L410, the children’s home for girls.74 Friedl had the intention coming into
Terezin of working with the children because she knew she could make a difference in
their lives during their tenure there. She knew the power that art could have to help
children forget their current situation and escape into their imagination, a world full of
colors and endless possibilities.
The possibilities at Terezin, however, were far from endless. Their days would be
stagnant and repetitive, serving the people who only wished them ill. The Jews
incarcerated here were governed by a Jewish Council of Elders, made up of the elderly
educated individuals who would tell the rest of the Jews what to do. However, the
Council of Elders were simply a puppet government for the Nazis, a way for the Nazis to
give out rules without receiving backlash for it.75 The Council was responsible for giving
work details, monitoring the children, issuing housing, keeping financial records, storing

71

Another name for the arrival point (Makarova 2001 pg.29)
Thomson 2011 pg.15
73
Makarova 2001 pg.30
74
Rubin 2001 pg.11
75
Thomson 2011, pg. 18
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health records, and choosing the Jews for transportation. The Nazi’s saw this as an
intelligent solution for keeping order, as most of the Jews in Terezin were educated or
professional workers. Work details were distributed based on light, medium, and heavy
detail to any Jew over the age of fifteen76. The children were given the duty of caring for
the gardens, where if they were lucky, they could steal extra food rations.77 The rations
that were given out on a daily basis were meager and lacked vital nutrition needed to stay
healthy. Every day they would receive a cup of weak, black coffee, watery vegetable
soup, half a loaf of stale bread, and another watery soup for dinner.78 Extra rations were
given to the children and those who worked heavy detail, but even that was not enough.
Most would take to selling their belongings in exchange for food or giving lessons in
exchange for some bread. Friedl however, never charged for her lessons, she only wished
to see others happy amidst their slow descent into starvation. One of Friedl’s students,
Erna Furman wrote, “‘[i] think Friedl was the only one who didn’t take a crumb of bread
for lessons, she simply gave herself to us.”’79 Friedl would selflessly travel to different
buildings to share her gifts, as housing was divided based on gender and age. She never
limited who could receive lessons from her, and even visited the sick and infirmed
children in the hospital. However, it was very dangerous for Friedl to do so for several
reasons.
Disease spread quickly among the captive Jewish population and would devastate
the ranks. There was a hospital to take in the sick, infirmed, and elderly, but medical

76

Thomson 2011, pg. 24
Rubin 2001, pg.23
78
Thomson 2011, pg. 22
79
Rubin 2001, pg.21
77

Grassi 19
supplies along with beds were limited, and medical professionals were often not fully
educated. The conditions they lived under only promoted the spread of diseases like
typhus fever, tuberculosis, dysentery, and pneumonia80 as their houses were filled with
bedbugs, lice, flees, and contagions.81 About 33,000 people died at Terezin due to disease
and starvation out of the estimated 150,000 people that passed through Terezin’s walls.82
Despite these risks that were inevitable for Friedl to face she still shared her materials and
knowledge with those who wanted to create art. Yet, the largest threat Friedl faced in
giving art lessons was being caught by the guards and possibly being punished or killed
for her actions. Jews would be arrest for any number of reasons including, walking where
they were not permitted, smoking, speaking with anyone who was not Jewish, or if they
were in possession of illegal goods.83 Jews would also be expected to inform on each
other if they caught someone in possession of contraband or committing an illegal act,
such as stealing food. It was a difficult world to tolerate let alone live somewhat
comfortably in. The activities that the artists and musicians would put on for the children
could not always be approved leading to secret gatherings in the attics and basements of
buildings that were not frequently monitored. Those who were running activities, often
Friedl, would have the students take turns guarding, and doing other activities to ensure
they were safe while they work84. These isolated locations gave the Jews a place to
congregate without the terror of being beaten by a guard looming over their heads. It was

80

Shasha 2004
Thomson 2011, pg. 20
82
Barickman 2020
83
Thomson 2011, pg. 18
84
Makarova 2001, pg.31
81

Grassi 20
the plays, art, reading, and writing lessons that were given by kind intellectuals that
provided a reprieve to the daily torture they endured.
Friedl was one of many intellectuals stationed to live with and care for the
children, who were also responsible for their education. Home L410 housed girls ages ten
to sixteen divided by age into rooms with triple bunk beds that could sleep twenty-four
people per room.85 There would be one teacher or matron, assigned to each room, with
the teachers being supervised by the director of the home, Walter Freud.86 The teachers
were expected to supervise the children night and day and they would take turns on night
duty. While all the teachers were intellectuals with a love for children, not all were overly
well-versed or prepared to teach Judaism. However, the teachers knew how important the
physical and mental state of a child is for their development. The Nazi’s banned any
formal education from taking place, but the teachers were able to give lessons under the
guise of a ‘cultural leisure activity’.87 Teachers could give lectures on their experiences
and studies, while painters and theatrical professionals could give lessons and put on
shows and displays. The teachers began giving the children time and the ability to
exercise and play in order to provide a therapeutic relief to the children under high
duress.88 Friedl was able to not only give art lessons, but also could design costumes and
set pieces for the plays. Friedl would spend most of her time caring for the twenty-four
girls under her charge, which would have been overwhelming at times.89 As one child
would need escorting to the bathroom, another one would need comforting as they cried

85

Makarova 2001, pg. 30
Freud served as director till the end of 1943, and was replaced by Willy Groag, a Zionist (Makarova
2001, pg. 30)
87
Makarova 1999
88
Glazer 1999
89
Rubin 2001, pg. 12
86

Grassi 21
for their parents, and another would need to get their medications. Friedl was finally a
mother, but not in a way she could have imagined for herself. She suddenly went from
being barren, to having a whole group of girls of different ages and personalities to keep
safe and cared for.
One of the children Friedl worked with was Erika Taussigová, a young Jewish girl
from Prague. Erika inspired this research project, as it was her drawing that led me to
Friedl and the impact she had made. Dr. Madden discovered Erika’s drawing, “A World
Behind Bars”90, while he was traveling in Prague. Erika was only seven years old when
she entered Terezin along with her parents Margarethe and Paul Taussig on December
17th, 1941.91 Children were almost immediately separated from their parents, leaving the
child alone to understand their new surroundings. The teachers stationed to watch over
the children were not only the child’s educators but also served as a temporary parental
presence. While it is uncertain if Erika was ever housed under Friedl’s care, she spent a
significant amount of time with Friedl as twenty-three drawings of Erika’s have been
recovered. Erika came to love and admire Friedl so much that she even dedicated one of
her drawings to her teacher on her birthday. The drawing was titled “Heart with a
Horseshoe,” upon which she wrote “Fir frau Brandjas-Erika”, on April 8th, 1944.92 Erika
had grown close to Friedl over the two years they spent together. The drawing is both a
gift for Friedl but also a way for Erika to thank Friedl for her lessons and comfort. Friedl
had been able to develop real relationships with the children through her positive
company and her own love of children.

90

See Appendix B
“Erika Taussigová” 2016
92
Eichenberg 1964, pg. 66
91

Grassi 22
Friedl encouraged her students to draw and foster their imagination. However, as
the popularity for Friedl’s classes would grow, there were not enough materials for
everyone to paint at a single time. Friedl was quite innovative in coming up with tasks for
the children to complete while others were drawing. She would instruct one student to be
in charge and organize the students, another would pass out materials, while another
could write about their previous drawings and what it means to them.93 Friedl took
several art classes as a child and as she grew in hopes of being an artist, but she did not
look at her own classes that way. Rather they were to encourage “‘…creativity and
independence, to awaken the imagination, to strengthen the children’s powers of
observation and appreciation of reality.”’94 Art did not discriminate against who could
create it or what can be considered art, as it is all in the eyes of the beholder. Friedl knew
this and did not impede any child from spending time learning from and drawing with
Friedl. Friedl could only imagine the trauma some of the children had endured in their
hometowns, during transportation, and since being in a concentration camp. She did her
best to assist them without getting emotional, but the sight of a child mourning their
parents lost at gunpoint, was too much for anyone to bear. Friedl not only carried her
trauma from her childhood and early life but saw and empathized with the children and
took the time to understand their trauma.
Friedl was capable of being there for her students and guided them on how to use
art to their benefit. The children had endured abuse and shaming in their towns, lost
friends, and family, and were sent away from all they knew to live a life of discomfort

93
94

Makarova 2001, pg.31
Makarova 2001, pg.31

Grassi 23
and neglect. Fifteen thousand children entered through the gates of Terezin, but only one
hundred of these children would survive to see freedom outside of Terezin’s cursed
walls.95 Children were expected to live carefree, imagination-driven, childhoods, but for
the children trapped in camps, it was no longer afforded. Most of these children had
never gone a day without seeing and spending time with their parents, and now were
deprived of a parents love and protection regularly. They had to seek comfort in each
other and the new adults they found themselves being cared for by. Friedl excelled as a
Matron to her students, always ensuring they were cared for before she would take time
to care for herself. Friedl had worked with refugee children before using a Bauhaus-based
teaching method. But her new pupils were not living in the same circumstances as before;
Friedl changed her methods accordingly. Friedl utilized her past education, trauma, and
developed skills to establish a healthy connection with the children to provide them with
a support system. Friedl’s overall teaching method was a combination of progressive
ideals and lessons she had learned from her Bauhaus masters.96 Friedl had learned from
several masters in her field, observing different teaching styles and learning which could
be applied to her current situation.
One of Franz Cizek’s child-focused methodology involves inspiring to create art
that replicates their own reactions to past experiences.97 Friedl copied Cizek’s methods to
a degree, encouraging students to use their imagination and to make self-expressive art
pieces. Cizek was well-known for his excellent work with children that yielded great
responses them. Friedl’s teachings that were lightly based on Cizek’s lessons were

95

Eichenberg 1964, pg. 81
Leshnoff 2006, pg. 92
97
Leshnoff 2006, pg.93
96

Grassi 24
outlined in a short essay written by Friedl in the summer of 1943, called “On Children’s
Drawings.”98 Friedl presented her essay to her fellow teachers in Terezin to help them
when working with the children. Friedl believed that one of the most important ideas for
a teacher to follow was to know when to intercede with a student and when to hold back.
Friedl believed that “knowledge brought to the child at an inappropriate time…will be
perceived as an invasion into his world and will be met with a lack of enthusiasm and
with failure”’99. A teacher’s influence is a powerful thing, so knowing when to extend
your knowledge and influence is critical for a child’s own development. Friedl’s
teachings also drew upon the lessons of another impactful master from the Bauhaus,
Johannes Itten.
Johannes Itten’s lessons reflected those of Franz Cizek, but over time they
became more progressive. Itten stressed the importance of allowing the artist to create
genuine art through the limitation of ‘mechanical learning’.100 Itten inspired his students
to use any materials or methods that suit them to create their pieces naturally. He wanted
any person studying under him to have their own style and personality shining through to
their artwork. Friedl felt a strong connection with Itten as he pushed her to find her own
place in the world of art along with helping her discover her own artistic style. Friedl
created different broad exercises for her students to perform.101 Many of these lessons
focused on art’s rhythm and simple ways to create art. These lessons helped the children
liberate their minds from their reality through random scribbles and shapes. Friedl

98

Wix 2010, pg. 129
Leshnoff 2006, pg. 94
100
Leshnoff 2006, pg.94
101
See Appendix B
99

Grassi 25
believed “[d]rawing must free and make full use of such sources and energies as
creativity and independence…”.102 A teacher’s job was to strengthen a child’s natural
abilities, allowing that child to express themselves through their unique creative skills.
Even students who could not draw, discovered in Friedl’s lessons that you did not require
great skill rather the means to express oneself as they see fit. One of the most impactful
lessons Friedl learned from Itten was that art acted as a bridge between spoken words,
sounds, color, movement, and shape.103 Friedl and Itten alike would come up with
exercises that would allow the children to have their own perception and ideas about.
They would act out a thunderstorm, then draw it on paper, listen to a song and draw the
rhythm they heard. Friedl’s art classes helped the children express their feelings of fear,
hope, and defiance.104 Erna Furman, wrote about the art classes in a letter stating, “we did
a lot of ‘liberating’ exercises—drawing circles and squiggles, letting our hands go and
using scissors freely.”105 The children were expected to be obedient youths, but through
Friedl’s lessons the children could find their individuality and express it, even if only for
an hour or two a day.
While in Terezin, Friedl gave much of her spare time and art materials to the
children, only permitting herself to draw and paint occasionally. She knew how quickly
they would run out of materials and tried to ration them as best as she could. When they
ran low on materials, Friedl’s friends would take paper from the administrative offices.
They did not see this as stealing from the Nazis, rather they called it ‘organizing’.106

102

Leshnoff 2006, pg.95
Makarova 2001, pg.11
104
Linesch 2004, pg. 58
105
Leshnoff 2006, pg.95
106
Eichenberg, 1964, pg.14
103

Grassi 26
When Friedl did decide to create art, she chose not to depict the horrible surroundings she
found herself in. Rather she painted landscapes from out the windows, flowers, fellow
prisoners, nudes, and made designs for theater fabrications.107 Other artists within the
camp were recording their daily lives and documenting the atrocities they lived through.
This was how they felt they would survive their time in Terezin, by drawing the
conditions and lifestyle they experienced daily. Though, if any of these drawings were
found by the S.S. the artists would have been arrested and taken to the Little Fortress for
interrogation and death. The Nazis did everything they could to prevent news of the real
conditions of the camps from escaping into the outside world. Friedl had a different
focus, sharing art with children. The children gave Friedl strength to survive in Terezin
just as much as Friedl’s care and lessons would strengthen the children. Friedl always
made sure to have her students sign and date their drawings. She wanted the children to
be proud of their creations. Friedl collected and kept all the drawings that the students
made, and she would grade them on a one to six scale. She would judge them based on
“[s]trength, [i]ntensity, [d]imensions, [f]orm, [c]haracter, [c]omposition, and [c]olor.”108
After each lesson, she would gather up the drawings and analyze them for signs of a
child’s development, trauma, or outlook on life. Friedl had experience working as an art
therapist and learned how to decipher a piece of art to find out information about its
creator. By analyzing her student’s art, Friedl was able to connect and help each student
as they needed and could find patterns and correlations between the drawings. Friedl was
very proud of the artwork her students produced, so much so, that in July 1943 she put on

107
108

Makarova 2001, pg.32
Makarova 2001, pg.32

Grassi 27
an exhibition.109 The exhibition was located in the basement of L 410 and contained all of
the children’s drawings for the prisoners of Terezin to look at. Friedl gave the children a
chance to present their work to friends and family and began to analyze her own
experiences working with children.
It was the children’s drawings that led Friedl to want to record her own art
teaching experiences. She hoped to complete her own study on the use of art therapy with
children based on her own encounters. By the end of the summer of 1943, Friedl had
completed her study and presented the lecture, “On Children’s Drawings” to her fellow
teachers in Terezin. Friedl saw the artwork produced by the children to be an example of
“the greatest possible freedom for the child.”110 Friedl wanted adults to nurture
childhoods rather than rushing a child to become an adult. She felt it was important to
allow the child to grow and to foster their natural abilities. Friedl’s summer exhibition
was so successful that she even received an award that was usually only permitted for
members of the Council of Elders and other significant prisoners. Friedl had permission
to move into a room under the stairs with her husband, Pavel. Between Friedl’s design
skills and her husband’s carpentry skills and access, Friedl designed a bedroom complete
with mismatch beds, chairs, and a shelf.111 Friedl turned a small closet under the stairs of
L 410 into a cozy room for her and Pavel. Friedl would draw the plans and dimensions
while Pavel would use excess materials to build the furniture during his non-working
hours. With Friedl’s urging they went on to design and build furniture for others in the
camp so they could also get a sense of being home.

109

Barickman 2020
Makarova 2001, pg.32
111
Makarova 2001, pg.32
110

Grassi 28
Friedl would have the children assist in decorating the rooms she designed and
would even decorate the children’s’ bunks with ornamental sheets hanging on each
child’s bed.112 The children could personalize their beds hence granting them a sense of
safety and homeliness. Friedl also designed several living rooms for herself to escape into
when she needed her own space. The skills Friedl learned at the Bauhaus were critical to
her successes in Terezin. Additionally, Friedl’s time spent in interior design prior to her
captivity resulted in an uncanny ability to turn even the most barren of apartments into a
cozy and comfortable home to live in.113 Some days Friedl would invite friends or
children to come and have a chat in one of her rooms. Through her construction of rooms,
she provided another escape from their harsh reality and gave them a sense of normalcy.
Friedl would also sometimes choose to hold an art class in one of her rooms, to provide a
change of scenery. Friedl used all her skills and past experiences to positively impact the
children of Terezin, in a way that preserved parts of their childhood. The concentration
camps were meant to hold and break anyone who passes through their gates. The captive
population had their dignity, spirit, and personality taken away from them and for the
children their childhood was stolen. Friedl’s spirit and classes returned some dignity and
power to the Jewish population as art was a free tool that Friedl encouraged everyone to
use.
Another part of the arts that Friedl, with the help of other artists, exposed the
children to was theater. Friedl’s role of providing fun activities for the children to
participate helped to bring some joy instead of fear. Friedl was an art therapist, who used

112
113

Makarova 2001, pg.33
Eichenberg 1964, pg.12

Grassi 29
art therapy protocols to help dislodge any issues in a child’s mind.114 Theater posed a
special playtime activity for the students as there were multiple jobs for a child to choose
from. Some could help Friedl design and make costumes, others could help build and
decorate the set, and still others could act in the play or help direct it. One of the
theatrical productions, Friedl put on was called, “The Little Fireflies.” The girls from L
410 would practice their lines in their rooms and ended up performing the play thirty-two
times.115 The girls from L 414 acted out another play, “The Adventures of a Girl in the
Promised Land.” The children would light up as they painted the set pieces or tried on
their costumes. The theater became a beacon of hope for adults and children alike, as it
provided another means to escape from their cruel reality.
Terezin was built to deceive the outside world into believing that this was a
culturally rich place where Jews could flourish and live-in peace. However, conditions
were far from healthy or safe for the Jewish population. Transports would drop off new
prisoners of all ages to Terezin, while transports going east initially would take adult
populations to extermination camps. It was not until September 1943 that the transports
going east included children, the first one taking 285 children.116 Friedl knew some of
these children as well as heard the rumors of certain death in the east by means of
extermination camps. It was heartbreaking for Friedl to say good-bye to these children
because she realized she would be outliving the children she had grew to know and care
for. She had hoped to help the children re-enter the world after their captivity, but in
reality, they would never totally escape the horrors and traumas endured in the camp.

114

Glazer 1999
Makarova 2001, pg. 34
116
Rubin 2001, pg.25
115

Grassi 30
Despite seeing almost 300 children sent to their deaths, Friedl kept her composure and
continued to help the children that remained, and those that would arrive. In May of
1944, Friedl’s niece, Eva Brandeis, entered Terezin without her parents to support her.117
Friedl almost immediately began caring for Eva, and together with Pavel they formed
their own small, makeshift family.
The Nazi’s kept up false pretenses so well, they even managed to deceive the
Danish king and the International Red Cross.118 King Christian was concerned about his
people in the camps and sent the Red Cross to investigate the living conditions and how
his own people were faring there. The Nazi’s prepared ahead of time for the visit and
began the process of beautification of the camp. As part of their steps to make Terezin
look like a cozy community they sent 7,500 prisoners to extermination camps to limit the
looks of overcrowding.119 The remaining prisoners were expected to help deceive the
outside world, by cleaning the streets and decorating the camp. The entirety of the camp
was cleaned, and during the duration of their visit life slightly improved for those
imprisoned. The beautification process started in late 1943 and continued until June when
the visit was planned for. The Council of Elders assigned tasks for every group, whether
it be planting gardens, renovating, painting buildings, or compiling cultural activities.120
By the time the Red Cross arrived in June 1944, Terezin looked exactly like what a
pleasant Jewish settlement was expected to look like. The Red Cross left, spreading the
false news that the Nazi’s planted to continue deceiving the outside world. However, as

117

Makarova 2001, pg.35
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2021
119
Rubin 2001, pg.36
120
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2021
118

Grassi 31
the camp was already beautified the Nazis decided to film a propaganda video inside
Terezin. The Nazis sent a film crew from Berlin to capture the wonderful lives the Jews
were granted in concentration camps. The video was titled Theresienstadt: A Jewish
Settlement, but the Jews had another name for it, The Führer Gives the Jews a City.121
The Nazis chose the healthiest of prisoners to be seen by both the Red Cross and in the
video and would hide any sick or frail from view. Overall, it was a successful tactic for
the Nazis, but it came too late as rumors of the wars end were already spreading.
With the rumors, came re-found hope and strength for the prisoners in Terezin.
For too long they had wondered how long they would have to survive within its walls.
Friedl began drawing and painting with newfound determination and drive. Many other
painters and artists in Terezin were creating more art with the hopes of it reaching outside
of the camp. However, much of the art created showed the reality of Terezin complete
with disease, punishments, death, and trauma. To draw and reveal the actual conditions in
Terezin was a crime punishable by death, so the artists would hide these works in attics
and basements. František Strass had connections inside the camp and would buy these
pieces of art and smuggle them out of Terezin to an art dealer in Prague.122 From there,
the pieces would be sent to Switzerland where they would be safe from the Nazis reach.
However, the Nazis found out and arrested Strass along with the artists involved. They
were taken to the Little Fortress where they were tortured for information, and some were
killed. Hope was a powerful thing in Terezin, one the Nazis had hoped to snuff out. But

121
122

Rubin 2001, pg.36
Rubin 2001, pg.38

Grassi 32
as news of the Germans losses and the Allies gaining ground entered Terezin, hope grew,
and prisoners began thinking about their futures again.
During Friedl’s last few months in Terezin she created some of her greatest
works. She made landscapes, portraits of her friends, abstract art, and costume designs.
Friedl never let the camp break her spirit, as by this point the children looked to her as
beacon of hope. When Friedl’s birthday came along on July 30th, her students gave her a
bouquet of flowers they picked outside the camp when they were gardening.123 Friedl
painted the bouquet so their beauty could be preserved forever. Friedl received birthday
wishes from friends both inside and outside of the camp. She even had a musical
composition from her friend, Viktor Ullmann, dedicated to her. The joy she felt on this
day was insurmountable to the pain she would feel in the coming fall. On September 28th,
1944, Pavel received his own summons to embark on a transport destined for the
construction of a new concentration camp.124 Friedl appealed to Egon Redlich to permit
her to go on the same transport as Pavel, but her proposal was rejected. Friedl had refused
to leave Pavel before, and she was determined not to be separated from him. Friedl
volunteered herself for the next transport, despite her friends begging her not to. Friedl
prepared for her departure by giving out her remaining belongings and art supplies. She
collected all of the drawings from the students, packed them into two suitcases, and hid
them in the attic of L 410 with the help of Willy Groag.125 Children and adults alike were
sad to see Friedl go, but she did not leave alone.

123

Makarova 2001, pg.35
Makarova 2001, pg.35
125
Makarova 2001, pg.36
124

Grassi 33
On October 6th, 1944, Friedl’s transport left Terezin with 1,550 people on board,
their destination unknown.126 A majority of the transport was made up of women and
children, even nursing infants. This provided sense of security for those on board; no one
would expect the Nazis to be capable of murdering newborn infants. They were told that
they were going to a new camp near Dresden to be reunited with their husbands, fathers,
and brothers.127 The journey was long, but Friedl was not alone, she had about thirty of
her students on the transport with her. They heard bombings as their train continued on
into Poland eventually stopping at Auschwitz. By the time they arrived on October 8th,
the gas chambers had already reached their daily quota. By this point, Friedl knew she
did not arrive at the same place as Pavel. She only hoped he would survive, as her death
was guaranteed by this point. On October 9th, 1944, Friedl Dicker-Brandeis entered the
gas chambers, and never walked out again.128 The Nazis had managed to kill Friedl, but
her voice lives on through her artwork and her children’s artwork.
The artwork that would come out of the Holocaust became some of the most
passionate and popular art to be created during that period. The art told the stories of the
Holocausts victims and continued to live on well passed that of their makers. After the
war, the children’s artwork was recovered by Willy Groag and he delivered it to the
Jewish Community Center in Prague, in August 1945.129 Initially, no one showed any
interest in these drawings, but later these drawings would make up their own exhibition
attracting international appeal. Pavel Brandeis did indeed survive the war and went on to

126

Rubin 2001, pg.39
Makarova 2001, pg.38
128
Sidenberg 2017
129
Sidenberg 2017
127

Grassi 34
remarry and have three children of his own. Friedl’s drawings were left to his children
who dispersed them to Holocaust Centers worldwide.130 Friedl’s and the children’s
drawings continue to bring life and hope even though most of them were made when life
was hopeless. In the words of one of Friedl’s students, Edith Kramer, “Friedl will speak
to people for as long as there is paper and pastel chalk. That is all any of us can hope for
after we die: that what one has made, what one has been, remains alive with one’s fellow
man. One cannot ask for more.”131 The impact Friedl made on the children of Terezin,
lasted well past her lifetime, and continues to impact new people every day. The Nazis
were not successful in their attempt to silence Friedl, as her voice will continue to sound
for the rest of time

130
131

Makarova 2001, pg.40
Makarova 2001, pg.40

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Fair Use Statement

The artwork being presented in this exhibition, directly correlates with my
honor’s senior thesis, “Living with Hope: The Life and Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis.”
Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and a majority of her students perished during the Holocaust,
leaving behind works of art. These pieces represent their lives and their stories that were
harshly cut off. The exhibition is a chance for their voices to be heard again, and to pay
tribute to the lives lost during this horrific event. The exhibition would also provide an
opportunity to further learning in regard to the Holocaust and, more specifically, the
culture in Terezin. The works of art chosen for this exhibition have been compiled from
books, websites, and museums.
Each image tells a different story about the creator and who they were. It is
through seeing and discussing these images that we bring attention to the importance of
their lives and pay homage to their memories. These images make the holocaust personal
and real to those who chance upon them. An exhibition of the children’s’ art would
provide new way of viewing the Holocaust, from the eyes of a child. Students learn the
facts about the Holocaust, but nothing of the lives lost. These sketches and drawings give
their beholder a glimpse into their lives, the pain they suffered, the joy experienced, and
the hope that came from creating their pictures. The images will only be used for
educational and exhibition purposes.

Grassi 36

Appendix A: Friedl’s Artwork
“Sitter with Wings,” by
Friedl DickerBrandeis,1920.
In this piece the subject is
sitting with its head bent
low. The figure has wings
to show the possibility of
freedom, but she is being
held back.

“Alpine Landscape,” by Friedl
Dicker-Brandeis, 1919-1923
This piece from Friedl’s time in
art school, was made with
graphite on paper. She had a
natural ability in creating
landscapes that shows both
depth and light. She later would
design art lessons for her
students, including a study of
light and dark, similar to this
image.
Brandeis, Friedl. Alpine
Landscape. c.1919-1923.
Jewish Museum in Prague.
Web. 22 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/friedlscabinet/.

Brandeis, Friedl. Sitter
with Wings. c. 1920.
Jewish Museum in Prague.
Jewish Women’s Archive.
Web. 18 Oct 2021.
https://jwa.org/encycloped
ia/article/dicker-brandeisfriedl.

Grassi 37

“Lorenzo – Costume for the
Merchant of Venice,” by Friedl
Dicker, 1924.
Staged by Berthold Viertel in
his theater in Berlin. Friedl had
much experience working in the
theater and deigning modern
and tasteful costumes for the
productions. She used these
skills in Terezin, to create
costumes for her students to
perform in.
Brandeis, Friedl. Lorenzo –
Costume for the Merchant of
Vence. c. 1924. Jewish Museum
in Prague. Web. 24 Oct 2021.
https://
www.jewishmuseum.cz/friedlsc
abinet/.

“Design for the Montessori
Kindergarten,” by Friedl
Dicker Brandeis, 1930.
Another design from the
Atelier Singer-Dicker, that
featured Friedl’s groundbreaking stackable chairs that
set the new standard for
classroom learning.
Brandeis, Friedl. Design for
the Montessori Kindergarten.
c. 1930. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 20 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.c
z/friedlscabinet/.

Grassi 38

“Design for the Reconstruction
of the August and Hilda Heriot
House,” by Friedl DickerBrandeis, 1932.
One of Friedl’s and Singer’s
designs made at the Atelier
Singer-Dicker, in Vienna.
Between Singer’s architecture
skills and Friedl’s innovative
designs they were extremely
successful

“So sieht sie aus, mein Kind, diese
Welt” by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis,
1933.
Translation: ‘This Is How it Looks
Like, My Child, This World’ 1933
This black and white agitprop
poster, created by Friedl, showing
a newborn baby surrounded by
Hitler, his armies, and war,
attacked Hitler’s campaign. The
lack of color represents how dark
a time they were living in, and the
pain that would be felt by a
newborn being brought into a
warzone.
Brandeis, Friedl. So sieht sie aus
mein Kind, diese Welt. c. 1933.
Mumok Collection. Web. 18
October.2021. https://www.
mumok.at/en/so-sieht-sie-ausmein-kind-diese-welt/.

Brandeis, Friedl and Franz
Singer. Design for the
Reconstruction of the August
and Hilda Heriot House. c.
1932. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 22 Oct 2021.
https://
www.jewishmuseum.cz/friedlsc
abinet/.

Grassi 39

“Interrogation I,” by Friedl DickerBrandeis, 1935
Friedl’s inspiration to create art came
from many aspects of her life, including
the time she was jailed and interrogated
for illegal political activities. The
experience scared Friedl, but in order for
herself to heal from the encounter she
expressed her feelings in this piece. The
interrogator represents the white,
politically corrupt man in power, versus a
young boy showing the innocence and
fear felt while being interrogated.
Brandeis, Friedl. Interrogation I. c. 1935.
Jewish Museum in Prague. Web. 28 Oct
2021. https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/
friedlscabinet/.

“Dream,” by Friedl
Dicker-Brandeis,
1935.
This piece provides an
example of Friedl’s
abstract art. In it
features the shapes
individuals without
faces.
Brandeis, Friedl.
Dream. c.1935. Jewish
Museum in Prague.
Web. 30 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewish
museum.cz/friedlscabi
net/.

Grassi 40

"View from the window in
Františkovy Lázně," by Freidl
Dicker-Brandeis, 1936.
This piece features an open
window and a chair.
Representing that there are
periods where we reach our
limit, sitting down, but the
world of opportunity still
blooms outside the window.
Brandeis, Friedl. Views from
the window in Františkovy
Lázně. c. 1936. Jewish Museum
in Prague. Jewish Women’s
Archive. Web. 18 Oct 2021.
https://jwa.org/encyclo
pedia/article/dicker-brandeisfriedl.

“Maria Brandeis with
Knitting,” by Friedl DickerBrandeis, 1938-1942.
A majority of the portratits
Friedl painted where of
friends and family she met
during her time in Hronov’s
Countryside. Friedl and Maria
spent a lot of time together
working on knitting projects
and they became close
friends.
Brandeis. Friedl. Maria
Brandeis with Knitting.
c.1938-1942. Jewish Museum
in Prague. Web. 28 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/friedlscabinet/.

Grassi 41

"Lady in a car / Imaginary
self-portrait," by Friedl
Dicker-Brandeis, 1940.
Friedl is once again sitting
in this image looking out
the window. She had a
limited station, as she was a
woman, and she is looking
out into the world from her
own captivity.
Brandeis, Friedl. Lady in a
car. c. 1940. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Jewish
Women’s Archive. Web. 18
Oct 2021. https://jwa.org/
encyclopedia/article/dickerbrandeis-friedl.

"Portrait of a Young Woman with a Lace
Collar," by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, 19401944.
After Friedl’s change in art style, she
created several portraits of friends, family,
strangers, and even people she just met. The
common theme of a woman sitting, is
repetitive throughout her art. This piece,
showing a young woman sitting and
looking off to the side represents Friedl’s
determination to break free from societies
standards and live her own life.
Brandeis, Friedl. Portrait of a young woman
with a lace-collar. c. 1940-1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Jewish Women’s
Archive. Web. 18 Oct 2021. https://jwa.org/
encyclopedia/article/dicker-brandeis-friedl.

Grassi 42

“Wild Flowers,” by Friedl
Dicker-Brandeis, 1942-1944
Friedl Dicker-Brandeis use of
color and an almost loose
depiction of flowers represents
how beauty is often imperfect.
Friedl used art to capture the
beauty she saw in the world.
These flowers she drew, could
have been the same flowers that
her students gave her on her
birthday in 1944.
Brandeis, Friedl. Wild Flowers.
c.1942-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 22 Oct 2021.
https://
www.jewishmuseum.cz/friedlsc
abinet/.

“Child’s Face,” by Friedl DickerBrandeis, 1944.
Watercolor on paper depicting the
innocent face of a child. Attention is
immediately drawn to the eyes, wide
with awe or curiosity. The face is
unfinished allowing the viewer to
fill in the missing pieces.
Brandeis, Friedl. Child’s Face. c
1944. Jewish Museum in Prague.
Friedl Dicker-Brandeis: Vienna
1898- Auschwitz 1944. Elena
Makarova. Tallfellow/ Every Picture
Press: Hong Kong, 2001. 187. Print.

Grassi 43
Appendix B: Children’s Artwork
“The World Behind Bars,”
by Erika Taussig, 1944.
This photo started this thesis
project, Dr. Madden took a
picture of this piece while at
Pinkas Synagogue in Prague.
Can also be found in the …I
Never Saw Another
Butterfly Collection

“Für Frau Brandeis,” by
Erika Taussig, 1944.
Erika drew this drawing
for Friedl’s 46th birthday.
The image pictures flowers
and horseshoes, symbols of
luck and hope surrounded
by a heart.
Taussig, Erika. Für Frau
Brandeis. c. 1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Web.
28 Oct 2021.
https://www.jew
ishmuseum.cz/en/collectio
n-research/collect ionsfunds/visual-arts /childrens-drawings-from-theterezin-ghetto/.

Taussig, Erika. The World
Behind Bars. c.1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. …I
Never Saw Another
Butterfly… Children’s
Drawings and Poems from
Terezin Concentration Camp
1942-1944. Fritz
Eichenberg. McGraw Hill:
New York, 1964. 12. Print.

Grassi 44
“Underwater Fantasy,” by
Ruth Gutmannová (1930–
1944), Undated (1943–
1944).
Watercolor on paper, 22 x 30
cm, Signed on the verso:
Gutmann Ruth, L 410, Heim
28, 13 Jahre.
Gutmannová, Ruth.
Underwater Fantasy. c.
1930-1944. Jewish Museum
in Prague. Web. 29 Oct
2021. https://www.jewishmu
seum.cz/en/collection-resear
ch/collections-funds/visualarts/children-s-drawingsfrom-the-terezin-ghetto/.
“Exercise – Color Theory,” by
Hana Lustigová (1931–44),
May 30, 1944.
Watercolor and graphite on
paper, 17.2 x 25.2 cm, Signed
and dated LL: Lustig Hana
30.5.1944, 13 Z.
Lustigová, Hana. Exercise –
Color Theory. c.1931-1944.
Jewish Museum in Prague.
Web. 29 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collectionresearch/collection sfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 45
“Drawing Exercise – Relaxing the
Hand, Rhythm”, by Josef Bäuml
(1931–44), Undated (1943–44).
Graphite on paper, 25 x 31.2 cm,
Signed UL: Josef Bäuml 5.
Provenance.
Bäuml, Josef. Drawing Exercise –
Relaxing the Hand, Rhythm. c.
1943-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 27 Oct 2021. https://
www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/collecti
on-research/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezin-ghetto/.

“Dream,” by Helena Mändlová
(1930–44), Undated (1943).
Paper collage of old printed
forms, 20.5 x 27 cm, Signed on
the verso UL: Helene Mändl N72,
Jahrgang 1930, XV. Stunde / and
LR: Helenka Mändl 28 B.
Mändlová, Helena. Dream.
c.1943. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 27 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en
/collection-research/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 46

“Landscape with a River and
Two Figures,” by Soňa
Fischerová (1931-1944),
Undated (1943-1944).
Watercolor on paper, 22 x 29,9
cm, Signed UL: Sonja Fischer
XIV V.

“Airing Mattresses in the
Garden,” by Irena Karplusová
(1930-1944), Undated (19431944).
Graphite, pastel an colored
pencils on paper, 20,3 x 29,8
cm, Signed LL: Irena
Karplusová Heim 13.
Provenance
Karplusová, Irena. Airing
Mattresses in the Garden.
c.1943-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 25 Oct 2021.
https://www.
jewishmuseum.cz/en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Fischerová, Soňa. Landscape
with a River and Two Figures.
c. 1943-1944. Jewish Museum
in Prague. Web. 26 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/
en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 47
“Urban Scenery,” by Gertruda
Kestlerová (1932-1944), 5. 4.
1944.
Graphite, pastel and colored
pencils on paper, 20,5 x 30,8
cm, Signed LL: Trůda
Kestlerová, signed LR: II.
skupina 5. dubna.
Kestlerová, Gertruda. Urban
Scenery. c.1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Web. 27
Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/e
n/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

“Forest,” by Vilém Eisner
(1933-1943), Undated (1943).
Watercolor on paper, 15,2 x
21?3 cm, Signed LR: V. V.
Eisner.
Eisner, Vilém. Forest. c.1943.
Jewish Museum in Prague.
Web. 28 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewish
museum.cz/en/collectionresearch /collectionsfunds/visual-arts/ children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 48

“House/Interior,” Jiří Mahler
(1935-1944), 21. 6. 1944.
Watercolor on paper, 14,7 x
21,2 cm, Signed on the recto
and verso UL: Jirka Mahler 21.
6. 1944.
Mahler, Jiří. House/Interior.
c.1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 29 Oct 2021.
https://www.
jewishmuseum.cz/en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

“A Figure by a Bunk,” by
Bedřich Hoffmann (1932-1944),
Undated (1943-1944).
Graphite on paper, 17,8 x 23,5
cm, Signed LR: Hoffmann 7 L
417 X.
Hoffman, Bedřich. A Figure by
a Bunk. c. 1943-1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Web. 30
Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collectionresearch/collection sfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 49

“Oasis,” by Jindřiška (Ina) Habalová
(1932 – survived), 25. 4. 1944.
Pastel on paper, 21,5 x 17,2 cm,
Signed UL: Ina Habalová 1. sk.
Habalová, Jindřiška. Oasis. c. 1944.
Jewish Museum in Prague. Web. 28
Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/
collection-research/collections-funds/
visual-arts/children-s-drawings-fromthe-terezin-ghetto/.

“By a Swimming Pool,” by Jindřiška
(Ina) Habalová (1932 – survived).
25. 4. 1944, Pastel on paper, 21,5 x
17,2 cm, Signed UL: Ina Habalová
1. sk.
Habalová, Jindřiška. By a
Swimming Pool. c. 1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Web. 28 Oct
2021. https://
www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/collectio
n-research/collections-funds/visualarts/children-s-drawings-from-theterezin-ghetto/.

Grassi 50

“Memories of Home,” by
Heinrich Brössler (1934 –
survived), Undated (19431944).
Graphite and watercolor on
paper, 14,7 x 21,1 cm, Signed
LR: IIII B 21. 6. J. Brössler.
Brössler, Heinrich. Memories
of Home. c. 1943-1944.
Jewish Museum in Prague.
Web. 27 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collectionresearch/collection sfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

“House in a Landscape,” by
Hanuš Klauber (1932-1944),
Undated (1943-1944).
Watercolor on paper, 21 x 32
cm, Signed UL: Klauber.
Klauber, Hanuš. House in a
Landscape. c. 1943-1944.
Jewish Museum in Prague.
Web. 28 Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collectionresearch/collection sfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 51

“Chateau,” by Dorit Weiserová (19321944), 3. 5. 1944.
Graphite on paper, 22,7 x 25 cm,
Signed LR: Doris Weiser III. s. 3. 5.
1944.
Weiserová, Dorit. Chateau. c. 1944.
Jewish Museum in Prague. Web. 28
Oct 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/
collection-research/collections-funds/
visual-arts/children-s-drawings-fromthe-terezin-ghetto/.

“Kite Flying (Memories of
home),” by Zuzana Lieselotta
Winterová (1933-1944),
Undated (1943-1944).
Graphite and colored pencils on
paper, 20,4 x 29 cm, Signed on
the verso UR: Zuzka Winterová.
Winterová, Zuzana. Kite Flying
(Memories of Home). c. 19431944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 28 Oct 2021.
https://www.
jewishmuseum.cz/en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 52
“Study of Light and Shadow,” by
Eva Lora Sternová (1930 survived), Undated (1943-1944).
Graphite and pastel on paper, 22,9
x 23,8 cm, Signed on the recto UL:
Eva Štern, 1931, 7 N III, 43 C III
104.
Sternová, Eva. Study of Light and
Shadow. c. 1943-1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Web. 28 Oct
2021. https://
www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/collecti
on-research/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezin-ghetto/.

“Train Passing Through the
Countryside,” by Petr Holzbauer
(1932-1944), Undated (19431944).
Graphite on paper, 20,4 x 30,3
cm, Signed LL: VI Holzbauer,
3. 4. (L 417, Heim 6).
Holzbauer, Petr. Train Passing
Through the Countryside. c.
1943-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 2 Nov 2021.
https://www.
jewishmuseum.cz/en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 53

“Flowers,” by Ruth Ščerbak (19341944), Undated (1943-1944).
Watercolor on paper, 15,7 x 21,6
cm, Signed UR: Ruth Ščerbak.
Ščerbak, Ruth. Flowers. c. 19431944. Jewish Museum in Prague.
Web. 2 Nov 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/
collection-research/collectionsfunds/ visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezin-ghetto/

“Flowers,” by Ernesta Tischler
(1930-1944), 7. 9. 1943.
Graphite on paper, 22,6 x 22,4
cm, Signed UL: Ernesta
Tischler, 13 Jahre, 3. Stunde, 7.
9. 1943, C III 104.
Tischler, Ernesta. Flowers. c.
1943. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 2 Nov 2021.
https://www.jewish
museum.cz/en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/

Grassi 54

“Sketches of Objects/Hand
Relaxation Exercise,” by Hana Erika
Karplusová (1930-1944), Undated
(1943-1944).
Graphite on paper, 20,5 x 32,5 cm,
Signed UM: Hana Karplus, 13 Jahre,
C III 104, 1. Stunde.
Karplusová, Hana. Sketches of
Object/ Hand Relaxation Exercises.
c. 1943-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 3 Nov 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collectionresearch/collections-funds/visualarts/children-s-drawings-from-theterezin-ghetto/.

“Drawing Exercise,” by Emilie
Straková (1934 - survived),
Undated (1943-1944).
Graphite on paper, 17,5 x 20,6
cm, Signed on the recto UR:C
III 104, Emilie Straka, 7. ph. 9
ro[ků].
Straková, Emilie. Drawing
Exercise. c. 1943-1944. Jewish
Museum in Prague. Web. 3 Nov
2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collectionresearch/collection sfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

Grassi 55
“Train,” by Margit Koretzová
(1930-1944), Undated (19431944).
Graphite and watercolor on
paper, 16,2 x 21,4 cm, Signed
UR: Koretz Margit, L 410/16,
X. Stunde, 11 Jahre.
Koretzová, Margit. Train. c.
1943-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 3 Nov 2021.
https://www.
jewishmuseum.cz/en/collectionresearch/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezinghetto/.

“Butterflies,” by Marianna Langová
(1932-1944), Undated (1943-1944).
Colored pencils on paper, 20,6 x 28,7
cm, Signed LR: Marianna Langová.
Langová, Marianna. Butterflies. c.
1943-1944. Jewish Museum in
Prague. Web. 3 Nov 2021.
https://www.jewishmuseum.
cz/en/collection-research/collectionsfunds/visual-arts/children-sdrawings-from-the-terezin-ghetto/.

Grassi 56

Key Words:
•

Holocaust

•

Terezin

•

Theresienstadt

•

Friedl-Dicker Brandeis

•

Art Therapy

•

Children

•

Jews

•

Weimar Bauhaus

•

Pavel Brandeis

•

Erika Taussig

•

Deportation

•

Holocaust Artwork

•

Franz Singer

Grassi 57
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