At 102, she is one of the oldest people to grace the cover of the fashion bible. Vogue has always been up for a surprise on the cover — and rightly so. A woman who survived the horrors of the Holocaust as the cover girl of a leading fashion magazine? You might wonder if that isn’t a little disrespectful, considering Margot Friedländer’s life and story of suffering?
Yet it is not. Because this woman has something to say as one of the most important surviving witnesses of the Holocaust. She has made it her life’s work to tell people about what she experienced. Always gently, kindly, with compassion, without pointing fingers. Her main objective is to preserve remembrance culture while respecting humanity.
A perusal of the diverse Vogue covers in various countries where the magazine is published is proof that Vogue wants to be more than just a fashion rag: It sets themes and features unusual yet important people in the spotlight. ‘Be human!’ Margot Friedländer, who survived Nazi atrocities and never tires of conveying her message to people, says in the July/August issue of German Vogue: Don’t look at what divides you. Look at what unites you. Be human, be reasonable.
Recalling how it all began, Friedländer was born a German Jew in Berlin on November 5, 1921. Her family was murdered by the Nazis, while she herself was hidden by Germans in Berlin for a while, but fell into the clutches of the Gestapo in 1944 and was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. She has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and an honorary doctorate from the Free University of Berlin.
However, Vogue would not be Vogue if it did not also address the sartorial aspect of Margot Friedländer’s life. As a young woman, Friedländer dreamed of becoming a dressmaker and fashion designer. In addition to vintage clothing that Friedländer still wears, there are also items of clothing and accessories by well-known designers. The photo session for Vogue took place in the Botanical Garden of the Free University of Berlin.
