The writer who published a satirical magazine while hiding in a Dutch home during WWII
During World War II, a German Jew hiding out in the Netherlands came up with a creative form of resistance to the Nazis.
He assembled a satirical magazine filled with handwritten poetry and covered in collages.
Curt Bloch, a lawyer born in Dortmund, Germany, published the magazine “Het Onderwater Cabaret,” or The Underwater Cabaret, from a crawl space in a Dutch home.
The weekly magazine was produced from August 1943 up until his liberation in April 1945.
His work will be featured next year in an exhibit at the Jewish Museum Berlin from Feb. 9 to May 26.
“We think that he was probably inspired to create the magazine in response to a radio program that was broadcast on Dutch radio, a fascist program, anti-Semitic program, which was called in an English translation, ‘Sunday Midday Cabaret,’” said Aubrey Pomerance, one of the curators for the exhibit and the head of archives at the Jewish Museum Berlin. “It was a propaganda broadcast.”
Listen to The World’s interview by host Carol Hills with Aubrey Pomerance about Curt Bloch’s political art and life after World War II by clicking on the audio player above.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!