Painting, writing, stage designer

Flora Jöhlinger (1882–1953) left works in many art-forms and supported artists in many different ways. She designed the interior of the Jewish section of the 1928 International Press Exhibition and in 1936 created one of the first Jewish puppet theatres in Germany at the Cäcilienstrasse Community Centre. Her production of ‘Esther’ was highly praised by the Jewish press:

  • After inevitable early difficulties, theatre director Flora Jöhlinger has created a performance of astonishing energy that captivates a demanding audience for a whole evening.
    Bulletin for the Jewish communities in
    the Rhineland and Westphalia, 1936


Flora Jöhlinger escaped the Nazi regime in good time to the USA. There she continued her career in the cultural sector, working, among others, from 1944 as the first archivist at the Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) in New York. She never returned to Germany.