The Underwater Cabaret: A Jewish Refugee’s Satirical Resistance Through Art
As reported by Print Magazine, the Jewish Museum Berlin recently opened an exhibition titled My Verses are Like Dynamite. The show features the wartime works of Curt Bloch, a German-Jewish lawyer who created ninety-six issues of a handmade satirical journal while in hiding from Nazi forces in the Netherlands between 1943 and 1945.
Context from Industry Pulse
The rediscovery of Curt Bloch’s archive highlights the enduring power of physical media in preserving history, especially when contrasted with the fragility of modern digital records. While contemporary designers worry about the longevity of digital work, Bloch’s handmade journals survived decades on a domestic shelf. His use of photomontage and satire demonstrates how creative professionals—even those forced into the field by circumstance—utilize visual communication to counter state-sponsored disinformation. The collaboration between the Bloch family, design historians, and the Jewish Museum Berlin reflects a growing institutional interest in recovered narratives of resistance that blend traditional craftsmanship with political activism, ensuring that ephemeral wartime artifacts are digitized for future research.
According to Print Magazine, Curt Bloch produced his underground weekly publication, Het Onderwater Cabaret, while evading the Nazi regime in the Netherlands. Although he lacked formal training in design or art, the refugee lawyer utilized scissors, glue, and a fountain pen to craft ninety-six unique booklets. Each issue featured stylized photomontage covers inspired by the anti-fascist aesthetics of John Heartfield and the satirical magazine AIZ. These fragile journals contained nearly five hundred handwritten poems and various collages that mocked German propaganda and Dutch collaborators.
Supporters within a resistance network in Enschede provided the essential raw materials for the journals, including Dutch and German newspapers. Print Magazine notes that these publications were highly scarce during the war because citizens were encouraged to send reading material to soldiers at the front. Despite these deprivations and the constant threat of discovery, Bloch maintained a weekly production schedule for nearly two years. The booklets circulated among a small group of trusted readers in hiding and their allies before being returned to the author.
Following the liberation in 1945, Bloch had his collection bound into four volumes and eventually brought them to New York City. The archives remained on a shelf in his apartment for decades until they were rediscovered by his daughter, Simone Bloch. As Print Magazine details, her efforts to document her father's legacy resulted in a 2023 book by historian Gerard Groeneveld and the current museum exhibition in Berlin. The project also includes a digital platform developed by the creative agency Q to preserve the historical documents.
In addition to the public exhibition, the Society of Illustrators is scheduled to host a lecture on the collection in November. The event features insights from Simone Bloch and design historian Thilo von Debschitz, alongside readings of the satirical poetry. The survival of the entire collection provides a rare, personal perspective on wartime resistance and the use of creative satire as a tool for psychological survival during the Holocaust.
The Industry Pulse Bottom Line
Curt Bloch’s handmade archive proves that design can serve as a vital tool for resistance. His transition from lawyer to satirical publisher underscores how creative expression remains a primary human response to political oppression.