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Driftwood: Escape and survival through art
‘We are spread out in every direction of the wind.’ – Karl Duldig 1941
In 1938 sculptor Karl Duldig, his wife Slawa Horowitz-Duldig – inventor of the modern foldable umbrella – and their baby daughter Eva, left their home in Vienna for an uncertain future. They found a brief refuge in Singapore before arriving in Sydney on 25 September 1940. Australia was at they were classified as enemy aliens and interned in an isolated camp in northern Victoria.
Karl said, ‘A game of tennis saved my life’. The story follows the family’s narrow escape from Nazi Austria, as well as the recovery of all their Viennese art and other possessions after the war.
Spanning three continents and three generations, it poignantly captures both the loss that families encounter when they are dislocated by war and the challenges they face when adapting to a new way of life.
‘This book offers an insight into the cultural life of Australia at a time of enormous change, politically and artistically; a profound lesson in the experience of emigration in the worst of circumstances, but also the transforming contribution to the life of the nation through the talents of immigrants like Karl and Slawa Duldig.’ – Dr Gerard Vaughan AM (Director, National Gallery of Australia)
- Awarded a Commendation in the History Publication category of the 2017 Victorian Community History Awards.
In 1938 sculptor Karl Duldig, his wife Slawa Horowitz-Duldig – inventor of the modern foldable umbrella – and their baby daughter Eva, left their home in Vienna for an uncertain future. They found a brief refuge in Singapore before arriving in Sydney on 25 September 1940. Australia was at they were classified as enemy aliens and interned in an isolated camp in northern Victoria.
Karl said, ‘A game of tennis saved my life’. The story follows the family’s narrow escape from Nazi Austria, as well as the recovery of all their Viennese art and other possessions after the war.
Spanning three continents and three generations, it poignantly captures both the loss that families encounter when they are dislocated by war and the challenges they face when adapting to a new way of life.
‘This book offers an insight into the cultural life of Australia at a time of enormous change, politically and artistically; a profound lesson in the experience of emigration in the worst of circumstances, but also the transforming contribution to the life of the nation through the talents of immigrants like Karl and Slawa Duldig.’ – Dr Gerard Vaughan AM (Director, National Gallery of Australia)
- Awarded a Commendation in the History Publication category of the 2017 Victorian Community History Awards.
- GenresNonfiction
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 5, 2026
A wonderful book that details the struggles Eva's parents had with having to escape from Europe in the early days of WWII and the distress of having to live in a migrant camp for a bit, before they were accepted in Australia and could continue their careers.
Also details Eva's tennis journey as a young woman.
Also details Eva's tennis journey as a young woman.
September 19, 2022
An amazing story, mostly well told.
So interesting to find out about the art world during the last century
So interesting to find out about the art world during the last century
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews