The Touch of Otti Berger - a Virtual IWalk

Letters from Yugoslavia

At her parents' home, Otti Berger began weaving again, and she wrote the following to Ise Gropius (wife of Walter Gropius) about creating a special piece:

"I work on this all day long. It is dark blue and dusky pink, etc. From a distance, it looks uniform. A colourful, vibrating patch. Up close you see the structure. Do you have any idea what a joy it is to knot a rug? Of course, I have not made any preparatory drawings – nor followed a pattern. In this way I am not restricted, and besides, working from drawings is not my thing. It would always be something stiff and paper-like. I simply know what I want, and sometimes I dictate and sometimes the rug does ... It's so hard to be away from you all – it's so terribly lonely here – so always let me know that you do not forget me."


  • How did Otti try to cope with her new situation?
  • What do you read between the lines of the letter?
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