Fred Lowen AM (1919–2005), born Fritz Karl Heinz Lowenstein, was a German-Australian

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exper ...

and an inductee into the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame.

Biography

Lowen was born as Fritz Karl Heinz Loewenstein in 1919 in

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...

, then a part of Germany. Being

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, he fled Germany in 1938 to Belgium. In May 1940 he again fled the Nazis and made it to England. From there he was transported to

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on the HMT Dunera arriving in

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on 6 September 1940. His father was Karl Loewenstein, later deported to

Minsk Ghetto The Minsk Ghetto was created soon after the Operation Barbarossa, German invasion of the Soviet Union. It was one of the largest in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Byelorussian SSR, and the largest in the German-occupied Europe, Germa ...

and

Theresienstadt concentration camp Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ( German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstadt served as a waystation to the extermination c ...

Starting in September 1945, Lowen designed and made wooden salad bowls, trays and lazy susans with Ernest Rodeck under the name of FLER. He manufactured a Fred Ward-designed chair for the

Myer Myer (stylised MYER) is an Australian mid-range to upscale department store. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of products across women's, men's, and child ...

department store in

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, Victoria. Between 1955 and 1958, Lowen designed the SC55 and SC58, the Aluminium Shell Chair, mahogany fold-out extension table and cane back chairs. The Narvik dining and lounge ranges were released in 1961, the Fleronde (1964/65), dining setting (1966/67), desk and chair for the Australian Exhibition at

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most s ...

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, and Flerena in 1968. Lowen started Twen in 1968 and designed the Twen-1 range (1968) and Twen-2 in 1969. In 1970 Lowen designed the T-21 range and model T-4. In 1972 Twen was reborn as Tessa. The T-6 (1973), the T-8 range (with and without armrests) designed in 1976, and the T-9 followed. In the 1980s Lowen designed the Delmont (1980), Sarina (1981) and Sling (1981). In May 1987 Lowen became a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AM). He wrote an autobiography ''Fred Lowen: Dunera Boy, Furniture Designer, Artist'', which was published in 2001.Lowen, Fred (2001?), ''Fred Lowen: Dunera Boy, Furniture Designer, Artist'', Prendergast Publishing, Castlemaine Victoria, He died in Melbourne in 2005.

References

1919 births 2005 deaths Members of the Order of Australia Australian people of Silesian descent People from the Province of Upper Silesia Silesian Jews People interned during World War II Australian furniture designers Australian industrial designers Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to Australia {{australia-bio-stub