The suit was made to the measurements of one of Beuys's own suits, except that the sleeves and the legs were lengthened. Felt is one of the materials the artist frequently used. The original suit was worn by Beuys for the 'Action of the Dead / Isolation Unit' on 24 November 1970 in Düsseldorf. Beuys stated that the suit represented a way of protecting an individual from the world. It also acts as a symbol of the isolation of human beings. There are connotations of the suits worn by prisoners, in particular those in Nazi concentration camps.