Cioma Schönhaus

Samson "Cioma" Schönhaus (28 September 1922 in Berlin[1] – 22 September 2015 in Biel-Benken[2]) was a graphic artist and writer who lived illegally as a Jew in hiding in Berlin during World War II. He was responsible for forging hundreds of identity documents to help other Jews survive during this time. He worked closely with members of the Confessing Church, including Franz Kaufmann and Helene Jacobs. He ultimately escaped from Berlin to Switzerland by bicycle in 1943, where he remained until his death. For the escape, he used a military identity card that he had forged himself.[3]

Objects used during Cioma Schönhaus’ escape: road map, document case, and the chest pouch in which they were kept, now in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland.

His memoir, "The Forger," was published by Granta Books in 2007, translated from the German original (Der Passfälscher, published 2004).[4] The feature film Der Passfälscher (The Passport Forger) from 2022 is also dedicated to his life; Schönhaus is portrayed here by Louis Hofmann.

Schönhaus was interviewed for the docudrama The Invisibles that was released after his death in 2017.

References
  1. Azuelos, Daniel (2011). Alltag im Exil. Königshausen & Neumann. p. 197. ISBN 978-3826043550.
  2. todesanzeigenportal.ch
  3. "Sascha Schönhaus about his father Cioma Schönhaus". Jewish Museum of Switzerland. 17 November 2022.
  4. Schönhaus, Cioma (2008). The Forger. London: Granta Books. ISBN 978-1-86207-987-8.


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