The Forger

A memoir of selfless heroism from a man who put himself in danger to save persecuted people from the evils of the Third Reich during World War II.

“In the vast literature devoted to the Jewish experience under the Nazis, [The Forger] deserves a special place.” —New York Times

In Nazi Germany, twenty-year-old graphic artist Cioma Schönhaus found a unique outlet for his talent: he forged documents for people fleeing the Reich, ultimately helping to save hundreds of lives. Yet, even as the Gestapo posted his photo in public, he lived a daringly adventurous life, replete with fine restaurants and beautiful women, all the while managing to elude the Nazis. Breathtakingly bold, Schönhaus talked his way out of an arrest, defended Jewish diners being harassed by the police, and ultimately fled Germany by bicycling to Switzerland.

Schönhaus's story—his courageous exploits that saved so many, as many others around him were deported, one by one, to the concentration camps—is an astonishing tale of wartime heroism and survival.

“This is a great story—a true-life action adventure thriller set in the darkest times.” —San Francisco Chronicle