An Inspiring Story of Survival and Daring in WWII Berlin

"Two Wheels to Freedom: The Story of a Young Jew, Wartime Resistance, and a Daring Escape," by Arthur J. Magida.

The clash between good and evil is as inevitable as the rising and setting of the sun. The specifics regarding this inevitability are multitude. On what scale will this clash be? Who will be on the side of good and of evil? Of those caught in the conflict, who will survive? Of those who survive, who will tell their story for the next generation? And of the next generation, who will listen?

Arthur J. Magida has written a story told to him by a survivor from on of history’s greatest clashes: World War II. This survivor was a Jew caught at the heart of this struggle, in Berlin. “Two Wheels to Freedom: The Story of a Young Jew, Wartime Resistance, and a Daring Escape” is not a story warning future generations to settle differences and extinguish a clash before it takes place. That may be desired by the author, as it should be for any sane person, but this story is about surviving once it’s already too late.

Believe the Unbelievable

This is Cioma Schönhaus’s story. When Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, Schönhaus was just 11 years old.

In the early chapters, we see the slow and methodical writing on the wall that became the eventual ultimate evil: the Holocaust. Schönhaus and his parents survived social turmoil before Germany became the pinnacle of antisemitism. His parents had escaped revolutionary Russia. His parents moved to Palestine, but Schönhaus’s health problems as a young boy forced them to find another home. Tragically, their choice was Berlin.

Later, Schönhaus tried to convince his parents to flee to no avail. This, as Magida indicates, is part and parcel of the story: believing the unbelievable.

Schönhaus’s story is multi-layered with social and ethical consequences. It’s a roadmap of how to survive when people—most people—want you dead. On its face, that point is unbelievable.

Indeed, Schönhaus’s parents didn’t believe it. Evil at this scale was so enormous as to seem absurd. Schönhaus, however, believed it. It’s a lesson to us, the readers, that evil declared through countless deeds—just as declared goodness—should be believed. To not believe, as this story makes abundantly clear, is to be trapped and eventually murdered, just as Schönhaus’s parents were.

Who You Are, and Who You Know

Berlin’s moral darkening into a black abyss was a multi-decade undertaking. As a young Jew, Schönhaus proved alert to the voices around him—both on the right and the left. His keen observation kept him a step ahead—sometimes literally—of the Gestapo.

Furthermore, Magida demonstrates how Schönhaus’s gift for reading people assisted in his miraculous survival. There is a phrase in business: “it’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” This was also the case in surviving a Holocaust event. Schönhaus had developed strong friendships during his young life. He knew who to trust. He also trusted the social recommendations of his friends. We can’t know everyone, much less intimately. “Two Wheels to Freedom” is a case study in networking. A network is only as good as the trust it’s built on.

Other aspects contributed to Schönhaus’s survival. Magida indicates that Schönhaus was handsome, a ladies’ man. But he also notes that this wasn’t necessarily a prerequisite for survival. He mentions several others in the story who were plain looking or unattractive, and their lack of appeal contributed to their survival. It enabled them to avoid attention. Certainly, attractiveness has its benefits, but Schönhaus’s looks, in this case, benefited him for a very specific reason: He didn’t look like a Jew.

Furthermore, Schönhaus was a talented artist, which made him a desired commodity within the resistance. His network and talent placed him in a position to forge more than 200 identification cards, which saved many lives.

Additionally, and quite possibly his greatest asset, was confidence. He learned the art of appearing to belong in places, whether it was walking the streets of Berlin, riding the bus, or eating at upscale restaurants. Schönhaus demonstrated a confidence that led people, even German soldiers, to believe he was who he said he was, no matter which alias he used, and he had plenty.

Living While Surviving

All of this contributed to Schönhaus’s ability to survive in Europe’s heart of darkness. But there’s were  more to his story than survival. Schönhaus chose to live, not merely survive. He was consistently face-to-face with evil, yet he chose to see the good in people, of those who actually were good.

He was determined not to cower in fear, but rather to walk the streets, eat good food, and visit friends. This isn’t to say he was foolish. Quite the opposite. He was consistently aware of his surroundings, as Magida makes clear. He also chose to love. He had numerous lovers during a time when such opportunities seemed highly unlikely. It’s one of the many lessons we can take from Schönhaus.

Lastly, he chose danger not simply for danger’s sake, but rather for the sake of his fellow Berliners—his fellow Jews. He made the moral and ethical decisions by which history judges all of us. Schönhaus’s story informs the reader that it’s not enough to survive—indeed, it’s not enough to live—if we choose to do so in fear or at the cost of our humanity, and, as others chose to do in the book, at the cost of other people’s lives.

“Two Wheels to Freedom” is a story within an ocean of stories that need to be heard. Magida has truly graced readers with an opportunity to encounter a truly remarkable story and a remarkable person—one worth modeling after. Schönhaus’s story is not a story of survival. It’s so much more than that.

"Two Wheels to Freedom: The Story of a Young Jew, Wartime Resistance, and a Daring Escape," by Arthur J. Magida.

‘Two Wheels to Freedom: The Story of a Young Jew, Wartime Resistance, and a Daring Escape’ by Arthur J. Magida Pegasus Books, Sept. 3, 2024 Hardcover: 304 pages

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