From Foreign Policy · Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem · · 1m 30s
Jewish Artist's Life in 1930s Berlin
Jewish artist Hannah Sherman's escape from Nazi Germany through art and deception.
In brief
Jewish artist Hannah Sherman's escape from Nazi Germany through art and deception. Jewish artist Hannah Sherman hides her identity in 1930s Berlin to avoid Nazi persecution, only to face increasing danger as her Jewish heritage becomes central to her survival. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
Jewish Artist Hannah Sherman
Hannah Sherman escapes her traditional Jewish mother to pursue art in Weimar-era Berlin.
“Hannah Sherman escapes the clutches of her traditional Jewish mother to experience the hedonism of Weimar-era Berlin”
Art Patron Elke
Elke, a wealthy client, commissions Hannah’s paintings and becomes her patron.
“Elke soon commissions portraits of herself and her friends”
False Identity
Hannah uses the name Schmidt instead of Sherman to conceal her Jewish background.
“Since moving out of her parents’ house, Hannah had concealed her Jewish background, going by Schmidt rather than Sherman”
Political Ties
Elke’s husband holds a position in Germany’s culture ministry, creating political risks.
“Elke’s husband is an important figure in Germany’s culture ministry”
Art Forgery
Hannah’s paintings are listed as a fictional non-Jewish artist named Answald Dietrich.
“They list, without her consent, the artist as a fictional, non-Jewish man: Answald Dietrich”
Nazi Takeover
The Führer chooses Dietrich’s paintings as the artistic face of his new Germany.
“The newly appointed Führer, Birrell never mentions Adolf Hitler by name, takes a liking to "Dietrich’s" paintings”
Jewish Identity
Hannah’s Jewishness becomes central to her identity as Nazi persecution intensifies.
“a Jew’s a Jew, even a Mischling”
Marriage to Saul
Hannah marries Saul, a Jewish communist, to escape persecution.
“When Hannah marries Saul, a fellow Jewish communist, they only become more marginalized”
Anti-Zionist Stance
Saul rejects Palestine as a homeland, insisting they already have one.
“Saul insisted [Palestine] was someone else’s homeland that the English had declared was ours”
Historical Notes
Hannah is a composite figure of Jewish women artists murdered by the Nazis.
“The Nazis murdered all three of them”
Counternarrative
Birrell writes to offer a story of Jewish life, not Jewish death.
“I hoped to write a novel primarily about Jewish life, not Jewish death”
Escape Attempt
Hannah and Saul seek to leave Berlin but face increasing danger.
“We already had a homeland, he said, and we were already living in it”
What to remember
Jewish artist Hannah Sherman hides her identity in 1930s Berlin to avoid Nazi persecution, only to face increasing danger as her Jewish heritage becomes central to her survival.
