Commissioned by her children, Beyond Courageous - The Extraordinary Life of Zsuzsanna Kolmann (1924 - 2019) is a testament to one woman’s strength and valour.

Zsuzsanna (Suzanne) Kolmann and her twin brother George grew up in a large loving family and enjoyed a privileged childhood in Budapest. In 1943, her mother escaped from a cattle car heading towards Auschwitz and Suzanne ran away from a labour camp. They hid in a hospital in Budapest, until in January 1945, they were taken to a basement in the Arrow Cross headquarters where they were subjected to unspeakable horrors. Then, they were marched naked in the snow to the banks of the Danube River. They stood holding hands before being shot into the river, along with many other Jews. Suzanne’s beloved mother was killed but, miraculously, Suzanne survived and was rescued from the freezing water and taken to the ghetto where she was reunited with her grandmother, the last family member still alive (or so she thought). Just two days later, the Russians arrived to liberate the ghetto.

Soon after the war ended, Suzanne married another survivor. As they walked to their wedding ceremony, her beloved twin returned from Germany, still wearing his concentration camp uniform.

As the communists took over Hungary, Suzanne and her husband moved to Beechworth in regional Victoria. They raised two children, but, ever fearful, hid their Jewish heritage from them. Eventually the family moved to Melbourne, where they ran two iconic coffee lounges for decades.

After retiring, Suzanne felt ready to overcome her deep fear and provide her testimonies. She devoted the rest of her life to Holocaust remembrance work and seeking justice alongside Nazi hunter Efraim Zoureff. 

Writers & Editors: Georgie Raik-Allen & Romy Moshinsky

Designer: Trisha Garner

This book is a private publication and is not available for purchase.