Document
False identity for Żegota member Izabela Bieżuńska
During World War II, people often used false identities and forged identity documents to evade Nazi authorities. False identities were essential for resistance fighters, aid workers, and Jews hoping to pass as non-Jews. Creating high-quality, convincing forgeries required dozens of people to work together clandestinely. It also required sophisticated photography and printing equipment. For Jews passing as non-Jews, acquiring forged documents could mean the difference between life and death.
This identification document was used by Izabela Bieżuńska to establish her alias as "Janina Truszczyńska.” Izabela was a member of the Council for Aid to Jews (codenamed “Żegota”), an underground rescue organization of Poles and Jews in German-occupied Poland. Supported by the Polish government-in-exile, Żegota operated from December 1942 to January 1945. The organization coordinated efforts to save Jews from Nazi persecution and murder.