Hans Schornack

BIOGRAPHY

Schornack was born in Essen, located in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, on 29 February 1912. As a child, he was passionate about cars, and would go on to become a mechanic for Opel and Ford. Schornack was self-employed as a car dealer for many years, owning his own dealership. After World War II, he ran a kiosk selling tobacco products on Frohnhauser Platz with his brother.

Schornack drove until he was 95. He still lived in his apartment until the age of 104, albeit with a live-in carer. After his carer died, he moved into a nursing home. In 2016, he claimed his secret to longevity was, “Enjoy everything in moderation, have a positive attitude, do a lot of good things in life and cultivate friendships and acquaintances.”

Schornack was first noted for his longevity when he was 104, and an article was published by Krankenhausgesellschaft Nordrhein-Westfalen (KGNW) when he left hospital. On his 110th birthday, Schornack was congratulated by the lord mayor of Essen, Thomas Kufer, as well as district mayor Doris Eisenmenger.

Schornack received the COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021, and later recovered from a mild case of the virus, making him one of its oldest survivors.

Schornack passed away on 22 February 2023, at the age of 110 years, 358 days.

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RECOGNITION

On 24 June 2020, following the passing of 109-year-old Heinrich Homann, he became the oldest living man in Germany, at the age of 108.

On 13 September 2022, at the age of 110 years, 196 days, he surpassed the final age of Mary Norris (1892–2002) and became the oldest person ever born on 29 February.

Upon his passing, he was succeeded by Karlheinz Stauber as Germany’s oldest living man.

His age was verified by Georg Fürholzer, and validated by LongeviQuest on 20 February 2024.