José Monath was born in 1913 in Vienna. His father Samuel Monath came from the area surrounding Bratislava and had a lawyer's office from 1908 in Eisenstadt. After visiting the Jewish primary school, he went to the grammar school in Eisenstadt where he did his A-levels in 1932. Following this José Monath studied at the Faculty of Law in Vienna, completing his studies successfully in 1937. After the year in court in Vienna, in entered his father's lawyer's office on 1st March 1938. He carried out his profession for less than two weeks. After the Nazis seized power, his father was arrested and interrogated. His father had to declare in writing that he was willing to leave the country. His parents fled to Prague. Jose Monath was able to get hold of a visa for Argentina, for him and his wife. In July 1938 they left Vienna for Triest, from where they joined the crossing to Buenos Aires. His mother died a natural death in Prague, 1940, his father was deported to Auschwitz in the same year. He never heard from him again. José Monath was never able to carry out his profession in Argentina. He started out as a worker in a factory in order to earn a living for his family. He was later able to get a job as a bookkeeper. After 1945, Ludwig Leser attempted to persuade him to return to Eisenstadt, out of love for his wife however, he stayed in Argentina. His wife died a few years ago, José Monath in autumn of 2003.