Schindler’s List

Oskar Schindler, a German businessman, is remembered for his brave and risky actions during World War II, which saved the lives of over a thousand Jews persecuted by the Nazi regime. Through his work in a factory producing enamelware and munitions, Schindler managed to protect hundreds of people from the brutality of the Holocaust, and his story has become a symbol of human resistance against evil.

Born in 1908 in Silesia, Oskar Schindler initially showed no interest in human rights or politics, but rather was an ambitious businessman. When the war broke out, he moved to Krakow, where he acquired a factory for producing kitchenware, “Emalia,” where he employed Jews under precarious conditions and, in many cases, forced labor. Schindler’s factory, which at first was merely a means to make money, became a refuge for many Jews who would otherwise have been sent to concentration camps.

Schindler’s transformation occurred as he witnessed the brutality of the Nazi regime and the systematic persecution and extermination of the Jews. Despite being a member of the Nazi Party, Schindler began to risk his life and personal fortune to save those working in his factory. Recognizing that the Nazis had no hesitation in killing Jews, he started bribing high-ranking officials and falsifying documents to ensure that the workers in his plant were not deported.

Throughout the war, Schindler spent large sums of money to protect his staff, expanding the list of saved workers. His most famous action was the creation of a list of around 1,200 Jews, known as “Schindler’s List,” which allowed these people to be transferred to a safer concentration camp in the city of Brünnlitz.