OSKAR SCHINDLER

BACKROUND

• Born on April 28, 1908 in Svitavy, Moravia
• An ethnic German and Catholic
• Worked in his father's farm machinery business
• Became part of nazi party in 1939

WHAT DID THIS PERSON DO THAT IS SO HEROIC?

• He saved nearly 1200 Jews from being deported to Auschwitz during the holocaust.

HOW DID HE HELP VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST?

• Oskar Schindler bought a Jewish owned enamelware manufacturer know as Emalia.
• He had Jews in the near by ghetto ,Kraków,work at Emalia.
• When Kraków got liquidated in 1943 he let his Jews stay at Emalia over night
• He bribed the SS in the concentration camps where his Jews went to treat them fairly so they can still work hard for him and so they won't be deported to other concentration camps.
• He persuaded the SS to make Emalia a sub camp in Plaszow
• He also let 450 Jews in nearby factories live at Emalia.

KRAKÓW GHETTO

• Became a ghetto in 1941
• Between 15,000-20,000 Jews lived in the ghetto
• Two forced-labor camps were established in Kraków, Krakau and Plaszow
• Located in Southern Poland

HOW DID HE HELP VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST? CONTINUED...

• In 1944 the SS transferred his Jews to Plaszow , Schindler obtained authorization to move his plant to Brünnlitz
• One of his assistants created several versions of a list of 1,200 Jews to work at the new factory, this became known as Schindler's list

WHAT RISKS DID HE TAKE?

• Bribing the SS
• Giving unauthorized aid to Jews
• Police officials arrested him three times, but were unable to charge him

LIFE BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST

• Became Czech citizen in 1918
• Attended many trade schools in Brno
• Married Emilie Pelzl in 1928
• Opened driving school in Sumperk
• Sold government property in Brno
• Served in Czechoslovak army and earned the rank of corporal in the reserves

WAS HE RECOGNIZED FOR HIS ROLES?

• The United States Holocaust Memorial Council presented the Museum's Medal of Remembrance to Schindler.
• Steven Spielberg made a movie called Schindler's List
• Thomas made a novel called Schindler's List that recounted his life and works

WHERE IS HE NOW?

• He died in 1974 in Germany penniless and almost unknown.
• Many of those he saved and their descendants-lobbied for and financed the transfer of his body for burial in Israel.