Oskar Schindler
- 1. Oskar Schindler One of the righteous among the nations
- 2. Early Life Oskar Schindler was born in Austria-Hungary On April 28, 1908. He was Raised in the catholic religion. Schindler’s two best friends were sons of a neighboring Jewish rabbi. In the 1930’s, as a result of an economic depression the Schindler’s went bankrupt. When Schindler was 27 his parents were divorced.
- 3. Marriage When Schindler was eighteen he married Emilie. Emilie took care of the sick in a secret sanatorium setup at the factory. In 1993, on June 24 Emilie was also recognized fro her work as the honor of being recognized as “Righteous among the nations” was extended to her also.
- 4. War Began Due to the economic depression Schindler was recruited to collect information for the German Military Intelligence. Always on the look out for a chance to make money. Schindler used his business experience and took control of a enameled goods factory. With his factory and new employees Schindler managed to make a fortune.
- 5. A Change of Heart After witnessing first hand a raid where many of Schindler’s workers were murdered the Nazi’s intentions dawned on Schindler. They were no longer seeking humiliation, but total extermination. After coming to this realization in 1943 Schindler decided to risk everything in a desperate attempt to save his Schindlerjuden (“Schindler’s Jews”), as they came to be called. Schindler went out of his way using his charm and fortunes to take care of the Jews who worked at DEF.
- 6. The head of the commission asked why the old Jew Lamus was so sad, and it was explained to him that Lamus had lost his wife and only child a few weeks earlier during the evacuation of the ghetto. Deeply touched, the commander reacted by ordering his adjutant to shoot the Jew “so that he might be reunited with his family in heaven<“ then he guffawed and the commission moved on. Schindler was left standing with Lamus and the adjutant. “Slip your pants down to your ankles and start walking,” the adjutant ordered Lamus. Dazed, the man did as he was told. “You are interfering with all my discipline here,” Schindler said desperately. The SS officer sneered. “The morale of my workers will suffer. Production for der Vaterland will be affected.” Schindler blurted out the words. The officer took out his gun. “A bottle of the schnapps if you don’t shoot him,” Schindler almost screamed, no longer thinking rationally. “stimmt!” To his astonishment, the man complied. Grinning, the officer put the gun away and strolled arm in arm with the shaken Schindler to the office to collect his bottle. And Lamus, trailing his pants along the ground continued shuffling across the yard, waiting sickeningly for the bullet in his back that never came.
- 7. Freedom In May 1945, it was all over. The Russians defeated the Germans and moved into Brunnlitz. Schindler gathered his workers together in the factory and told them they were free. At five after midnight, assured that his Jews were finally safe and out of danger Oskar Schindler left the factory.
- 8. Oskar Schindler was not an ordinary hero; rather, he was a gambler, a drinker, a money hungry German, a womanizer and a playboy. He made all the money he was looking for but ended up spending everything he had made on keeping 1,300 Jewish men women “his children” as he referred to them, alive. Today there are 7,000 descendants of Schindler Jews.
- 9. THE END