Oskar Schindler

Who was Oskar Schindler? What did he do? He risked his life many times to try and save Jews from being executed because of their religion. THEIR RELIGION! In the eyes of Oskar Schindler all of that was wrong. He was out to prove that it didn’t matter what religion you are, that you can be whoever you want to be.

As a boy Oskar was brought up a Nazi. His parents believed that Hitler was right, Jews were wrong. But to Oskar, Hitler and his family were wrong also. As he grew up he had a stronger feeling about the Nazi’s. He believed what they were trying to do to Jews was wrong.

Oskar had a lot of thinking to do as a teenager during the Great Depression. He had to think about what he wanted to do in his life. Since there was no school and no where to go Oskar stayed home and read books and articles about Jews. That’s when Oskar became interested in trying to help Jews.

Long nights at the bars and many women took up most of his time. When a German officer or general would come into the bar, he would invite them to his table. This was a plan he had made as a teen. If he became friends with many German officers, he could bribe them into helping the Jews. Every night he would sit and wait for officers and generals. When he thought he had a sufficient number of “friends” that’s when he made up once again another plan.

His greatest “friend” was Amon Geoth, one of the head officers maintaining the camps. Schindler invited Geoth to all his parties and get-togethers. They soon became closer and closer as days went by. But Oskar did not like Geoth at all. Geoth would always talk about how much he despised Jews and brutal ways he wanted to kill them. So Oskar went along with it.

When the war started, Oskar panicked. He knew that Amon was going to try to start the concentration camps. The whole time he never thought it was going to happen and that Amon was just fooling around. When he heard the news he went right to Amon and asked what was happening. Amon was confused, Oskar wanted all of this to happen didn’t he?

As the days went by Oskar listened to the radio nonstop. He wanted to know what was happening all the time. When he heard about Jews not being able to use any other kind of transportation other than walking, he was furious! As the days went by things got worse for the Jews. Some we getting kicked out of their homes by the Germans and were forced into the camps.

Some went to Aushwitz and some to Brunnlitz. Aushwitz was far worse. The Jews were not able to eat, their beds were simply made of a few wooded boards put together, and if they stopped working they were shot.

When Oskar approached the camps for the very first time, he was stunned. He had never seen such poor living conditions and cruelty to human beings. As he went to Amon’s “castle” he saw Jews working everywhere. Three or four cooking, a young boy scrubbing the bathtub’s, and a maid who did everything for Amon hand and foot.

Schindler's List (http://isurvived.org/Pictures_ Isurvived/schindlersLIST.gif)

After a few days passed, Schindler was ready to put his plan into play. As he strolled into Amon’s office he was actually nervous. He didn’t know if Amon was going to allow him his own factory. Amon was confused why he wanted his own factory, I mean he was filthy rich! Schindler explained that he had always wanted his own factory as a boy. Amon accepted his idea. He was going to give him a maximum of 1,300 Jews. Schindler pleaded for more but was declined, that’s all Amon would give him.

Oskar then had another great idea. He was to make a list of all the Jews he wanted to work in his factory. The list had 1,299 Jews. The last Jew to be on his list was Helen, Amon’s servant who was beaten unconditionally. Amon did not want her to be taken to the factory, he wanted her all to himself. But he finally gave in and she was boarded on the trains.

During the next few days “Schindler’s Jews” (as they were called) were boarded on the trains. The men and male children in one train and the women and female children in another. But during the few days they were on the train, the women’s train went off course. They were taken to Auschwitz, where their hair was cut and very little food was given to them. But of course the men’s train , made it there with out any problems.

When Oskar found out about the train going off course, he was furious. He didn’t understand, somehow the men’s train made it here but the women’s didn’t. He demanded the women be boarded up back on the trains and taken to the factory. When the woman got there all they did was eat. They hadn’t eaten in days, some not even for a week. They re-united with their families and knew the worst was over.

Oskar Schindler stands next to the tree planted in honor of his rescue efforts (http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/ focus/schindler/schindler.php)

After months and months of waiting and anticipation, the war finally ended. The Jews were to be taken home and never to be touched again. Oskar thought he hadn’t done much, that he could have saved more. But in their eyes he did more than enough….

Oskar Schindler was one of the greatest men ever to walk on this Earth. He would not give up until those Jews were saved from near death. He was a man that believed the Nazi’s were wrong, that no matter what your religion was you can be whoever you want to be.