Oskar Schindler

Oskar SchindlerJfr.orgIn the mid 1900’s, millions of innocent people were ruthlessly killed. A man named Oskar Schindler identified as a member of the Nazi party; which was the group of people that were doing the murdering. Schindler did not want to partake in the killings, but rather he wanted to help save the Jews. Oskar Schindler did this when he saved 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a killing and torturing of Jews by the Germans in 1933 all the way till 1945. He worked behind Nazis' backs to selflessly accept Jews into his factory risking his life and his fortune. To be defined as a hero you must risk something of your own. Oskar Schindler demonstrates heroism when he uses his wit, risks his life and his fortune.

Oskar Schindler used his wit to trick Nazis into letting him take in Jews and give them a life. The first step he made to be able to help Jews was to identify as a Nazi. “A Catholic, and member of the Nazi party”(Oskar Schindler Columbia). In order to have access to Nazi information, and to be able to employ Jews, Schindler identified as a Nazi. Schindler outsmarted the Nazis, by becoming a part of their group, even though he was only hurting them, and lying to them about what he was really doing. Most of the time being “two faced” is looked down upon but in Schindler's case, it is not. He acted tough around the Nazis and used bribery to get what he wanted, when in reality he worked behind their backs doing things the Nazis would not have accepted. “Schindler ‘resolved to do everything in my power to defeat the [Nazi] system.’... He paid off Nazis to have the Jews working in his factory declared essential to the war effort”(Gottfried Ted). This explains that Schindler didn't want to just be a spectator, but he rather wanted to do everything he could to stop the Nazis. Schindler's efforts in bribing the Nazis and working behind their backs to save lives, helped to demonstrated his wit. Overall Schindler's wisdom and trickery led him to be able to save all of these innocent people.

Oskar Schindler's enamelware factorytripline.netThe definition of a hero is someone who risks something, and in Oskar Schindler‘s case he risked his life and his fortune. As said by a draughtsman and forger of Nazi documents in Schindler's factory, named Bejski, “Everything he did put him in danger'' (Silver Eric). This man was present in this horrible time, and saw the risks that Schindler got himself into. Although, Schindler didn't care about the risks he was taking, he only cared about saving people's lives.  The dangers Oskar Schindler took weren't just apparent to him, but they were apparent to others. “No one has been able to adequately explain why such a luxury-loving man risked his life so many times, and spent all of his fortune, in an effort that saved lives”(Oskar Schindler UXL). Oskar Schindler risked so much just to be able to help thousands of Jews. He did not think about the risks that he was taking, but he instead spent all his money on helping people out. Schindler shows heroism in his actions by risking his wealth and his fortune to help others.

Oskar Schindler used his heroic abilities for the good when he risked his life, his fortune and used his wit to help save many people. Schindler went out of his way to save over 1,200 people, and in the process risked many things. Not only did he risk his fortune and risk losing all of his wealth, but he risked his life. His wit was what kept him alive and able to outsmart the Nazis. Schindler inspires many people and shows that taking risks is essential in life if people want to make a change to something. It doesn't need to be as big as a risk as Schindler took, but even the smallest risk can help make the biggest difference in someone or something's life. Overall Oskar Schindler is remembered as a hero because he used his intelligence and risked many things in order to save lives.

Works Cited

Gottfried, Ted. "The Righteous Germans." Heroes of the Holocaust, Lerner Publishing Group, Jan. 2001, p. 21.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=kh h&AN=8796754&site=ehost-live.

Oskar Schindler." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition, Mar. 2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=51806456&site=ehost-live.

Oskar Schindler." UXL Biographies, UXL, 2011. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2108102040/SUIC?u=powa9245&sid=SUIC&xid=8acf92fd. Accessed 1 Apr. 2018.

Silver, Eric. "A Crook, a Womanizer and a Hero." Maclean's, vol. 107, no. 3, 17 Jan. 1994, p. 52. EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=940121  7591&site=ehost-live.