Oskar Schindler: A Strong Stance

commons.wikimedia.orgYad Vashem [Public domain]    Oskar Schindler famously said, “I knew the people who worked for me. When you know people, you have to behave towards them like human beings” (Oskar Schindler). Nazi controlled Germany during World War II was a place full of prejudice and propaganda. Through Hitler’s powerful, sadistic words, many Germans converted to the Nazi regime in an attempt to eradicate the Jewish population. Ordinary people, fueled by the sole intention to save as many Jewish lives as possible, became heroes as they put their lives on the line in order to rebel against the brutal actions of the Nazis. One such person, who demonstrates impeccable bravery, and uses his power to save the lives of his Jewish workers, is Oskar Schindler. Oskar Schindler was born on April 28, 1908 to a German family in Zwittau, a province of the Hungarian Monarchy. Because of his German heritage, Schindler became a formal member of the Nazi Party in 1938, after Germany annexed Sudeten. Schindler acquired a small, run down enamelware factory in Krakow, and with the help of Oskar’s fellow Jewish accountant, Isaak Stern, Schindler began to build a fortune. By 1942, the factory employed 800 people, and was the main source ammunition and kitchenware for the German army. Due to the success of his factory, Schindler enjoyed a lavish and wealthy lifestyle, just like many other generals of the Nazi party (who are also known as SS officers). However, the accumulation of Nazi brutality towards Jews, as well as influence from Isaak Stern had a profound impact on Oskar Schindler. The narcissistic vision of acquiring as much money as possible fades, and a new goal emerged. Now, a changed man, Schindler would do anything in his power in order to save his persecuted Jews doomed by the Nazi’s “final solution.” After the war, Schindler was responsible for saving his 1200 Jewish workers from getting deported to Auschwitz. He lived his life with the satisfaction of saving the lives of his fellow Jewish friends. A hero must possess perseverance and courage when placed in difficult situations. They must be able to differentiate between right from wrong, and make the decision to fight for what is morally acceptable. A true hero has to be willing to sacrifice their wellbeing to better the lives of others. Oskar Schindler’s righteousness in the face of prejudice and bigotry, and his bravery in defending the lives of Jewish workers, makes him worthy of modern recognition.

    Schindler uses his integrity to escape the cycle of Nazi cruelty, and becomes more righteous in the process. Ever since an early age, Schindler classified himself as a proud German. Therefore, his “...German heritage was emphasized at home, and the German language was spoken there. As a result, Schindler thought of himself as more a German than a Czech” (“Oskar Schindler People of the Holocaust”). Despite his primarily German heritage, Schindler saw through the evils of the Nazi party, allowing him to make the transformation needed in order to protect the lives of his Jewish workers. Although Schindler knew about the potential dangers of betraying the Nazi Party, the moral values within Schindler allowed him to rebel against his German overlords. Schindler's ability to see past the life set for him, and take action based on his own ethics and morals, constitutes him as a genuine hero. He made the upstanding decision to work against the Nazi party, despite his German legacy. By risking his own life and status as a respected Nazi officer, Schindler demonstrates heroism amidst a time where respect and appreciation was lacking. The Holocaust Memorial Museum describes young Schindler as, “An opportunist businessman with a taste for the finer things in life, he seemed an unlikely candidate to become a wartime rescuer” (“Oskar Schindler US. Holocaust Memorial Museum”). During Schindler’s early adulthood, he was obsessed with making money off the cheap labor of his Jewish workers. Because of this, Schindler became a very wealthy man, amassing over $2 million in profits. However, the sheer brutality of the SS officers, as well as the pain and suffering of the persecuted Jews, brought about a transformation in the wealthy man. Using his strong willpower and money, Schindler did everything in order to save the lives of his Jewish workers. By the end of the war, Schindler was left penniless and broke. Schindler’s disregard for making a profit establishes how virtuous he really is and further reiterates his compassionate nature. After the brutal war, once Schindler successfully liberated his fellow Jewish friends, he begged the Nazi officers to, “... not to seek revenge for what had been done to them and called for a moment of silence in memory of those who had perished. He also thanked the members of the SS who were present and encouraged them to go home peacefully and without further bloodshed” (“Oskar Schindler”). After the war, Oskar convinced the Jews to avoid confrontation with the SS officers, despite the horrible things Schindler and his Jewish workers had gone through. The decision to forgive the SS officers allowed Schindler to dissipate the anger inside of him, thus avoiding further conflict. Forgiving one’s actions allows him to look past the preceding nightmares, and focus on achieving true happiness. Schindler’s justification of remission forgoes his brutal past, and makes him a true, honorable hero. When met with a difficult moral dilemma, a hero has to have courage to choose what is right from wrong.

Schindler was burried in the Catholic Cemetery of Jerusalem. He was the only nazi to be honored this wayYoninah [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]    Showing unequivocal bravery in his humanitarian efforts, Oskar Schindler saved the lives of his fellow Jewish workers, characterizing him as a true hero. By using his public speaking skills, as well as squandering with SS officers, Schindler climbed his way up through the ranks of the German camp owners. Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, describes, “Schindler’s most effective tool in this privately conceived rescue campaign was the privileged status his plant enjoyed as a ‘business essential to the war effort’ […] He did not balk at falsifying the records [...] and, in general, covering up as much as he could for unqualified or temporarily incapacitated workers” (“Oskar and Emilie Schindler”). Schindler climbed his way up through the ranks with his cunning personality. He could have enjoyed the lavish lifestyle of a Nazi general and the protection that comes with it. Instead he risked his entire life, as well as his Jewish workers' wellbeing in order to rebel against the Nazi’s fearmongering tactics. By falsifying his workers’ transcripts, Schindler severely delayed the German war effort. The determination to save lives manifests with Schindler’s courage, which ultimately reiterates his heroism. In addition to his incredible speaking skills, Oskar’s willingness to take astronomical risks in the hope of achieving his ambitious goal, highlights his bold character: “Over the next seven months, Schindler's factory never produced a single useful shell. He attributed it to ‘start-up difficulties’; in reality, he had deliberately undermined the manufacturing process to make sure that the shells failed quality-control tests” (“Oskar Schindler”). Schindler is showing clear defiance towards the SS soldiers by purposefully making defective goods to give the Nazi soldiers. Seeing as Schindler’s enamelware factory was the main source of ammunition and kitchenware for the German army, stopping production would severely hinder Germany’s war effort. Furthermore, if any of the Nazi generals found out about Schindler’s plan, then imminent doom would be cast upon Schindler and his Jewish workers, as he would be framed a traitor. Nonetheless, Schindler took it upon himself to save the lives of his Jewish workers. Fueled with the hatred of the Nazis, he would be willing to purposefully sabotage his own country in order to save his Jewish friends from being deported to Auschwitz. Being courageous enough to help others, even in the face of eminent danger, constitutes Oskar Schindler as a true hero. With Germany on the cusp of losing the war, many Nazi generals proposed the execution of working Jews as a last ditch attempt to continue the genocide. According to Yad Vashem, “Schindler prevailed upon Amon Goeth, the brutal camp commandant [...] to allow him to set up a special sub-camp for his own Jewish workers [...] There he was better able to keep the Jews under relatively tolerable conditions, augmenting their below-subsistence diet with food bought on the black market with his own money” (“Oskar and Emilie Schindler”). Schindler showcased his bravery, and persuasiveness by convincing Amon Goeth, a sadistic, narcissistic Nazi tasked with liquefying Schindler’s old camp in Krakow. Through sheer willpower and communication, Oskar successfully convinced Goeth to allow for the relocation of his camp, thus sparing the lives of Oskar’s fellow workers. Moreover, in an attempt to make conditions decent inside his factory, Schindler was willing to buy food off the black market with his own money. He got caught twice for smuggling food and basic necessities to his Jewish workers, but was able to convince the SS officers to let him go due to his high status as a respected officer. Schindler’s bravery in confronting Goeth, in addition to buying illegal goods from the Black Market to save his Jewish friends, constitutes him as a hero worthy of admiration. Schindler’s brave and heroic mindset inspires people to do anything in order to achieve their goals and ambitions.

    Heroes embody key characteristics of integrity and bravery, and uses their power to support a good cause. With his role in the freeing of Jews during WWII, Schindler clearly personifies the actions of a true hero. As illustrated by “Oskar and Emilie Schindler,” a biography on Schindler’s life: “The wartime industrial tycoon was by now penniless. Jewish relief organizations and groups of survivors supported him modestly over the years.” World War II brought a modest transformation in Oskar Schindler. Before, he was a drunk, wealthy SS soldier, obsessed with making a profit. However, as time progressed, Schindler focused more on saving lives rather than making a profit. He was so committed, in fact, that by the end of the war, Schindler was broke, with not a penny to his name. Due to Germany’s perception of Schindler as a traitor, he would live poor all his life, with only funding from the Jewish workers he saved. However, to Schindler, this did not matter. He lived the rest of his life knowing that his actions saved the lives of more than 1,000 persecuted Jews. The stories of Schindlerjuden (Schindler’s workers) will be passed down through generations. Schindler’s righteousness and determination in the face of uncertainty inspires me to always fight for what is morally sound. It takes courage to fight against your own friends and family, and disagree with the majority. Oskar inspires me to avoid blindly following a crowd. Instead, his story encourages me to formulate my own opinions, and act with compassion rather than vain. He taught me to do anything in order to achieve the goals I desire. Schindler had to help his workers; there was no other option. The actions Schindler took during those times shaped the way he would be remembered in history, and ultimately serves as an altruistic inspiration for years to come.

Works Cited

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