In 1929 during the Great Depression, the family business went bankrupt. Schindler changed jobs several times, and tried starting businesses but always went bankrupt. Due to the rough effects of the Great Depression, Schindler joined the Sudeten German Party* in 1935. The party disbanded in 1938 and a year later he joined the Nazi party.
The first saving of Schindlerjuden** began in September 1, 1939 when the Germans had started invading Poland. Money-hungry Schindler arrived in Krakow*** within a week, seeking a way to make money. He took over a bankrupt enamelware factory and with the help from his Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern, he got in touch with the remaining wealthy Jews who invested in his factory. In return they would be employed and perhaps be spared.
A few years later, the Krakow ghetto was to be fully cleared and the Jews were going to be deported to the Plazow labor camp. Since Schindler had such good connections with key people of the government and armies, he easily convinced the ones responsible for Plazow to set up a part of the camp in his factory. Even the weak and unqualified were chosen to work. By doing this single action, he saved around 900 Jewish lives.
By October 1944, the Russians approached parts of Poland and the Nazi’s quickly had to complete the liquidation. Schindler negotiated with the SS and was allowed to move his factory and workers to Brunnlitz, Czechoslovakia. He was asked to write a list of the workers he wanted to take with him. The list contained around 1100 names of Jews who Schindler was going to take with him. Once in Brunnlitz, Schindler spent infinite amount of money to comfort his workers.
On May 8, 1945, the war ended and Schindler gathered all his workers for one last time. He told them not to vow revenge for what the Nazi’s had done and then fled the country, leaving the factory behind. A few days later, the 1100 Schindlerjuden were freed by the Russians.
Schindler moved to South-America in 1949 but returned to West Germany without his wife. During the remaining years of his life, he traveled a lot to Israel where he was honored because of saving his Schindlerjuden.
Because of liver problems, Schindler died in 1974. As he requested at the time he was alive, he was buried in Israel. His funeral was attended by about 500 Schindlerjuden who watched as his body was buried in the Catholic cemetery on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
Because of Oskar Schindler, thousands of people remained alive to tell the story about Schindler’s list. But one question still remains a mystery: why did he do all this?
