Story of Oskar Schindler

Amy Hamilton, Chief Editor of Craving Narnia News

January 27, 1950

London, England

The “powerful and thought provoking” story of Oskar Schindler revealed to the astounded world the bravery and selflessness of one man.

Oskar Schindler, a seemingly dyed-in-the-wool Nazi and German businessman eager to take advantage of the opportunities that came with the Holocaust, proved to be the complete opposite, saving thousands of Jewish men, women, and children from cold-blooded murder.

Born in Sudetenland and raised German, Oskar Schindler did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Although known for being exceptionally intelligent and bright, he did not excel in school, instead choosing to focus on socializing. With a backstory not so different to thousands of other Germans in the early 1900s, what made Mr Schindler so special and capable of doing so many incredibly courageous things?

Unfortunately, Schindler’s motives to help save the lives of thousands of Jewish people were originally not based on the goodness of his heart but rather greed. With the beginning of the Holocaust, Schindler, part of the Nazi party and a gentile saw the opportunity of the loss of Jewish-owned businesses because of the Nuremberg laws which lead to him taking advantage to increase his business success. Using Jewish labour (as it was cheaper and could be given worse conditions) as well as buying a large, previously Jewish-owned factory and converting it into a plant to create enamel or pots and pans for the war effort, Schindler was very business driven. Despite focusing only on his business and himself, he was unconsciously helping hundreds of people at the time by having them work in his factory.

It is unknown what sparked the sudden change in Schindler’s character where he went from self-motivated to completely selfless. Perhaps it could have been a desperate and dreadful sight that he could have caught a glimpse at at the nearby concentration camp, Auschwitz, however what it was exactly that triggered him into doing the right thing, it is unknown. Numerous witnesses described him as changing personality wise and when asked about his change of character he said, “If you saw a dog going to be crushed under a car, wouldn’t you help him?” Somehow, through witnessing the horrific scenes around him, Schindler decided it was time to do what he could within his power to help protect the innocent being persecuted. Schindler continued recruiting numerous more Jewish people of all ages, saving them from the terrible gas chambers at Auschwitz.

However, as the war was drawing to an end, the Nazis’ desperation became apparent, due to the approaching Allied forces, mass extermination through any means possible began. Realizing that even his workers would not be safe from these horrendous gas chambers, Schindler allowed them to stay the night as well as protected them through further bribery and prevented them from being removed. Referring to them as his “schindlerjuden”, or his jewish people, he felt that all of their lives were in his hands and under his responsibility.

After the end of the war, despite having to flee the country due to being a member of the Nazi party, Schindler had saved over 1,200 Jewish people with his factory. These people, these lives that he helped live past the dreadful Holocaust had a chance to grow up, have children, and grow old, unlike so many others that never left the horrendous concentration camp.

An unsung hero for numerous years, Oskar Schindler is a person who turned his life around when he saw people suffering and being sent to their deaths. But why did most of Germany stand by and let this happen?

“People tend to have their noses in their own business when they start to see suffering and pain,” stated a wise individual. Despite numerous German people watching and witnessing suffering, Schindler was one of very few to take action and here at Craving Narnia, we commend him.