Celebrating The Life Of Oskar Shindler

Celebrate The Life Of Oskar Shindler

Let me take the opportunity to wish this real human being a “Very belated happy Birthday”.

Oskar Schindler was born on 28 April 1908 in Zwittau, then part of Moravia, Austria-Hungary (Zwittau is now known as Svitavy in the modern Czech Republic). Like many in his times, Schindler was an opportunistic businessman – one who sought to profit from the German Invasion of Poland. Oskar Schindler arrives in Krakow as an unsuccessful businessman and was there to get benefited from the cheap Jew labor to do his business. Like many of us our entire knowledge of Oskar Schindler comes from the movie “Schindler’s List” and the book “Schindler’s Ark” by Thomas Keneally.

The life of Schindler has so much relevance in today’s multi polar world. He was no Gandhi or Mandela, nor did him resembled Christ or Buddha. Rather, he was a deeply flawed man. He was a Nazi and a war profiteer. A compulsive womaniser, he was frequently disloyal to his wife. After the war, he even abandoned her in Argentina to return to Germany. An incurable spendthrift,he lost millions in his pursuit of the good life. When he died, he was penniless... Yet, at a time when far more moral men and women had been caught up in Hitler's xenophobia or reduced to being mere spectators to what was happening by their own fear, this man answered the call of conscience. At the time, he had no crystal ball to tell him that his actions would make him the subject of an award-winning book and a celebrated movie. Nor could he gaze into the future and see that the grateful Jews he saved, Schindler's Jews as they came to be called, would be key to his financial survival after the war. In fact, the only reward he could have fathomed for his actions at the time was death by a Nazi firing squad in the event of discovery. Furthermore, in doing what he did, he spent his entire fortune in providing for the Jews he saved, while bribing Nazi officials to look the other way. His act was entirely selfless, which is what makes it heroic.

When asked about this He said “The persecution of Jews in the General Government in Polish territory gradually worsened in its cruelty. In 1939 and 1940 they were forced to wear the Star of David and were herded together and confined in ghettos. In 1941 and 1942 this unadulterated sadism was fully revealed. And then a thinking man, who had overcome his inner cowardice, simply had to help. There was no other choice.” Oskar Schindler, 1964 interview.

This overcoming of the inner cowardice might sound very simple, but this is the point at where we all fail. Schindler did what he did, because he looked upon Jews as people, rather than through the prism of popular stereotypes. To that end, his friendship with two Jewish boys, who lived next door to him when he was growing up, was crucial. He could always hearken back to it, as well as to other associations with Jews, to retain his humanity towards the community, while disavowing Nazi propaganda that frequently depicted them as rats eating up the German nation. The most astonishing revelation of Schindler’s kindness comes from these words by Abraham Zuckerman - He recalls Oskar Schindler this way: "There were SS guards but he would say ‘Good morning’ to you. He was a chain smoker and he’d throw the cigarette on the floor after only two puffs, because he knew the workers would pick it up after him. To me he was an angel. Because of him I was treated like a human being. And because of him I survived.”

(Schindler's factory at Krakow in 2006)

In total Oskar Schindler saved almost 1,100 Jews. All of them been proudly addressed as Schindler’s Jews till date. This act of humanity would never have been realized without Itzhak Stern, his accountant. Always a ledger of survival for the affected Jewish people. Itzhak Stern died in Israel in 1969. In the films “Schindler’s List” there is a particular scene where Itzhak realizes that Schindler actually was paying for all these Jews whom he was freeing, I don’t know what was the feeling that was portrayed by Ben Kingsley. But I believe it was the most well made scenes in the film. There was this particular incident when 300 women, all Schindler Jews, were deported in cattle cars to certain death in Auschwitz, among them Marianne, now Manci Rosner. Oskar Schindler got them released - the only shipment out of Auschwitz. When the women returned, Schindler met them in the courtyard. Surrounded by SS guards he gave them an unforgettable guarantee: “Now you are finally with me, you are safe now. Don’t be afraid of anything.” Manci Rosner says:” I am so thankful to Oskar Schindler. We never would have survived it.” Schindler could have left them to their fate (but then he won’t be Mr.Schindler isn’t it) he took it as a mission to save as much as possible and to look upon everyone he knows as a human being.

Sometimes seeing all the unjust, cruelty and hatred in the world, I tend to lose my belief in humanity. But then you meet people like Oskar Schindler that belief just holds on. We celebrate the Birthday of all the great people in this world, but when will we celebrate Oskar Schindler’s? His life has to be celebrated as he looked as mortal as us and as immortal as a Christ or a Gandhi or a Buddha.

I am giving some references about Schindler’s Jews below in the end I have given a link to entire Schindler’s List.

(Schindler's factory at Brněnec in 2004)

Kuba and Helen Beck, No. 18 and No. 611 on Schindler's List - both were torn from their families as teenagers and sent to the Plazow concentration camp. In 1944, Helen was among 300 women routed to Auschwitz. She miraculously was rescued by Schindler. Only after the war, as she searched for her family, did she learn that she had lost six of her nine siblings, along with her parents.

Rena Ferber - today Rena Finder - was only 10 years old when the Nazis invaded Poland. She later wrote: "I would not be alive today if it wasn`t for Oscar Schindler, my Mother survived and so did my grandfather. It's a tragedy that Oscar Schindler died young before the world could aknowledge his heroism. His country men considered him a traitor, to us he was our God, our Father, our protector."

Bronia Gunz was saved by Oscar Schindler. She remembers how Schindler told the prisoners to dig graves to deceive the Nazis. But he assured them he could save them and then he disappeared for days. "We were digging the graves and thinking: This is the end" Gunz says. Then Schindler returned. "One day this beautiful, gorgeous man shows up with a piece of paper, and he says: Saved, no digging anymore. He was for us like God ... "

Amon Goeth`s maid Helena Hirsch was saved by Oscar Schindler from a life of terror and humiliation and the certain death in the Auschwitz death camp - he outwitted the commandant of Plazow Goeth and "won" her in a card game. Today she lives in Israel.

Leib Lejzon - today Leon Leyson - says he was 'just a skinny kid' during World War II. But Oscar Schindler developed a fondness for him, nicknaming him "Little Leyson" and showing him many kindnesses: extra soup and bread; and when his vision began to blur from the factory work, he was excused from the night shift. The most important act was putting him on the final list. His two eldest brothers did not survive the war, but he, his parents and brother and sister were saved by Oscar Schindler.

Wiktor Lezerkiewicz - now Victor Lewis - was put on Schindler`s List on page 2, No. 108. He considers it a miracle - he was electrician in Oscar Schindler`s factory, though he knew absolutely nothing about the trade ... He emigrated to USA in 1949.

Edith Wertheim, then Etka Liebgold, recalls how 300 Schindler women were interned at Auschwitz:"One night they took us to the gas chamber. We were waiting the whole night - in the morning we found out: Schindler is here!" He had come to rescue them , bribing the Nazis to retrieve the women on his list and bring them back. Years later Oscar Schindler attended her wedding .

Stella Muller, today Stella Müller-Madej, owes her life to Schindler's list. She was 14 but registered as being 2 years older and as a metal worker - all so she could survive as essential for the war industry. Both she and her parents would not have survived World War II without it. Aided by notes, diaries and a vivid memory, she managed to capture her recollections of the wartime period in a book: Through the Eyes of a Child, which has been published in eight countries. The book deserves a place next to Anne Frank's Diary.

Puntierer - Murray Pantirer - lost both his parents, two sisters and four brothers during the Holocaust. After the war he built up a great fortune as a magnate in USA. He honoured Schindler in his own special way. Every time a new town district was planned and built, at least one street was named after Schindler ... In New Jersey alone there are 21 Schindler Streets, and even a Schindler Plaza.

(Oskar Schindler's grave)

Schindler’s List : http://auschwitz.dk/Schindlerslist.htm

The departing dialogue of Oskar Schindler in the movie Schindler’s List

(Liam Neeson portraying Schindler)

Oscar Schindler: I could've got more ... I could've got more, if I'd just ... I could've got more ...
Itzhak Stern: Oscar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.
Schindler: If I'd made more money ... I threw away so much money, you have no idea. If I'd just ...
Stern: There will be generations because of what you did.
Schindler: I didn't do enough.
Stern: You did so much.

Schindler: This car. Goeth would've bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people, right there. Ten people, ten more people ... This pin, two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would've given me two for it. At least one. He would've given me one. One more. One more person. A person, Stern. For this. I could've gotten one more person and I didn't. I didn`t ....."