Heroic Actions
Soon after his mother's death, he joined the nazi party because it was good for business- as he had always dreamed of becoming rich. The Nazis sent Oskar to spy in Krakow. One week after the Blitzkreig in Poland (September 1st), Schindler arrived in Krakow to complete his mission. He stayed in a thriving Jewish community. Schindler witnessed Jews being separated from the rest of society by small Stars of David sewn on their clothes. He witnessed deportation of Jews, Jewish ghettos, and foreclosure of Jewish businesses.
Since he was a member of the Nazi party, Oskar got all the privlages that the Nazis got. When he saw that a Jewish factory was forclosed, he inquired about it. Using loans he received from rich Jews who knew their money was to be given to the Nazis soon anyway, he bought the factory. He met a man Itzhak Stern, a jewish accountant, and hired him. Schindler and Stern had a very strong friendship. He decided to use the factory to create kitchenware for german soldiers. Stern told Schindler that, “he who saves a single life, saves a world entire” and encouraged Schindler to hire Jewish employees. Since Oskar was an active member of the Nazi party, he would invite commandants over for a drink. He would serve them so much vodka it was easy to convince them that jewish workers were absolutely essential to not only the war but also to his economic profit. Stern recalls that, "Almost everyday, from morning until evening, officials and other visitors came to the factory and made me nervous. Schindler used to keep pouring vodka and joking with them. When they left he would ask me in, close the door, and then quietly tell me whatever they had come for. He used to to tell them that he knew how to get work out of these Jews and that he wanted more brought in. That was how we managed to get in the families and relatives all the time."
By hiring Jews, they could escape concentration camps since they were employed by a german-owned firm as stated in an edict published in 1941. He recorded the elderly workers as being twenty years younger and the youth employees were listed as adults. He also recorded all workers as being skilled metalworkers so everyone would be seen as essential to the workforce. By doing this, the Nazis had no choice but to let the Jews work in the factory. Since they could be paid less, he saw it as a way to benefit both him (economically) and his employees. In the factory, he treated his workers with such respect that they were surprised at first. He talked to them as if they were normal people which was uncommon for a Nazi to do. He would walk around the factory and smile and make conversation with his workers and was known to crack a joke every once in a while. He even warned his workers of when there were going to be “auctions” or terrorization of jews.
On March 12th, 1943, the Nazis had planned to liquidate the ghetto in which his workers had lived. He warned them that night and they had all stayed in the factory. This liquidation was witnessed by oskar and he saw all the beatings, the dog attacks, mass killings and much more that went on. This was said to be his “turning point” which he changed his intentions from economic success to saving lives. Even still, his workers were sent to a camp in Krakow and there, he bonded with the man who ran it, Goeth. His workers would work in his factory by day and by night they would work in the camp. He used his bond with Goeth to convince him to give schindler permission to build a housing facility next to his factory so his workers didnt have to make such a long commute and lose hours.
Since he was a member of the Nazi party, Oskar got all the privlages that the Nazis got. When he saw that a Jewish factory was forclosed, he inquired about it. Using loans he received from rich Jews who knew their money was to be given to the Nazis soon anyway, he bought the factory. He met a man Itzhak Stern, a jewish accountant, and hired him. Schindler and Stern had a very strong friendship. He decided to use the factory to create kitchenware for german soldiers. Stern told Schindler that, “he who saves a single life, saves a world entire” and encouraged Schindler to hire Jewish employees. Since Oskar was an active member of the Nazi party, he would invite commandants over for a drink. He would serve them so much vodka it was easy to convince them that jewish workers were absolutely essential to not only the war but also to his economic profit. Stern recalls that, "Almost everyday, from morning until evening, officials and other visitors came to the factory and made me nervous. Schindler used to keep pouring vodka and joking with them. When they left he would ask me in, close the door, and then quietly tell me whatever they had come for. He used to to tell them that he knew how to get work out of these Jews and that he wanted more brought in. That was how we managed to get in the families and relatives all the time."
By hiring Jews, they could escape concentration camps since they were employed by a german-owned firm as stated in an edict published in 1941. He recorded the elderly workers as being twenty years younger and the youth employees were listed as adults. He also recorded all workers as being skilled metalworkers so everyone would be seen as essential to the workforce. By doing this, the Nazis had no choice but to let the Jews work in the factory. Since they could be paid less, he saw it as a way to benefit both him (economically) and his employees. In the factory, he treated his workers with such respect that they were surprised at first. He talked to them as if they were normal people which was uncommon for a Nazi to do. He would walk around the factory and smile and make conversation with his workers and was known to crack a joke every once in a while. He even warned his workers of when there were going to be “auctions” or terrorization of jews.
On March 12th, 1943, the Nazis had planned to liquidate the ghetto in which his workers had lived. He warned them that night and they had all stayed in the factory. This liquidation was witnessed by oskar and he saw all the beatings, the dog attacks, mass killings and much more that went on. This was said to be his “turning point” which he changed his intentions from economic success to saving lives. Even still, his workers were sent to a camp in Krakow and there, he bonded with the man who ran it, Goeth. His workers would work in his factory by day and by night they would work in the camp. He used his bond with Goeth to convince him to give schindler permission to build a housing facility next to his factory so his workers didnt have to make such a long commute and lose hours.
Soon enough, the jews were let out of the labor camps. Instead of sending the jews from his factory off and living with the millions he had made, he kept them because he knew that any jew that wasnt already killed in the horrific labor camps would be sent to a death camp like Auschwitz to be gassed to death. Schindler decided to move his factory and workers and started to make ammunition because it would be regarded as indespensable to the war. Unfortunately, the Jews took a slight detour when following Schindler to his new factory. 801 men were sent to gross rosen and 300 women were sent to Auschwitz, both death camps. After four weeks, only two of Schindlers' workers died and the rest were returned to the factory. A survivor recalls Schindler greeting them with “You're with me. Hot soup is waiting for you.”
When they arrived. at the time, so many people were being sent to death camps that the death camps began to fill up. Schindler had heard news of a cattle cart containing 132 people that were abandoned in the freezing cold that failed to find a death camp that would accept them. When he heard this, he rescued them and brought them home. The jews were in the carts without food, water, or warmth for 10 days so there were a significant amount of deaths. To accomodate those who had passed away, he bought land from a priest in paris and decided to bury them.
When the war had finally ended, he armed some of his workers in case of a final blood bath as the german soldiers were retreating so he knew his workers would be safe as he and his wife journeyed to Buenos Aires. His goodbyes with workers was said to be very emotional. the crowd was filled with mixed emotions; happy that the war was over, greatful that they survived, helpless because they felt that they were in debt to schindler for saving them, and sad to see him leave. So many people were crawling up to him thanking him before he left but it was very hard to talk to him given he had saved 1300 people and all of them wanted to sincerely thank him for his deeds.
When they arrived. at the time, so many people were being sent to death camps that the death camps began to fill up. Schindler had heard news of a cattle cart containing 132 people that were abandoned in the freezing cold that failed to find a death camp that would accept them. When he heard this, he rescued them and brought them home. The jews were in the carts without food, water, or warmth for 10 days so there were a significant amount of deaths. To accomodate those who had passed away, he bought land from a priest in paris and decided to bury them.
When the war had finally ended, he armed some of his workers in case of a final blood bath as the german soldiers were retreating so he knew his workers would be safe as he and his wife journeyed to Buenos Aires. His goodbyes with workers was said to be very emotional. the crowd was filled with mixed emotions; happy that the war was over, greatful that they survived, helpless because they felt that they were in debt to schindler for saving them, and sad to see him leave. So many people were crawling up to him thanking him before he left but it was very hard to talk to him given he had saved 1300 people and all of them wanted to sincerely thank him for his deeds.