Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist who was credited with saving the lives of around 1,200 Jews during World War II by employing them in his factories. This story was put into print in the novel “Schindlers Ark” and more famously in the film “Schindlers List”.
Oskar Schindler was born in 1908 to German parents in a place called Zwittau. At the time it was part of Austria-Hungary but is now in the Czech Republic. Schindler was an opportunist who sought to profit from the German war machine. He acquired ownership of a bankrupt factory in Krakow, Poland and ended up with around 1,000 forced Jewish labourers to work there for him.
Oskar Schindler soon became know within the Nazi SS Elite due to his lifestyle and used these contacts to help boost his wealth. Although he may have initially motivated by money, Oskar Schindler soon started to shield his Jewish workers, regardless of the cost.
By the end of the war, Oskar Schindler had spent virtually all his money on bribes and black-market suppliers for his workers. He eventually moved to Argentina but a failed business venture saw him return to Germany. Oskar Schindler tried – and failed – in a number of other business ventures. He died in 1974 of a heart complaint penniless but surround by family and friends. Today, he lies buried at Mount Zion in Jerusalem. On his grave is the inscription “The Unforgettable Lifesaver of 1200 Persecuted Jews”
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