Oskar Schindler Essay

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The Real Oskar Schindler The Real Oskar Schindler The Holocaust had countless well-known and unknown heroes. These heroes sacrificed their lives in order to help others by shielding them from the Nazi reign of terror. Among them was a German man by the name of Oskar Schindler. Schindler, as famously publicized by the movie, Schindler’s List, was responsible for saving the lives of over 1000 Jews. As a businessman, Schindler was able to offer to select Jews, refuge by working in his factories. The factories were far less physically demanding and safer than life in the ghettos or in concentration camps. By examining the movie, Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg along side the work of Elinor J. Brecher entitled, Schindler’s Legacy: true stories of the list survivors and David M. Crowe’s, Oskar Schindler: the untold account of his life, wartime activities, and the true story behind the list, one can draw various similarities and differences among them. Several reoccurring themes and questions occur in each work including: Who was Schindler in his early years? Was Schindler the true hero he is often portrayed as? When was the moment he decided to actively work towards saving the lives of Jews? Who wrote the list? These questions when observed together, help to identify a significant problem within the accounts of Schindler’s life, its historical accuracy. The objective of each of the sources differs significantly – Spielberg’s motion picture focuses on promoting a selfless Schindler who is so closely tied to the Jews in his factories, that he can list them by memory. While Crowe provides a more scholarly approach to the subject, highlighting both his strengths and weaknesses. Finally, Brecher’s account tells the stories of the survivors and their connection to Schindler. By taking only one of these perspectives

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