Oskar Schindler's Actions During the Holocaust

Oskar Schindler's Actions During the Holocaust

The Holocaust usually refers to Nazi Germany's systematic genocide of various peoples during the Second World War, the main target of this designed massacre being the Jews. Approximately 6 million Jews became the victims of this fanatical racism, slaughter, and cruelty. However, in all this madness, there were still a few people with sound conscience and courage to act against these atrocities. The most famous of these heroes would be Oskar Schindler, the once opportunistic businessman who, later, spent every last of his pennies to save his 1200 "Schindler Jews." People often deliberate on why Oskar Schindler did what he did. However, the issue of interest should not be focused on why Oskar Schindler did what he did but rather, on why no one else did what he did. The exact reason that makes Schindler a hero is that he did what everyone else did not dare to do.

The initial depiction made of Schindler is not exactly one of high morals and a good conscience. Although Schindler was born in a deeply religious Catholic family, his early years of life were colored with materialism and debauchery. He was notorious for being a greedy exploiter of slave workers, a black-marketer, a gambler, a member of the Nazi party, and an alcoholic playboy. However, this most hated and degraded of man became the most revered saviors of modern times.

Oskar Schindler succeeded in accomplishing something everyone else deemed impossible. The saving of the first Schindler Jews began in 1939, when he opened up a small enamel shop right outside of Krakow near the Jewish ghetto. Here, he employed mostly Jewish workers, thus, saving them from being deported to labor camps. Then in 1942, when Schindler found out that the local Krakow Jews were being sent to the brutal Plazow labor camp, he convinced the S. S. and the Armaments Administration to set up a sub-camp in his factory. They agreed, and Schindler took even those who were unfit and unqualified for work. In turn, he spared 900 Jewish lives from this one action. In October of 1944, after negotiating with S.S. officials, he was allowed to take with him some Jewish workers to his armament production company in Bruunlitz. Schindler then succeeded in transferring over 700 Jews from the Grossrosen camp, and another 300 women form Auschwitz. After this successful operation in Brunnlit...

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...their cruelty, whether through sadistic behavior or through neglect, because everyone else was acting the same way. They could lapse into such cruelty because they were in total control of the Jews.

Oskar Schindler became a historical figure because he did what others did not, and did not do what human beings usually fall for. He did not fall for the Nazi's propaganda, which justified

their cruelty, like any other individual had, but sustained sound judgment and conscience. Also, he did not lapse into cruelty like the average German had, but realized the monstrosity of the actions of the Nazis. Moreover, based on his untarnished judgment, Schindler stepped forward and took action against evil doing.

Bibliography

Keneally, Thomas. Schindler's List. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982.

Milgram, Stanley. Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. New Work: Harper/Collings, 1974.

Milgram, Stanley. "The Perils of Obedience." Harper's Magazine. 1974.

Paldiel, Mordecai. "Schindler, Oskar." Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. New York: Macmillan, 1990.

Zimbardo, P. G., and Leippe, M.. The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991.