The Book I read - Schindler’s List

The best one I have ever read was Schindler’s List, which I decided to read after I had watched film with of same name. Schindler’s Ark is the novel written by Australian author Thomas Keneally. This bestseller later renamed Schindler’s List was published in 1982 became internationally famous. In 1993 it was filmed by Steven Spielberg and it won 7 Oscars. It has an exciting story with interesting dialogues and plot. The author pays attention to details and in spite of the movie he describes also Schindler’s childhood and his after-war life. It is well-written, accurate story has great historic background. It is situated in German-occupied territories during the Second World War. The main character is Oscar Schindler, German businessman, who risked his life daily during the war and using his charm and influence tried to save as many Polish Jews as possible.
 
At the beginning we get some information about Oskar Schindler’s childhood, when he was the child of a successful businessman. He lived in small industrial city Zwittau with his sister Elfriede and parents, proud to be Sudeten “Germans” in a modern house with a big garden. His father owned a factory producing farm machinery, but after his bankrupt he abandoned wife. Oskar was professional motorbike racer, but he left this career after marriage with a quiet, graceful and religious Emilie. But Oskar followed his father’s example and forgot about his wife and after mother’s funeral he left good job of sales manager in Moravia and went to Poland. On 1 September 1939 the Second World War had begun. Schindler wanted to found factory producing army equipment (pots, dishes, spoons for soldiers) therefore he contacted Itzhak Stern and Abraham Bankier, who helped him to get money to invest into his business and to establish DEF – Deutsche Email Fabrik.

Schindler called as "Herr Director," let Stern, who became his friend, to handle all administration. Thanks to Krakow Jew Leopold Pfefferberg became all the time luxuries from black marked, which were important to get his risky goals. He got a fine apartment from German authorities, but he didn’t live here with his wife, but with his German girlfriend Ingrid. He had relationship also with Victoria Klonowska, a Polish secretary in DEF, and with many other women. But they all knew about each other. Schindler worked very hard and he was satisfied to employ more people and to make more money than his father did. In 1941 Jews were got into Ghettos, where they lived in bad conditions. Workers in Schindler's factory were allowed to work outside the ghetto and Stern falsified documents to ensure that as many people as possible are "essential" by the Nazi bureaucracy, which saved them from being transported to concentration camps to die. He was arrested, because Gestapo was investigating his company, but they released him. On his 34th birthday party on 28 April 1942 he celebrated expensively and there was brad, soup and wine also for his employees. But he kissed here one Jewish girl and therefore he was arrested again, but thanks to his influential friends he was released again. After being a witness of massacre in Krakow ghetto he decided to defeat the system and started to build barracks for his workers behind DEF in Plaszów. Because of it he had to bribe German SS Amon Goeth, who was cruel and killed many Jews when he wanted. On 13 March 1943, Krakow ghetto would be cleared of Jews.

So Oskar immediately began to build his sub-camp and to remove here as many Jews as possible and he had to bribe many people to assure safe for his Jews. But later, because of war situation it was closed and Schindler had to find new place for them. At that time List already existed. Thanks to other bribes and influential contacts he moved his factory and workers near Zwittau in Czechoslovakia. In 1944 Amon Goeth was arrested and they released him a long time later. Schindler found good place for his camp in ex-factory Brinnlitz close to Zwittau. Schindler and Stern wrote a list of workers that should be transported here, but Berlin set a limit of 1,100 people. After three-day journey they all were transported here, they were shaved, washed and dressed into prison uniforms and had soup. There were arrived 2,000 men, but 300 women were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Schindler is arrested for the third time because of his contacts with Amon Goeth, but his friends in high places supported him again. He sent to Auschwitz his secretary, but when she didn’t turn back, he decided to go to this concentration camp himself. At that time in all sub-camps were all children cleared and taken to Auschwitz for medical experiments. These women were finally arrived to Brinnlitz, bud they had to stay isolated because of typhoid fever. In Krakow and also in Berlin DEF became bad name, because it was only a small producer for army. He tried to produce unworkable bullets and guns and when control came, he gave them a good dinner. All the time Schindler tried to save as many human lives as possible, for example 2 boxcars of prisoners from Auschwitz III, who weighed less than 34 kg, but all survived also thanks to help of Schindler’s wife Emilie.

Because of serious health problems Amon Goeth was released in 1945. At that time the end of war was coming. On 28 April 1945 Oskar had a birthday speech and he received a special box with wishes from his workers. Some days later Russians reached Sudeten area and on 9 May 1945 Schindler stopped works in factory to listen to Churchill’s victory speech, so that Oskar had to leave the country. Germans left factory and Schindler with his wife Emilie had to say goodbye to his “family” – Jews. They helped him to leave the country and gave him a gift – gold ring engraved with the Talmudic quotation, "He who saves the life of one man, saves the world entire" and a letter explaining he is not a criminal to them. Then Schindler left with some Jews. The others stayed in Brinnlitz for three days until Russian officer told them that they were free. They went mostly to Western Europe, America or to Palestine. Schindler went to Switzerland, but he was put here into prison. But he said whole truth and French government released them. Oskar with Emilie lived in Germany near Munich, then with money from international Jewish organisation, he went to Argentina to start some business but he bankrupted twice. On his 53rd birthday he was formally honoured in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem. Because of it he had problems in Germany; they hated him as a Jew-lover. Half of life he spent in Israel, half of life in dark apartment by Frankfurt. In his sixties he was still working for some Jewish charities and on 9 October 1974 he died in hospital in Frankfurt. A month later, according to his wishes, he was buried in Jerusalem.
 
The story is based on Keneally’s real talks with 50 people all over the world, whom Schindler saved their lives. In fact, he saved lives of more than 1,100 Jews. He went to Krakow to earn money, but in fact he spent all his money to help their lives and he stayed poor. Finally, all these people took care of him and gave him money to live and helped him as well as he had helped them before. According to me this is a real masterpiece I recommend everyone to read. Because it is not fictive story, but reality which really happened in our history and there is still something we should learn from it.