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Essay on Oskar Schindler

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[War] brings out the worst in people. Never the good, always the bad. Even in the midst the devastation of a national genocide, where one race turned against another in hate, good people existed and worked to counteract the hate through love and compassion. Oskar Schindler was one of these people. World War II provided him the means to become a very wealthy and powerful man, yet he did not exploit the Jews like many other businessmen during his time. He used his money and power to save thousands. Much can be learned from what happened during the holocaust and what Schindler did to save thousands of Jews. Oskar Schindler was a very complex and dynamic man. When the Nazi party rose to power and began to dominate and discriminate against …show more content…

From this moment on, the people that worked for Schindler were not just Jews, they were Schindlerjuden, people who he had the responsibility of protecting. Itzak Stern was no longer just his accountant and business manager, he was Schindler’s go-to person vital to the survival of the Schindlerjuden. Schindler grew closer to Stern as the war progressed and he began to regard Stern as an equal, sharing personal thoughts and decisions with him. After the war, Schindler relied on Stern and the other Schindlerjuden for support as he was never able to live a secure life because of the effect the war had on him.
The Jews that Schindler protected lived a much different life than Schindler himself. Life for them was turned upside down as there were “no set rules to live by.” The Schindlerjuden lived every day in fear of never having another, never feeling totally sure of what the future had in store for them. They weren’t sure if they would be able to walk across the Plaszow concentration camp without being shot by Amon Goeth, they weren’t sure if they would be sent off to an extermination camp, they weren’t sure if they would ever be able to live the life they had. This uncertainty can be seen in Schindler’s List. One moment the women Schindlerjuden were about to have a better life in Schindler’s new factory in Czechoslovakia, the next they were accidentally routed to Auschwitz, and the next they were safely returned to

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