Oskar Schindler: The Jewish Holocaust

The Jewish Holocaust was not only a horrific event, it was one that will always be remembered. One brave man, Oskar Schindler, did as much as he could to save the Jewish people of Krakow from the misery of the Nazis. Oskar Schindler not only saved Jewish people from concentration camps and ghettos, but he also helped to nourish them and fought to keep them alive in his factory. Throughout the war, Oskar Schindler brought in many Jewish people to work for him. These people came to his factory knowing that they were in the hands of a nice man who was going to save them. At first, Schindler’s goal was to hire these workers to help the factory become more successful, but soon later his thought changed. Gradually, the egoistic goal of lining his …show more content…
At the start of the war, Schindler created his factory that would produce enamelware for the Germans. Since he needed workers to run the machines in his factory, he hired not only Jews but also some polish people that were in need of a job. My workers, said Schindler. Essential industrial workers. My office manager. It’s idiocy. I have Armaments Inspectorate contracts, and here you are taking the workers I need to fulfill them (Keneally 124). His workers were needed to help produce enamelware for the Germans and with the products he made, Schindler could make a profit. At first he bought the factory to help him increase his wealth and to make some extra cash. In 1939, Schindler acquired an enamelware factory in Poland where about 1,000 of the 1,700 workers were Jews. Schindler began his rescue mission as a way to make money (Pompilio 1). His first intentions were not to save these Jewish people from what torture they were receiving, he just wanted to make money just like majority of the business men in Krakow. The Jewish people were also much cheaper to hire and the owners of the factory would not have to spend as much if the workers were productive Germans. The ancient city, home to some 60,000 Jews and seat of the German occupation administration, the General government, proved highly attractive to German entrepreneurs, hoping to capitalize on the misfortunes of the subjugated country and make a fortune. Naturally cunning and none too scrupulous, Schindler appeared at first to thrive in these surroundings (Yad Vashem 1). Oskar Schindler saw the opportunity to spend less money on his workers by hiring the misfortunes of the city, at the time the Jewish people were considered to be part of the misfortunes. These people were brought to the factory to work, but in the end of the war they were all