p6-Heather

Oskar Schindler (Rescuer) Oskar Schindler was born on April 28, 1908, in Zwittau, Eastern Europe, and died on October 9, 1974, in Frankfurt, West Germany. He grew up with all the privileges money could buy as a German Nazi. When Schindler’s family business went bankrupt he worked for German Intelligence Service (Abwehr) as a spy in 1935. After getting caught he was arrested for spying. When he was in jail Germany took over Czechoslovakia and he was fired. He set up a business in an old enamel works factory in Poland, employing Jews from the Krakow Ghetto as cheap labor. Schindler increasingly feared for the safety of his workers. He convinced the Nazis to do this and prevented the Jews from going to the death camps of the East. Oskar Schindler would be labeled as a rescuer. A rescuer is someone involved in protecting or freeing individuals from Nazi persecution. You wouldn’t think a German Nazi would want to save Jews but bringing these Jews to his factory brought him cheap labor to his business. Because he was paying them little he gave them an opportunity to survive by saving them from Adolf Hitler’s death camps.

Citations:

Byers, Ann. __Oskar Schindler__. 1. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2005.

Pottinger, Susan. "Oskar Schindler." __Jewish Virtual Library__. 2009. The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. 6 May 2009 .