Poland: Krakow: Oskar Schindler Factory inside: Holocaust

publication date: Aug 29, 2007

 | 

author/source: Maurice Savage

Until 1993, very few people were aware of Oskar Schindler, the Podgorze ghetto in Krakow or the Plaszow concentration camp.  

Oskar Schindler was introduced to the world by Schindler's Ark, a Booker Prize winning novel (1982) by Thomas Keneally (Wikipedia links).

Then Steven Speilberg made 'Schindler's List' and gave the world a film about the Holocaust that shone a light on what one man achieved during the horrors of the Holocaust.

Oskar Schindler started the War as a member of the Nazi party and opened his factory in Krakow in order to make money.  He used his charm, connections and money to build his factory using cheap labour from the local Podgorze Jewish ghetto (it was cheaper to employ Jews than non-Jewish Poles).  In other words, he was not the altruist in the early years of the War.

But while Oskar Schindler was a businessman he was also a human.  He saw how the Nazi's were treating the Jewish people and decided to use his position to protect as many people as possible from the Nazi regime.  In doing so, he used the charm, the connections and the money he had used to build up his business in the first place.

The result:  Oskar Schindler saved over 1000 people from almost certain death when he created his list (Schindler's List - download the list of names). 

The following file includes video clips and photographs from inside his factory; other articles look at his house in central Krakow and additional views of the factory. 

Today, the site of Schindlers factory is in the early stages of being converted into a modern art museum, (see article in the Useful Information folder).

Google Earth Link: Oskar Schindler factory, Krakow

Enter your search terms Submit search form

Please refer to Licensing Information if you are unsure about the rules regarding the use of content of this file.