Oskar Schindler: A Detailed Biography

Oskar Schindler (1908–1974) was the unlikely German industrialist who saved over 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust. A charming opportunist, womaniser, and Nazi Party member, he arrived in Kraków to profit from the war — but risked everything to protect his Jewish workers. Immortalised in Thomas Keneally’s novel Schindler’s Ark and Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List, his story is one of history’s greatest redemptions. This biography covers his Moravian childhood, Kraków factory, transformation, rescue efforts, post-war poverty, and legacy, as documented by the Yad Vashem, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Oskar Schindler Museum, Kraków.

Early Life in Moravia

Birth in Zwittnau

Born on April 28, 1908, in Zwittnau, Moravia (then Austria-Hungary), Schindler grew up in a Catholic German-speaking family. He was a poor student but charismatic and mechanically gifted.

Opportunist in Nazi-Occupied Poland

After Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Schindler — a Sudeten German and Nazi Party member — moved to Kraków. Using bribes and charm, he acquired a bankrupt enamelware factory (DEF) and employed cheap Jewish labour from the Kraków Ghetto, as detailed by the Smithsonian Magazine.

Transformation and Rescue

Witnessing the Ghetto Liquidation

Watching the brutal 1943 liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto from horseback, Schindler was horrified. With accountant Itzhak Stern, he began protecting his workers — bribing SS officers and falsifying records to declare them “essential”.

Brünnlitz Factory and the List

When the Plaszów camp was closed in 1944, Schindler relocated his factory to Brünnlitz, Czechoslovakia. He spent his entire fortune bribing Amon Göth and others to spare his 1,200 workers — the famous “Schindler’s List”, as preserved by the Yad Vashem archives.

Post-War Poverty and Recognition

After the war, Schindler’s businesses failed. He lived on donations from Schindlerjuden and Jewish organisations. Israel honoured him as Righteous Among the Nations in 1993; he is buried on Mount Zion, Jerusalem — the only former Nazi Party member with that privilege.

Personal Life

Married Emilie Schindler in 1928; their marriage was stormy (he was a notorious womaniser). Emilie played a crucial role in the rescue but was long overshadowed. They had no children.

Death and Legacy

Oskar Schindler’s Enduring Impact

Schindler died of liver failure on October 9, 1974, in Hildesheim, West Germany, aged 66. His story — told in Keneally’s Booker Prize-winning novel and Spielberg’s seven-Oscar film — is one of the most powerful Holocaust narratives. The phrase “Schindler’s List” has become synonymous with salvation amid genocide, as celebrated by the Academy Awards.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oskar Schindler

Why Is Oskar Schindler Famous?

For saving over 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust — subject of Schindler’s List.

How Many Jews Did Schindler Save?

1,200–1,300 — known as Schindlerjuden.

Where Was Oskar Schindler Born?

Zwittnau, Moravia (Czech Republic), April 28, 1908.

What Was Schindler’s Ark?

The list of Jewish workers he saved from Auschwitz.

Was Schindler a Member of the Nazi Party?

Yes — joined for business but used it to protect Jews.

Was Schindler Awarded Righteous Among the Nations?

Yes — by Yad Vashem in 1993.

How Did Oskar Schindler Die?

Liver failure on October 9, 1974, aged 66.