Oskar Schindler Argumentative Essay

“A thinking man, who had overcome his inner cowardice, simply had to help. There was no other choice” (“Oskar Schindler” 1). Oskar Schindler demonstrated the human spirit in his time spent saving over 1,000 Jews from the deadly Holocaust. Oskar Schindler’s effort, challenges he overcame, and legacy he left are reasons why he is considered a hero, even today.

Schindler’s mindset during the Holocaust and the effort he gave to help the Jews was just one of the reasons why he is considered a hero. First, he warned his accountant about a raid which saved many. According to Herbert Steinhouse, Itzhak Stern, Oskar’s accountant warned Stern of a possible raid. He said, “I hear that there will be a raid on all remaining Jewish property tomorrow.” With

Years after the war ended, a group of Schindlerjuden still wanted to unite with their hero again. In 1949, four years after the war ended, a group of around thirty-five Schindlerjuden gathered to celebrate and thank Oskar for what he did. They gave speeches which were full of kind works and thankfulness. One went on to say, "At the factory, they sneered at us 'Schindlerjuden.' Today, were are proud of that name." Schindler responded with tears and embraced each and every one of them (Steinhouse 13). This goes to show the appreciation and thankfulness that the Schindlerjuden had towards Oskar—he will never be forgotten. Oskar was recognized in various countries for what he did—including Israel. In 1974, Oskar passed away but his legacy lived on. He was declared a "Righteous Gentile." His remains were even transported from Frakfurkt to be buried in a cemetery in Jerusalem on Mount Zion (Steinhouse 12). According to Louis Bülow, he wanted to be buried there because his "children" were there(3). This passage logically implies that his legacy lives on and touches many people around the world. Finally, Oskar Schindler's story was made into a movie, "Schindler's List." In Steven Spielberg's film, many times in Oskar's life were shown. From the time he only cared about profit and joining the Nazi party, to gaining an empathy for Jews and doing anything he could to save them (Crowe 523). According to Louis Bülow, there are more than 8,500 descendants of his Jews today—that's a lot(3). This demonstrates that Oskar's story touched so many people—enough to make a movie about it. Schindler's legacy is known by many today and hopefully by many in the future. He not only saved the lives of more than 1,000 Jews, but their descendants