Schindler's List

Schindler's List

In 1933 the most evil of all political parties, the National Socialist Party, came to power in Germany. Led by Defuhrer Adolf Hitler, these Nazis began to implement policies aimed at restricting the Jewish population of Germany. This is where Thomas Keneally begins the story of Oskar Schindler; a simple German businessman who would, in the end, come to symbolize hope and life to all the Jews who knew of him.

Oskar Schindler, the son of Hans and Louisa Schindler, was born on April 28, 1908 in Austria. He grew up in Zwittau, a rather large and industrial city. Twenty years later he was wed to a young farmer's daughter named Emilie. It was not until the Fall of 1939 that Schindler moved to the Polish city of Cracow.

When Schindler came to Poland he had hoped to set up a business there. His desires led him to seek the advice of an enslaved Jewish accountant named Itzhak Stern. Though Stern is suspicious of Schindler, he sees that perhaps Oskar could serve as a buffer against the other Nazi soldiers.

Soon after this encounter Schindler opens his factory, Emalia. In this shop mess kits were created for the German army. Oskar uses Jews to get free labor, but in turn provides them with protection and security. Through the years he manages to keep this good treatment secret, despite two arrests for being over-friendly with his Jews.

Throughout all of this the restrictions on Poland's Jews became more and more harsh. They were herded ...