Schindler: Opportunistic Entrepreneur or Righteous Gentile?

Oskar Schindler’s legacy of saving over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust still remains today as one of the most discussed topics around the world. Why did he do it? Why did he spend his entire fortune trying to keep them safe? Why did he risk everything he had in order to protect what was really only a handful out of millions of Jews? No one has the answers to these questions, but his actions have earned him the distinguished title of “righteous gentile” by the State of Israel, and several award winning books, movies and documentaries to his name. However, it is arguable that Schindler was nothing more than an opportunistic entrepreneur who cleverly took advantage of the oppressed Jews as an army war profiteer. While others remain certain that this unlikely hero was truly a saviour and virtuous gentile who risked his life to do what no other German man had the courage to do. As a youth, Schindler joined the Nazi party simply because “it was good for business” and the appeal of making a great deal of money from the party was an offer too tempting to refuse. Some believe that his involvement in the party was indicative of his profiteering character. This was particularly highlighted in 1939 when Poland was transformed into a land of economic opportunity for German entrepreneurs after the Nazi invasion. Schindler, accordingly, travelled to Krakow, Poland to capitalise on the misfortune of the Jews. Steven Spielberg, the director of Schindler’s List, commented in an interview that “Schindler was a black marketeer who first came to Poland to make money and expand his fortune”, and that it was never on his initial agenda to save the Jews, rather to abuse the use of cheap Jewish labour. Being a Jew himself, Spielberg’s purpose in making Schindler's List was to ultimately depict the horrors of the Holocaust while keeping the story alive through Schindler’s actions, so that the modern generations of people will never forget what happened or ever cause a repeat.