“Schindler’s List”: The True Story of the Man Who Saved Over 1,000 Lives During World War II

Thirty years after its release, Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg, remains one of the most powerful and emotionally stirring films about the Holocaust. What makes the film even more remarkable is that it’s based on a true story — the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who became an unexpected hero during one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Oskar Schindler: From Nazi Party Member to Life Saver

Oskar Schindler was born in 1908 in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic). At the beginning of World War II, he joined the Nazi Party and moved to Kraków, Poland, to pursue business opportunities under the German occupation. He took over a factory that produced enamelware and employed Jewish workers — at first, a purely economic decision, since Jewish labor was cheaper.

However, as Schindler witnessed the brutality of the Nazi regime firsthand, his perspective changed. He began using his factory as a sanctuary. Through bribes, political connections, and forged paperwork, he managed to protect about 1,200 Jews by declaring them “essential workers” — creating what became known as “Schindler’s List.”

The Film That Brought the Story to Life

Schindler’s List, released in 1993, was adapted from Thomas Keneally’s novel Schindler’s Ark. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film featured:

• Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler

• Ben Kingsley as Itzhak Stern – Schindler’s accountant and trusted assistant

• Ralph Fiennes as Amon Göth – a cruel Nazi officer

Shot almost entirely in black and white, the film includes haunting visual symbols, such as the girl in the red coat — a powerful representation of innocence lost in the horror of war.

The film won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and has been inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

The 2025 Re-Release: A Reminder of Humanity and History

In 2025, to mark over 30 years since its original debut, Schindler’s List is being re-released with digitally restored visuals and enhanced sound. It’s an opportunity for new generations to experience a cinematic masterpiece — and a moving reminder of the cost of hatred and the power of human compassion in the darkest of times.

A Lasting Legacy

Oskar Schindler died in 1974 and is buried in Jerusalem — the only member of the Nazi Party to be honored in this way. He was named “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial.

The more than 1,000 people he saved have since become the ancestors of tens of thousands — living proof of the film’s most famous line:
“Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.”