The 1993 historical drama film Schindler’s List is regarded as one of the greatest movies about the Holocaust ever made, but it doesn’t fully reveal what happened to every historical figure after the war. The movie tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who rescued 1,200 Jews from death in one of the heroic acts during World War II. With its black-and-white cinematography, highly acclaimed performances, and gripping, frightening portrayals of the realities of the Holocaust, Schindler’s List has gone down in history as one of the greatest movies of all time.
Adapted from the 1982 book Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, Steven Spielberg served as director with John Williams composing the original movie score. It won 7 Academy Awards in 1993 and is often regarded as one of Spielberg’s best movies. The movie proved gripping and terrifying in its portrayal of the Holocaust, but it didn’t fully reveal to audiences what happened to every historical figure involved after the war.
Industrialist and humanitarian Oskar Schindler has gone down in history as a hero for his work in saving more than 1000 Jews from the concentration camps. He risked his life and used money and jewelry to bribe Nazi workers to have Jewish prisoners work in his factories. Schindler was portrayed by Liam Neeson, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance.
After the war, Schindler and his wife Emilie moved to Argentina, where they worked in farming. By the end of the war, Schindler had used up his entire fortune on black market products and bribes; after declaring bankruptcy in 1958, he left his wife and moved back to Germany, where he received financial support from Schindlerjuden. Oskar Schindler died on October 9, 1974; he was posthumously named Righteous Among Our Nations in 1993.
Born Emilie Pelzl, she married Oskar Schindler in 1928 after a six-week relationship. During the war, she worked alongside her husband in the factories, going so far as to sell her jewelry to obtain food and medicine for the workers. Emilie Schindler looked after ill workers and helped smuggle food into the factories.
Alongside her husband, Emilie Schindler moved to Argentina, where they stayed together until their separation in 1958. She was among those who visited her husband’s grave in the final moments of Schindler’s List. Emilie Schindler passed away in 2001, at the age of 93.
Polish-Israeli accountant Itzhak Stern began working with Schindler in 1939. It was Stern who suggested to Schindler about employing Jewish laborers in their factory. Stern’s suggestion began Schindler’s work of rescuing Jews from the extermination camps during the Holocaust and Stern assisted in recruiting workers to Brünnlitz during the war; in the movie, Stern was portrayed by Ben Kingsley.
Itzhak Stern later moved to Israel after the war. He married his long-time partner Sophia Backenrot in 1945; their marriage had been delayed until the end of the war. Stern remained friends with Schindler for the rest of his life until he died in 1969.
Leo Rosner’s skills as a musician undoubtedly saved his life. He was a skilled cabaret artist who played the accordion; while he was imprisoned in the Płaszów concentration camp, notorious camp officer Amon Göth constantly ordered Rosner to play music. Rosner’s music skills later caught the attention of Schindler, who rescued Rosner by adding him to his list of workers.
