After the German invasion of Poland, Schindler moved to Krakow and bought a Jewish owned factory. He only employed Jewish workers at his factory, having up to 1,700 people working there at one point. The Jews at his factory were still subjected to brutal conditions, but Schindler intervened on their behalf by bribing the SS soldiers and convincing them the Jewish workers were essential to the war effort.
Schindler persuaded the SS to convert Emalia into a sub camp of Plaszow. In addition to the approximately 1,000 Jewish forced laborers registered as factory workers, Schindler permitted 450 Jews working in other nearby factories to live at Emalia as well, saving them from the systematic brutality and murder that was part of daily life in Plaszow. Schindler's protection of his Jewish workers and some of his shady business dealings led SS and police to suspect him of giving unauthorized aid to Jews. SS and police officials arrested him three times, but were unable to charge him.
After the SS moved the Emalia Jews to Plaszow, Schindler obtained authorization to relocate his plant to Brünnlitz and reopen it exclusively as an armaments factory. One of his assistants drew several versions of a list of up to 1,200 Jewish prisoners needed to work in the new factory. These lists came to be known collectively as “Schindler's List.”
The list consisted of 800 Jewish men and 400 Jewish women and children. During the war, schindler's factory only produced one container of ammunition for the Germans, but was able to seem essential to the war effort by faking production documents. Schindler facilitated the survival of about 1,200 Jewish people through his factory.
Schindler persuaded the SS to convert Emalia into a sub camp of Plaszow. In addition to the approximately 1,000 Jewish forced laborers registered as factory workers, Schindler permitted 450 Jews working in other nearby factories to live at Emalia as well, saving them from the systematic brutality and murder that was part of daily life in Plaszow. Schindler's protection of his Jewish workers and some of his shady business dealings led SS and police to suspect him of giving unauthorized aid to Jews. SS and police officials arrested him three times, but were unable to charge him.
After the SS moved the Emalia Jews to Plaszow, Schindler obtained authorization to relocate his plant to Brünnlitz and reopen it exclusively as an armaments factory. One of his assistants drew several versions of a list of up to 1,200 Jewish prisoners needed to work in the new factory. These lists came to be known collectively as “Schindler's List.”
The list consisted of 800 Jewish men and 400 Jewish women and children. During the war, schindler's factory only produced one container of ammunition for the Germans, but was able to seem essential to the war effort by faking production documents. Schindler facilitated the survival of about 1,200 Jewish people through his factory.