Schindler’s Listis a critically acclaimed movie that tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi officer, rescuing Jewish people in the Holocaust. DirectorSteven Spielberg believesSchindler’s Listis his best movie, and the film won several Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture.Schindler’s Listis based on a true story, so the film follows real-life events until the end of the war. The ending is emotionally charged and brutally honest. When the Soviet Army finds the Jewish people Schindler saved, they declare that they have been liberated,unaware that Oskar Schindler had already liberated them.
The movie finishes somewhat open-ended, butSchindler’s Listexplains what happens to the film’s critical charactersafter the Holocaust. There is much more to say about the ending ofSchindler’s List, from the soundtrack to the documented footage to Oskar Schindler leaving behind the Jewish people he saved.Schindler’s Listis over three hours long, and there are many details during those three hours that set up the ending. Spielberg chose an ideal spot to conclude the narrative and transition into the post-war information segment.
Where Was Schindler’s List Filmed? The Historical Drama’s Filming Locations Explained
Schindler’s List is regarded as one of the greatest Holocaust movies ever made. The historical movie was filmed in a few recognizable locations.
Why Do The Holocaust Survivors Put Rocks On Schindler’s Grave?
Placing Rocks On Graves Is A Jewish Tradition
At the end ofSchindler’s List, director Steven Spielberg documents a breathing and memorable moment of the remaining Holocaust survivors that Oskar Schindler had saved. The survivors visit Schindler’s grave, each leaving a stone on it. This act issymbolic in Jewish culture to signify remembering the deceased. More specifically, the Holocaust survivors placing the stones on the grave honors Oskar Schindler, who had passed away almost 20 years beforeSchindler’s List. It is a critical moment that portrays the survivors' respect and love for the man who saved them.
Why Are The Jewish Survivors Known AsSchindlerjuden, Or Schindler’s Jews?
The Jewish Holocaust Survivors Worked For Oskar Schindler
Schindler’s Listportrays Oskar Schindler’s initial motivations for employing Jewish people as financial. During the Holocaust, Jewish people were the least expensive laborers, and Oskar Schindler was only interested in making as much money as possible while spending as little as possible. However, when Oskar Schindler discoveredthe Nazis' Final Solution plans, he realized he had to protect the Jewish people that worked for him.They became known asSchindlerjudenor, in English, Schindler’s Jews.Schindler’s Listportrays how other Nazi officers knew not to interfere with any of Oskar Schindler’s employees.
Why Itzhak Stern & Other Jewish Survivors Comforted Oskar Schindler When He Breaks Down
Oskar Schindler Felt Like He Could Have Saved More Jews
At the end ofSchindler’s List,before Oskar Schindler leaves his Jewish employees behind, he breaks down crying, believing he could have saved more people if he had sold more of his belongings. Although Oskar Schindler knows what the Nazis are doing to the Jewish people, he does not truly acknowledge the horrific war crimes until this moment. Schindler still feels responsible because he is a Nazi officer, even though he saved over 1000 Jewish people.Oskar Schindler sobs because of his overbearing guilt, prompting his employees to embrace and comfort him.
It is a powerful moment where the Jewish people vouch for Oskar Schindler’s humanitarian actions. During the Holocaust, it was a crime for Gentiles to help even one Jewish person. Oskar Schindler was no ordinary Gentile—he was a Nazi officer, and he still defied Nazi laws to save hundreds of Jewish people. Oskar Schindler’s employees know he went above and beyond to save them. Theycomfort Schindler out of gratitude, respect, and love for everything he did for them. They understand his guilt because of the brutality they endured from other Nazi officers, but they know Schindler is not them.
Who Were The Elderly People At The End Of Schindler’s List?
Jewish Holocaust Survivors People Who Survived The Holocaust Because Of Oskar Schindler
At the end ofSchindler’s List, the Jewish people Oskar Schindler saved walk toward liberation. The scene slowly transitions into another group, containing people a few decades older. This moment is whenSchindler’s Listswitches from black and white to color, signifying the transition from darkness to light. Thepeople walking in the color footage are the real Holocaust survivors that Oskar Schindler saved 50 years laterin the early 1990s. They are not just actors portraying older versions ofthe characters inSchindler’s List; they are the real-life peoplethat Oskar Schindler saved.
Jerusalem Of Gold: What Was The Purpose Of The Song In The Ending?
Jerusalem Of Gold Portrays A Jewish Yearning To Return To Jerusalem
“Jerusalem of Gold” is a noticeable song choice to play at the end ofSchindler’s List. Written by Naomi Shemer, the song is about an old yearning the Jewish people had since the Romans had exiled them from Ancient Israel 2000 years ago. The Jewish people have longed to return to Jerusalem since the exile, a longing separate from any recent political ideology, not an excuse for any acts of war. AlthoughSchindler’s Listdoes not portray this characteristic,it is still an ideal choice to closeSchindler’s List.
However, despite these shocking numbers, Jewish people persevered and defeated the Nazis by simply surviving; “Jerusalem of Gold” illustrates that endurance.
“Jerusalem of Gold"demonstrates the hope and perseverance of the Jewish people. The Holocaust is the most heinous event Jewish people have endured to date, with the Nazis eliminating two-thirds of European Jews, including 90% of Polish Jews (viaUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum). However, despite these shocking numbers, Jewish people persevered and defeated the Nazis by simply surviving; “Jerusalem of Gold” illustrates that endurance. It is critical to interpret this song choice as the Jewish people’s perseverance and not anything else because, at the heart, that is what “Jerusalem of Gold” is about.
Where Did Oskar Schindler Go After The War?
Oskar Schindler Was Poor & Struggled A Lot
Oskar Schindler’s life after the events ofSchindler’s Listwas difficult. He had spent most of his money protecting his Jewish employees, so after the Holocaust, he left Germany (after other Nazis had threatened him) in search of a better life. When the United States rejected his immigration request, Schindler moved to Argentina and began a farming business. However, he went bankrupt in 1958 and had to leave his wife in Argentina in search of financial opportunities.Oskar Schindler was only able to survive because many of the Jewish people he saved financially supported himuntil his death from liver failure in 1974.
What Happened To Amon Göth?
Amon Göth Was Executed For His Nazi War Crimes
Amon Göth’s life quickly deteriorated at the end of the Holocaust (viaBritannica). The Nazi Party arrested Göth in September 1944 because he kept Jewish valuables instead of handing them in. A doctor diagnosed him with diabetes, and the Nazis relocated Amon Göth to a hospital until the U.S. Army took over and arrested him in 1945. U.S. forces handed Amon Göth to the Polish government, who, in turn,tried and convicted Göth for war crimes. After his conviction on Jun 02, 2025, Polish authorities executed Amon Göth just eight days later.
Where Did The Jewish People Oskar Schindler Saved Go After Liberation?
Many Of The Jewish People Immigrated To Other Locations Around The World
After the Holocaust, many of the Jewish people that Oskar Schindler had savedleft Poland and resettled in other locations around the world. Many immigrated to Palestine, but other Schindler Jews went to the United States or other European cities. Notable Jews fromSchindler’s Listthat moved to Palestine include Itzhak Stern, Joseph Bau, Mordeci Wulkan, and Janek Dresner. Schindler Jews that moved to the United States include Poldek Pfefferberg, Mila Pfefferberg, Helen Hirsch (Helena Sternlicht in real life), Ryszard Horowitz, Henry Rosner, and Manci Rosner.
Why Schindler’s List Is About The Jewish People & Not Oskar Schindler
Jewish People Persevered In The Holocaust; Schindler Was Just A Decent Man
AlthoughSchindler’s Listtells Oskar Schindler’s story during the Holocaust, the film is ultimately not about him but about the hundreds of Jewish lives he saved. Oskar Schindler protected them, butit was the Jewish people who survived and persevered against all odds, even in the most dire circumstances. Many other Jews were not lucky to have Oskar Schindler, but they fought just as hard to survive, although many did not make it. However, all European Jews (and some North African Jews as well) endured the Holocaust in their own ways.
Schindler’s Listis available to stream on Netflix.
Oskar Schindler’s business could not function without Itzhak Stern’s bravery, Poldek Pfefferberg’s wits, and Rabbi Menasha Levartov’s soul. Schindler’s Jews found the means to survive and tell their stories;the Jewish people are the heart of this movie. Oskar Schindler facilitated their survival, but ultimately,Schindler’s Listis about the Jewish people he saved. This fact does not lessen Oskar Schindler’s profound impact inSchindler’s Listand in real life, especially given that there are thousands of descendants from Schindler’s Jews. However, it is critical to honor the Jewish people who fought to survive the Holocaust.
Source:United States Holocaust Memorial Museum(1),United States Holocaust Memorial Museum(2),United States Holocaust Memorial Museum(3),Britannica
Schindler’s List
Cast
Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, chronicling the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, the film vividly portrays the atrocities committed during World War II while highlighting Schindler’s transformation from a profit-driven industrialist to a humanitarian savior.
