Schindler's List Summary

10 questions on the main ideas. Each answer comes with a short explanation.

Take it one question at a time

1. Question 1

   What was Oskar Schindler's primary motivation for initially establishing his enamelware factory in Kraków?

   1. To provide employment for Jewish refugees and protect them from persecution.
   2. To profit from the war economy by utilizing cheap Jewish labor and producing essential goods for the German war effort.
   3. To establish a cover for his underground resistance activities against the Nazi regime.
   4. To fulfill a personal ambition of becoming a prominent industrialist in pre-war Poland.
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   B. To profit from the war economy by utilizing cheap Jewish labor and producing essential goods for the German war effort. Schindler initially came to Kraków as a war profiteer, looking to take advantage of the German occupation and the availability of cheap Jewish labor to make money from his enamelware factory, not out of altruism.

2. Question 2

   Which concentration camp was Amon Goeth in charge of, and where did much of the novel's grim action take place under his direct supervision?

   1. Auschwitz-Birkenau
   2. Płaszów
   3. Treblinka
   4. Dachau
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   B. Płaszów Amon Goeth was the commandant of the Płaszów concentration camp, which was located outside Kraków. His brutal reign at Płaszów is a central part of the book's depiction of Nazi atrocities.

3. Question 3

   What was the significance of the 'Schindlerjuden' in the context of the book?

   1. They were the German SS officers who assisted Schindler in his rescue efforts.
   2. They were the Jewish prisoners Schindler employed and ultimately saved from extermination.
   3. They were the code name for Schindler's secret resistance network.
   4. They were the specific type of enamelware products Schindler's factory produced.
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   B. They were the Jewish prisoners Schindler employed and ultimately saved from extermination. The 'Schindlerjuden' literally translates to 'Schindler's Jews' and refers to the more than 1,100 Jewish individuals whose lives Oskar Schindler saved by employing them in his factories and placing them on his famous 'list'.

4. Question 4

   How did Schindler manage to keep his Jewish workers safe from the SS and other Nazi officials for an extended period?

   1. He bribed officials with money, black market goods, and alcohol, arguing his workers were essential for the war effort.
   2. He openly defied Nazi orders, relying on his diplomatic immunity as a foreign national.
   3. He had a direct line to Heinrich Himmler, who personally approved his exemptions.
   4. He converted his factory into a hospital, making it off-limits to military intervention.
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   A. He bribed officials with money, black market goods, and alcohol, arguing his workers were essential for the war effort. Schindler's primary method for protecting his workers was through an elaborate system of bribery and persuasion. He used his charm, connections, and black-market dealings to convince SS and other Nazi officials that his Jewish workers were 'essential' to the war effort, even inventing reasons for their necessity.

5. Question 5

   What significant event marked Schindler's shift from a pure war profiteer to a dedicated rescuer?

   1. His arrest by the Gestapo for black market activities.
   2. Witnessing the brutal liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto.
   3. A personal plea from one of his Jewish employees, Itzhak Stern.
   4. Receiving a secret message from the Allied forces to aid the Jews.
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   B. Witnessing the brutal liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto. The book highlights Schindler's profound change of heart after witnessing the horrific liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto from the hills above the city. This event, particularly seeing the brutal treatment and murder of innocent people, solidified his commitment to saving as many Jews as possible.

6. Question 6

   Who was Itzhak Stern, and what was his crucial role in Schindler's operations?

   1. He was a high-ranking Nazi official whom Schindler regularly bribed.
   2. He was Schindler's Jewish accountant and de facto manager, who helped him navigate bureaucracy and protect workers.
   3. He was the leader of the Jewish resistance movement in Kraków.
   4. He was the chief engineer responsible for the factory's production output.
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   B. He was Schindler's Jewish accountant and de facto manager, who helped him navigate bureaucracy and protect workers. Itzhak Stern was Schindler's Jewish accountant, who initially helped him set up the factory and later became instrumental in managing the workforce, forging documents, and navigating the complex Nazi bureaucracy to protect the 'Schindlerjuden'. He was Schindler's moral compass and practical aide.

7. Question 7

   What was the ultimate fate of the 'Schindlerjuden' who were mistakenly sent to Auschwitz?

   1. They were immediately gassed upon arrival.
   2. Schindler personally traveled to Auschwitz and successfully negotiated their release, bringing them to Brinnlitz.
   3. They were rescued by an Allied commando raid shortly after their arrival.
   4. They were forced into slave labor at Auschwitz until the camp's liberation.
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   B. Schindler personally traveled to Auschwitz and successfully negotiated their release, bringing them to Brinnlitz. In a testament to his dedication, Schindler risked his life and spent a significant amount of his remaining wealth to travel to Auschwitz-Birkenau and successfully negotiate the release of the women mistakenly sent there, bringing them to his new factory in Brinnlitz.

8. Question 8

   The book emphasizes the paradoxical nature of Oskar Schindler's character. Which of the following best describes this paradox?

   1. He was a devout Catholic who secretly harbored anti-Semitic views.
   2. He was a hedonistic, opportunistic Nazi Party member who risked everything to save Jews.
   3. He was a quiet, unassuming intellectual who became a ruthless businessman.
   4. He was a poor, uneducated man who rose to become a wealthy industrialist.
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   B. He was a hedonistic, opportunistic Nazi Party member who risked everything to save Jews. The core paradox of Schindler's character is that he was a member of the Nazi Party, a womanizer, a heavy drinker, and initially motivated by profit, yet he ultimately used his cunning and resources to save more Jews than any other single individual during the Holocaust.

9. Question 9

   After the war, what was the general financial and personal fate of Oskar Schindler?

   1. He became a celebrated hero in Germany and lived a prosperous life.
   2. He struggled financially, experienced multiple business failures, and was supported by the 'Schindlerjuden'.
   3. He was arrested and tried for war crimes due to his initial Nazi Party membership.
   4. He emigrated to the United States and became a successful industrialist once more.
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   B. He struggled financially, experienced multiple business failures, and was supported by the 'Schindlerjuden'. Despite his heroic actions, Schindler faced significant financial hardship after the war, with several failed business ventures. He was largely supported by the 'Schindlerjuden' he had saved, who never forgot his deeds and ensured he was cared for.

10. Question 10

    Thomas Keneally's approach to writing 'Schindler's List' is notable for its reliance on what specific type of historical material?

    1. Newly discovered secret Nazi documents and diaries.
    2. The actual testimony and recollections of the 'Schindlerjuden'.
    3. Schindler's personal autobiography and memoirs.
    4. Interviews with former Nazi officials who worked with Schindler.
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    B. The actual testimony and recollections of the 'Schindlerjuden'. As stated in the book's description, Keneally based his novel on the actual testimony of the 'Schindlerjuden'—Schindler’s Jews—giving the narrative a powerful grounding in real-life accounts and survivor experiences.