14. Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler, born on April 28, 1908, in Svitavy, Czechoslovakia, was a German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party who became renowned for his efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust. Initially motivated by profit, Schindler employed Jewish workers in his enamelware and ammunition factories in occupied Poland and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. As Nazi atrocities escalated, he shifted his focus to protecting his workers, using his influence to prevent their deportation to concentration camps. By the end of World War II, Schindler had saved approximately 1,200 Jews, who became known as “Schindlerjuden.” His story was popularized by the 1982 novel “Schindler’s Ark” and the 1993 film “Schindler’s List.” In 1962, he was recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem for his humanitarian actions. (yadvashem.org)
