The movie "Schindler's List" was adapted from the novel "Schindler's Ark", based on the true story of German businessman Oskar Schindler saving Jews during World War II. The original "Schindler's List," which saved thousands of lives, was recently discovered by a staff member at the New South Wales Library in Australia. This copy of "Schindler's List" recorded the names of 80 Jews. Starting on March 7th, "Schindler's List" began public exhibition at the New South Wales Library.
Movie poster for "Schindler's List"
30 years ago, the writer stumbled upon it
Recently, while organizing six boxes of old manuscripts belonging to writer Thomas Keneally, a staff member at the New South Wales Library found this copy of "Schindler's List" amidst a pile of research notes and German clippings. However, the library spokesperson stated that the whereabouts of the original list are unknown. Thomas Keneally is the author of the novel "Schindler's Ark," from which Steven Spielberg's movie "Schindler's List" was adapted.
Thirty years ago, Keneally met shop owner Leopold Pfefferberg in a briefcase store. During WWII, Pfefferberg was a Polish Jewish worker. Upon learning that Keneally was a writer, Pfefferberg handed him the "Schindler's List," prompting Keneally to write "Schindler's Ark." Pfefferberg was ranked 73rd on the list. After completing the novel, Thomas Keneally sold the reference materials he used to create "Schindler's Ark" to a bookseller. In 1996, the Sydney Library purchased these seemingly unremarkable documents from the bookseller. Initially, neither the bookseller nor the library noticed this list among the documents. In an interview with the *Sydney Morning Herald*, Thomas Keneally expressed happiness that the final resting place of the list is the New South Wales Library in Australia.
80 Jewish names
According to the Sydney Library, this copy of "Schindler's List" consists of 3 yellowed and faded pages, recording the names of 80 Jews. The list meticulously documented their age, gender, nationality, birthplace, and mechanical skills. Alvin Plucker, director of the New South Wales Library, said that this "Schindler's List" might be one of the most important historical documents of the 20th century, recording a glimmer of hope in a dark era. Plucker said: "The list was hastily typed on April 8, 1945, as WWII was nearing its end. According to the list, 80 Jews escaped the fate of being gassed thanks to Schindler's help." How long was "Schindler's List"? A spokesperson for the Sydney Library stated that this list was just one of many "Schindler's Lists," and there is no authoritative statistic on how many Jews Schindler ultimately saved.
Oskar Schindler was born in Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic. During WWII, Schindler established a factory in Krakow, Poland. Using his identity, he employed Jewish workers from Nazi concentration camps, convincing Nazi officials that these workers were crucial to the war effort, and eventually saved hundreds of Jews from being gassed. In 1963, to honor Schindler's rescue of Jews during the Holocaust, Israel's Holocaust Memorial awarded Schindler the title of "Righteous Among the Nations." In 1974, Oskar Schindler passed away. In 1982, writer Thomas Keneally won the British Booker Prize for the novel "Schindler's Ark." In 1993, renowned director Steven Spielberg adapted the novel into the film "Schindler's List," which won multiple Oscars.