Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Oskar Schindler was no saint. A womanizer, drinker, and opportunist who joined the N4zi Party for profit, he seemed destined for infamy—not heroism.
But when the Naz!s turned to mass murder, Schindler turned his cunning against them. Risking his wealth, reputation, and life, he bribed officers, forged papers, and spent his entire fortune to save more than 1,000 Jews from extermination.
0:00 – Intro
1:05 – Schindler Before the W4r
2:26 – Joining the N4zi Party
3:02 – The Seized Factory
4:54 – The First Lives Saved
6:07 – The Butcher of Plaszów
8:00 – Schindler’s Methods of Resistance
9:20 – Moving the Factory
10:31 – The List
12:12 – Brünnlitz: The Final Camp
14:26 – The W4r Ends
15:52 – Life After the W4r
18:11 – Hero or Opportunist?
Sources
Graf, Kristina. Oskar Schindler, the Man and the Myth (2004).
Introduction to Major Characters of Schindler’s List. Echoes and Reflections.
Keneally, Thomas. “Oskar? He Was a God.” The Guardian (2004).
Krakow, Poland. JewishGen.
McKevitt, Greg. “How Oskar Schindler Saved 1,200 Jewish People.” BBC (2025).
Paldiel, Mordecai. Sheltering the Jews. Fortress Press, 1996.
“Oral History Interview with Ludmilla Page.” United States H0l0caust Memorial Museum.
“Oskar and Emilie Schindler.” Yad Vashem.
Roberts, Jack L. The Importance of Oskar Schindler. Lucent Books, 1996.
“Saved by Schindler’s List.” USC Shoah Foundation.
Schindler, Emilie, and Erika Rosenberg. Where Light and Shadow Meet. Norton, 1997.
“The Speech Delivered by Schindler to His Jewish Workers, May 1945.” Yad Vashem.
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Recommended video — How Did a Chinese Diplomat Save 10,000 Jews in WW2? - youtube.com/watch?v=U4C-ucs3ZZQ&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaYHJyv7UAaEpWE7Nf5E9MwO
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-----------
Image and footage credits:
Getty
Yad Vashem
UHSMM
Universal Pictures
Lions Gate Films
-----------
With Assistance from Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance
Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt
Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum
Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#Germany #Poland #WW2
Oskar Schindler was no saint. A womanizer, drinker, and opportunist who joined the N4zi Party for profit, he seemed destined for infamy—not heroism.
But when the Naz!s turned to mass murder, Schindler turned his cunning against them. Risking his wealth, reputation, and life, he bribed officers, forged papers, and spent his entire fortune to save more than 1,000 Jews from extermination.
0:00 – Intro
1:05 – Schindler Before the W4r
2:26 – Joining the N4zi Party
3:02 – The Seized Factory
4:54 – The First Lives Saved
6:07 – The Butcher of Plaszów
8:00 – Schindler’s Methods of Resistance
9:20 – Moving the Factory
10:31 – The List
12:12 – Brünnlitz: The Final Camp
14:26 – The W4r Ends
15:52 – Life After the W4r
18:11 – Hero or Opportunist?
Sources
Graf, Kristina. Oskar Schindler, the Man and the Myth (2004).
Introduction to Major Characters of Schindler’s List. Echoes and Reflections.
Keneally, Thomas. “Oskar? He Was a God.” The Guardian (2004).
Krakow, Poland. JewishGen.
McKevitt, Greg. “How Oskar Schindler Saved 1,200 Jewish People.” BBC (2025).
Paldiel, Mordecai. Sheltering the Jews. Fortress Press, 1996.
“Oral History Interview with Ludmilla Page.” United States H0l0caust Memorial Museum.
“Oskar and Emilie Schindler.” Yad Vashem.
Roberts, Jack L. The Importance of Oskar Schindler. Lucent Books, 1996.
“Saved by Schindler’s List.” USC Shoah Foundation.
Schindler, Emilie, and Erika Rosenberg. Where Light and Shadow Meet. Norton, 1997.
“The Speech Delivered by Schindler to His Jewish Workers, May 1945.” Yad Vashem.
Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video — How Did a Chinese Diplomat Save 10,000 Jews in WW2? - youtube.com/watch?v=U4C-ucs3ZZQ&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaYHJyv7UAaEpWE7Nf5E9MwO
We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch
Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.Unpacked.media
Instagram — /unpackedmedia
Twitter — /unpackedmedia
TikTok — /unpackedmedia
Facebook — /unpackedmedia
-----------
Image and footage credits:
Getty
Yad Vashem
UHSMM
Universal Pictures
Lions Gate Films
-----------
With Assistance from Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance
Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt
Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum
Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#Germany #Poland #WW2
