Childhood
"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
-Plato
On April 28, 1908, Schindler was born into a German family and lived in Svitavy, Moravia, Austria-Hungary, which has a high concentration of Germans. His parents were Louis and Hans Schindler. As a child, he was baptized into the Catholic faith and lived next door to a Jewish family, but he grew up with negative influences like his father's drinking and womanizing.
In school, he would forge report cards and fail tests. He even got expelled. After graduating, he took courses in machinery and later worked for his father's business.
In school, he would forge report cards and fail tests. He even got expelled. After graduating, he took courses in machinery and later worked for his father's business.
Adulthood
In 1928, Schindler married Emilie Pelzl. Along with marrying Emilie, Schindler worked various jobs outside of his family's business. In 1931, his company went bankrupt, and he was left unemployed.
As a result, he had become a philanderer , and had several affairs that resulted in two illegitimate children. He also developed an alcohol addiction and got arrested twice.
"I blame Oskar's worst traits, particularly his drinking and his womanizing, on his father. Hans Schindler was a 'hopeless alcoholic' who got so drunk on one occasion that he raped his sister-in-law." |
Spying for the Nazis
Dealing with unemployment and legal problems, Schindler had to be supported by his family. When the business went bankrupt, his father left. To support his family, Schindler got a job for Moravian Electrotechnic, which led to him being recruited to be a spy for the German Counterintelligence Service. When he was revealed as a spy, he was sentenced to death. Luckily, Germany had overtaken Czechoslovakia due to his work and was released.
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