The Jewish Holocaust was a tragic event in world history. The containment and extermination of Jews and other minority groups began on January 30, 1933 and lasted until May 8, 1945. During this horrific period, millions of lives were lost. The Jewish community alone was losing nearly a million people a year. It is estimated that across Europe, 63% of the Jewish population was killed (Rutgers University). This is a total of 5,962,129 Jews. Only 3,546,211 Jews survived the Holocaust. 1600 of those 3,546,211 Jews lived to share their stories of horror and survival because of a greedy businessman who needed workers to make money. That man was Oskar Schindler. Oskar was a drinker, a gambler, a cheater, a liar and a money-hungry egoist with a taste for the luxuries that life had to offer. And he was a Nazi, of course. But according to Steven Spielberg, director of Schindler's List, Oskar Schindler was a good man, not a saint, just a good man. Oskar Schindler was born on April 28, 1908 in Svitavy (Zwittau), Moravia, located on the Czechoslovakian side of the German border , with the border running through the city (United Holocaust Memorial Museum). He spent his youth working in various factories and other business ventures, such as opening a driving school and selling state property in Brno (UHMM). He married Emilie Pelzl in 1928 before joining the Czechoslovak Army at the start of World War II where he rose to the rank of corporal in the reserve. A year later he joined the Nazi Party. It was only after the invasion and occupation of Poland that he moved to Krakow. In the film he made this decision to take advantage of the new business opportunity...... middle of paper ......ocaust Memorial Museum.Np, 2011. Web. January 29, 2014.Marrus, Michael R. “The Holocaust in history". New England University Press. 1987. p 126.Rutgers University. “Holocaust Statistics”. April 28, 2013. Web. February 5, 2014. Schindler's List. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Universal. 1993. DVD.SnakeBISHOP. “Steven Spielberg on Schindler’s List” YouTube, YouTube.July 19, 2008. Web. January 30, 2014. Stern, Kenneth S. “Holocaust Denial.” The American Jewish Committee. 1993. pg 1.The Sheik 1976. “20 minute interview "Steven Spielberg on Schindler's List"” YouTube. YouTube, June 12, 2013. Web. January 29, 2014. United Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Sir Ben Kingsley Talks Itzak Stern's Role in Schindler's List,” March 1, 2011. Web. February 4, 2014. Weinraub, Bernard. “Steven Spielberg Confronts the Holocaust” New York Times. December 12, 1993.