An unused factory in Brnenec, Czech Republic, will host a Holocaust memorial and exhibition. It was a manufacturing plant where German businessman Oskar Schindler (1908-1974) provided employment and refuge to Jewish people from Nazi persecution during the second world war. The memorial is scheduled to be opened in 2019.
The plan is to renovate the abandoned building to its original condition to create an exhibit about Schindler’s life, as well as a memorial to honor the exceptional activities of the man who saved so many people during World War II. This initiative is being undertaken by a Czech organization, the Shoah and Oskar Schindler Foundation, which fosters awareness of the Holocaust.
Schindler relocated his munitions factory and enamelware production to the small town of Brnenec, in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, from Nazi-occupied Poland in 1944. Because of his relocation, he saved the lives of 1,200 of his employees, who were Jews and otherwise would have been put to death in a nearby Nazi concentration camp.
The historical novel Schindler’s Ark, written in 1982, recounted the story of the German businessman and was brought to even broader attention when his story was made into the epic movie Schindler’s List in 1993, which was directed by Steven Spielberg.
The movie and the film, both reflect the story of how the man, who was originally driven by profit, transformed into the person who exhibited such a compelling commitment to protect the lives of so many, Artnet News reported.
The Czech village of Brnenec engaged in an attempt to create a memorial to Mr. Schindler in 2004, but, unfortunately, failed because they were unable to obtain the required funds.