Schindler’s List Terms

The Abwehr was a German intelligence agency that operated from 1920 to 1945. Oskar Schindler became a member, in part because he found he preferred them to the SS (who were disdained by some Abwehr… read analysis of Abwehr

An Aktion (literally “action” in German) was a euphemism for events in Poland where thousands of Jewish people and other Polish citizens were killed or rounded up to be sent to concentration camps. read analysis of Aktion

The “Aryan race” was a term Adolf Hitler used to designate a supposedly superior race of Nordic-looking people with blond hair and blue eyes. This became the basis for the Nazis’ elimination of groups that… read analysis of Aryan

Auschwitz, overseen by Commandant Rudolf Höss, was the largest of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Aside from a brief period when some of Oskar Schindler’s prisoners are transferred to Auschwitz, the camp… read analysis of Auschwitz

Brinnlitz (or Brünnlitz) was a Nazi forced labor camp that housed Oskar Schindler’s armaments factory after Płaszów was disbanded. Brinnlitz was front that Schindler used to save his 1,200 Jewish prisoners from being sent… read analysis of Brinnlitz

– The Einsatzgruppen were death squads that were part of the SS in Nazi Germany and its occupied territories. They carried out mass executions, primarily by shooting. read analysis of Einsatzgruppen

– Emalia was Oskar Schindler’s enamelware factory where he employed Jewish workers as a means of protecting them. Emalia became a part of the Płaszów concentration camp after the Jewish ghetto in Cracow was… read analysis of Emalia

– The Gestapo was a secret police force that operated in Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe. They were major contributors to the Holocaust and became infamous for their ruthless suppression of dissent, using tactics like constant… read analysis of Gestapo

– Judenrats were Jewish councils instituted by Nazi Germany to oversee Jewish communities in occupied territories. Some accuse the Judenrats of collaborating with Nazis to impose their will, but at least in Cracow, the Judenrat… read analysis of Judenrats

The Luftwaffe was the German air force during World War II. Many of their supplies were produced through labor from concentration camps. read analysis of Luftwaffe

– The OD were Jewish policemen tasked by Nazis with overseeing local Jewish ghetto communities. Though some acted as buffers between the Jews and the Nazis, particularly as World War II went on, they became… read analysis of OD

– Płaszów was a concentration camp run by Nazis (under the leadership of Commandant Amon Goeth) in a suburb of Cracow, Poland. Oskar Schindler’s enamelware factory Emalia was part of it, though he… read analysis of Płaszów

– A pogrom is a targeted massacre of an ethnic group, particularly Jews. The term primarily refers to events in late 19th- and early 20th-century Russia as well as to Nazi Germany. read analysis of Pogrom

The Schutzpolizei was a branch of German police that handled matters such as traffic law and criminal investigations. In Nazi Germany, membership was limited to “Aryan” Nazi Party members who met specific qualifications. read analysis of Schutzpolizei

Shabbat is a Jewish holy day and a day of rest. It occurs every Saturday. read analysis of Shabbat

Sudeten is a term used to describe ethnic Germans from a politically contested region that belonged to Czechoslovakia in the time leading up to World War II. Oskar Schindler and his wife, Emilie, were… read analysis of Sudeten

The SS (short for Schutzstaffel) was a leading paramilitary arm of the Nazi Party. More so than any other organization, they are considered responsible for the deaths of six million Jews and millions of… read analysis of SS

Zyklon B is a German pesticide, initially developed for industrial applications. Beginning in 1942, the Nazis used it to mass-murder Jewish people in the gas chambers of concentration camps. read analysis of Zyklon B