Post Schindler Received From Jews He Saved Goes Up For Auction

Handwritten thank you letters sent by Jewish people Oskar Schindler had saved from Nazis in the Second World War are due to go on sale.

More than 70 letters from workers and others who were protected by Schindler will be sold at auction on the December 8th.

The collection of letters came from across the globe and contained heartfelt notes of gratitude and photos of those they had managed to save.

Once the Schindlers fled to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1949 they started receiving floods of letters from people wanting to express their deep thanks for the kindness shown to them.

One survivor wrote:

“I was very moved by your courageous self-sacrifice.

''More importantly, however, I thank you, Frau Schindler, for having restored my faith in mankind.”

Another letter read: “Although I never actually met you, it is an honour and privilege, as a spiritual heir to those whom you saved, to wish you a very happy and healthy birthday.”

Schindler’s actions, now immortalised in Steven Spielberg’s film, Schindler’s List, began when the extent of Nazi brutality became clear to him.

Originally Schindler, an ethnic German, joined the Nazi party in 1938 and ran factories on cheap Jewish labour in Krakow, Poland.

By bribing SS officers and relisting the persecuted workers as essential munitions officers, he managed to save the lives of over 1,200 Jews.

Once the family’s money ran out, Mrs Schindler sold her most prized possessions to buy essential medicine, food and supplies for the workers.

The auction in Somerset will be selling an array of Schindler’s possessions, including the photos that had been saved by a German businesswoman.

An engraved dish, a musical clock and a photo of Mr Schindler riding a horse are among some of the other objects being sold.

The letters are expected to fetch up to £700, and Schindler’s gold Omega wristwatch is also expected to be a big-ticket item, as it is expected to sell for £600.

Cover photo and copy: SWNS