#Poldek Pfefferberg

[webbergirl]

Adi Nitzan, Mila Pfefferberg, Poldek⁣

Pfefferberg, Jonathan Sagalle, Liam Neeson,⁣

and Steven Spielberg during the making of Schindler's List.⁣

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Mila Pfefferberg and Poldek⁣

Pfefferberg introduced Thomas Kenneally to the story of Oskar Schindler.⁣

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Post # 070

The "immortal" Oskar Schindler!

In 1994, Steven Spielberg won his first Oscar as a director for the 1993 film Schindler's List.

In his acceptance speech, the first person he thanked was a guy called Poldek Pfefferberg. There in lies a tale.

Poldek Pfefferberg, also called Leopold Page, was a Holocaust survivor from Poland. After WW II, he emigrated to US and ran a leather goods business/shop in Beverly Hills. His life mission was: to tell the world the story of a German called Oskar Schindler.

In 1980, a customer by the name of Thomas Keneally came to Pfefferberg's shop to check some prices. Upon learning that this guy was an Australian novelist, Pfefferberg showed him "his extensive files" on Oskar Schindler and in 50 minutes, convinced him to write a book on him. Pfefferberg became Keneally's advisor and took him to Poland, where the original events happen. Thomas Keneally titled his book - Schindler's Ark, which also went by the name Schindler's List in US. It won him a Booker's prize in 1983. Keneally dedicated the book to Pfefferberg, "who by zeal and persistence caused this book to be written."

Pfefferberg's life-mission was not over. He now wanted Oskar Schindler's story to be made into a film, so that more people know about him. So, he now chased a young filmmaker who had already put Hollywood on fire. His name was Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg was a Jew. His distant family members were Holocaust victims. But he himself was a reluctant Jew, embarrassed of his unnecessary Jewishness in a cosmopolitan America. He was not ready for a real-life, poignant story of his ilk. He was busy making a "dent in the universe" with chartbusters like Jaws and ET. Pfefferberg claims he called Spielberg's office once a week for 11 years!!

This story has another element to it - a character called Sidney Sheinberg, the Chief Executive of Universal Studios. Sheinberg is credited with having "spotted" Spielberg and tied him to Universal Studios with a seven year contract, during which time they make some of the highest grossing movies of all time - Jaws, ET and Jurassic Park.

In 1983, Universal bought the rights to the novel and Sheinberg sent Spielberg a NY Times book review of Schindler's Ark. But Spielberg tried to pass the project to several directors before finally deciding, in 1993, a decade later, to direct it. Pfefferberg became Spielberg's advisor too.

The movie was made on a shoe-string budget of USD 22 million. Nobody expected it to make money. So Spielberg didn't charge any salary for it. It was made in Black & White. Liam Neeson, not a well known actor then, was chosen to play Oscar Schindler, over Kevin Kostner and Mel Gibson.

The movie became a box office success, earned USD 322 million worldwide, got nominated for twelve Academy awards, won seven of them, won seven more BAFTA awards, three Golden Globe awards and was ranked 8th on the list of 100 best American films of all time.

When it won the Oscar for best picture, one of its producers, Branko Lustig, started his acceptance speech as follows : "My number is A3317. I am a Holocaust survivor. It's a long way from Auschwitz to here."

Schindler's Ark, the book and Schindler's List, the movie are considered immortal works of art.

So, who is this German - Oskar Schindler and why is his story such a big deal? Close sources say his true personality is an enigma. He was a drunkard, a womanizer, a profiteer and an initial sympathizer of the Nazi party of Germany. Even as a businessman, people close to him say that he was mediocre, a failure more often than success. After the war, he lived an insignificant, unremarkable life.

His only claim to fame was : during those terrible days during WW II, when the Nazis were persecuting European Jews, Oskar Schindler's used all his charm, money, contacts, resources and imagination to save the lives of over 1200 Jews, who were later called Schindlerjudein - Schindler's Jews. The book and the movie recount this remarkable true story.

Today, Schindler Jews live "normal" lives in different parts of the world, have families, children and grandchildren - all because of one man - Oskar Schindler. Poldek Pfefferberg was a Schindlerjude. He once said, " I owe my life to Oskar Schindler. So I spent it trying to immortalize him."

He succeeded!

Seated: The "immortal" Oskar Schindler.

Standing: Schindlerjude - Poldek Pfefferberg, aka Leopold Page.

If you have it in you, watch the final three minutes of the movie.

[rye-views]

Schindler’s List (1993) dir. Steven Spielberg. 7.6/10 Updated 3 years later (8.8.20) 7.7/10

I like the close up and handheld-like nature of the camera movements when they are all crowded up. Really depicts the chaos.

The background music matches the scenes well. eg. when the red-coat girl is first introduced. Also, the Jewish people walking at the end.  The walk is truly so beautiful along with the stone setting.

The gravestone walkway is very well made, but so disrespectful.

I love how Schindler is so respectful by the end. I love it. I love how selfless he had become.

I’m pretty into war films. This is really inspiring in some ways and really devastating in others.

Updated Commentary:

I just love Stern.

Danka is also a cute addition.

Spoiler: [About Oskar Schindler coming to Kraków during WWII. He buys drinks for and gets along well with the German elite. The Jewish people are being forced to wear the Star of David on their arms after registering as Jews. Schindler talks to Itzhak Stern and has him run everything that involves him starting and maintaining an enamelware factory. He wants the Jewish people’s money since they can’t have their own businesses and they can get paid for with actual products. Schindler goes to a church to talk to the Jewish smugglers. They walk out one by one, but Poldek Pfefferberg gets stuck talking to Schindler about providing good products. The Jewish people are forced into the ghetto while Schindler has a nice apartment. Stern eventually gets people to invest and he works for Schindler. The factory is set up and Stern gathers Jewish people after forging documents that deem them as essential workers. They get removed from being sent to camps. Schindler works to find a secretary. Schindler’s wife, Emilie, comes to visit and doesn’t care for his new secretary, Wiktoria Klonowska. Schindler makes the doorman know who his wife is and he goes out to dinner with her. They catch up and he talks of wanting to be extraordinary. She heads home later. Stern has one of Schindler’s workers, Mr. Lowenstein, talk to him to thank him for saving him. Schindler reprimands Stern later since the man has one arm and he doesn’t want to be in this position. Rolf Czurda talks with Schindler about the insignificance of Jews as Schindler wants to be compensated for losing a worker. Lowenstein was shot and killed as the Jewish people were shoveling snow. Schindler learns from Poldek that Stern was put on the list to be on a train. He heads to the station and the clerks don’t help him since his name is on the list and the list isn’t wrong. Schindler gets the names of both men who don’t help him and says they’ll be reinstated to Southern Russia. They start helping him find Stern and they do so as the train leaves. Stern explains to Schindler that he didn’t have his documents on him. The rest of the Jewish people depart as their belongings are sorted into categories. The Jewish people in the ghetto talks about their lives. Amon Göth is driven through the ghetto as he arrives for the start of the Plaszów labor camp construction. He picks out his new helper, Helen Hirsch, from a line of girls. A Jewish engineer, Diana Reiter, reports that the foundation must be torn down and redone or the building will collapse. Göth has his men shoot her and has the foundation redone. Göth addresses his men about the success of the Jewish people and how it will come to an end. They rally the Jewish people to be put on trains as Schindler and his wife watch from afar as they ride horses. The Jewish people hide important belongings, hide themselves in specific hiding spots, and some are killed on the spot. A little girl, Danka, and her mother are helped by Danka’s friend, Adam. Schindler notices a little girl wearing a red coat in the turmoil. Göth occasionally shoots people at random in front of his villa. Schindler joins to eat with the other German elites and meets Göth. He talks to Göth about his empty factory and how he needs workers. Göth discusses with him and allows him to create his own subcamp for his workers. Göth would be getting money in return and has Stern handle everything. Stern works for Göth now and he tells Schindler of important things to know. Göth and his men test the abilities of the workers to see that they are capable. One worker is put to get shot and killed for not making enough products even though he had a reasonable excuse. The guns fail to shoot and he is saved. A man is killed as they try to figure out who stole a chicken. A little boy says the thief was the man who was killed. The boy is hired by Schindler later. A Jewish girl named Regina Perlman goes to visit Schindler and he refuses to meet her after seeing her. She comes back dressing better off and he meets with her. She wants him to hire her parents and that his place is like a

haven. He yells at her until she runs away. He goes to yell at Stern since he’s not here to help people. They also talk about Göth and Stern talks of Göth’s ruthless nature in killing. Schindler has Stern bring over Regina’s parents and Regina is happy when she sees them being transferred. During Göth’s party, Lisiek gets materials from Helen to clean Göth’s bathtub. Schindler appears during this and talks with Helen. She eventually starts talking about her abuse from Göth. Schindler explains to her that Göth is ruthless to those he doesn’t know, but she pleases him. Schindler talks with a drunk Göth about having power by not killing others even if it’s justified. Göth talks to Stern since auditors are looking through his books. He gets upset at his stable boy for not handling his saddle well, but he doesn’t get upset further. Lisiek fails to remove the stains from Göth’s bathtub and he’s allowed to go with no punishment. In a bit, Göth starts shooting at the boy from afar until he’s killed. Helen does his nails as he stares at her. Göth talks to Helen later and praises her and talks to her about her loneliness. He wants to kiss her, but decides not to since she’s Jewish and he beats her. Schindler celebrates his birthday until a Jewish mother and daughter gift him a cake in front of the Germans. Schindler kisses them. The Jewish people talk of a story of being gassed in the showers. Many don’t believe it. The Germans have the Jewish men and women run naked to separate them into the healthy and the unhealthy. During this time, the children are sent away. Some children manage to stay behind by hiding. The parents try to stop their children from being taken away, but are blocked. Schindler convinces the men to hose down the trains to give them water. Göth believes it is evil since it gives them a taste of hope. Schindler is later arrested for having kissed a Jewish woman. Göth convinces the officer that Schindler couldn’t have helped kissing the girl since she was good looking, He offers a bribe to get Schindler released. Göth is to send the Jewish people in Płaszów to Auschwitz. Piles of bodies are burned and the camp is closing. Schindler sees the body of the girl in the red coat. He starts creating a list of his workers to have them released and given to work for his new munitions factory in Brinnlitz. Göth agrees for a bribe, but doesn’t understand as Schindler pays for each individual. Stern helps with the list and says it’s an absolute good. Schindler wants the last name on the list to be Helen and Göth refuses. Göth wants to take her with him, but knows he can’t. The woman and men on the list, including Helen, are put on trains to be transported. The men arrive, but the women are accidentally sent to Auschwitz, because of a paperwork problem. The women realize that they aren’t in the right place as they are forced to have their heads shaved, be stripped, and put into the showers. They are relieved once the showers expel regular water. Schindler arrives to take them after paying Rudolf Höss in diamonds. When Danka is separated from her mother, Schindler confronts the guard and tells him that her small fingers polish the inside of small, metal casings. She is returned to her family. Schindler talks to his SS guards about not hurting his workers. They aren’t allowed in the factory without authorization. Emilie comes to volunteer at the clinic and Schindler promises her that she will always be recognized as his wife now. Stern reports that their products aren’t passing the tests and talks of the rumor that Schindler is re-calibrating the machines. Schindler wants them to not produce real shells and tries to buy other shells to pass as their own. Schindler has his workers observe the Sabbath. Stern reports that Schindler is broke. The news reveal that the war has ended. Schindler addresses all his workers about it and how they’ll begin the process of finding their families tomorrow. He thanks Stern and everyone and talks of how he has to go into hiding now since he’s a member of the Nazi Party and had profited from the

war. He has the guards come in and allows them to either kill the Jewish people or leave as men instead of murderers. They leave. Schindler has them observe three minutes of silence. The Jewish people create a ring for Schindler with an engraving of a Talmudic quote. They also provide him a letter with everyone’s signatures explaining his role in case he is captured. Schindler breaks down to Stern about how he could’ve saved more people. He leaves with his wife. In the morning, a messenger tells them that they are liberated and can go to a friendly town nearby. Göth is hung. The actors and actresses, along with the real survivors, place stones on Oskar Schindler’s gravestone. Liam Neeson puts roses on.]

[locke-writes]

Ah! One of my favorite movies. #9 is Schindler’s List.

Correct! Film Fact: The story features a character called Poldek Pfefferberg. Later, a Leopold Pfefferberg places a stone on Schindler's grave. Finally, a Leopold Page is credited as a consultant on the film. Despite the different names, these all refer to the same person. Poldek Pfefferberg changed his name to Leopold Page after the war, when he moved to the United States.

[salvo-love]

Oskar Schindler (Svitavy, 28 aprile 1908 – Hildesheim, 9 ottobre 1974) è stato un imprenditore tedesco, famoso per aver salvato durante la seconda guerra mondiale circa 1.100 ebrei dallo sterminio (Shoah)[1], con il pretesto di impiegarli come personale necessario allo sforzo bellico presso la sua fabbrica di oggetti smaltati, la D.E.F. (Deutsche Emaillewaren-Fabrik), situata in via Lipowa n. 4, nel distretto industriale di Zablocie, a Cracovia. L'intera vicenda è stata scoperta grazie a un evento casuale: l'incontro tra lo scrittore australiano Thomas Keneally e Leopold Pfefferberg (detto Poldek), sopravvissuto allo sterminio grazie a Schindler e del quale, dopo la guerra, era divenuto fraterno amico. Keneally entrò nel negozio di Pfefferberg e i due si conobbero. Keneally fu colpito dalla storia che l'amico gli raccontò e, stabiliti contatti con gli altri Schindlerjuden (gli «ebrei di Schindler»), scrisse il romanzo La lista di Schindler da cui, successivamente, �� stato tratto il film del 1993 Schindler's List, diretto da Steven Spielberg.

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