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A Forgotten Heroine - Emilie Schindler Saved Jewish Lives

January 24, 2025

Emilie Schindler. A heroine, forgotten by history, who fearlessly saved Jewish lives. The name of her husband Oskar Schindler became synonymous with acts of compassion and humanity in the Nazi era.

A Forgotten Heroine - How Emilie Schindler Saved Jewish Lives
Emilie Schindler was the wife of Oskar Schindler, with whom she saved around 1,200 Jews from death during the Holocaust.Image: Autentic

But what role did his wife Emilie Schindler play?

Image: Autentic

Filmmaker Annette Baumeister tells the story of Emilie Schindler, who protected people without attracting much attention. After the war, Emilie was abandoned by her husband and forgotten by the world. 

Emilie Pelzl was born in the Sudetenland in 1907. From an early age, she worked on her parents' farm and cared for relatives. At the age of 20, she fell in love with the charming Oskar Schindler.

Emilie and Oskar SchindlerImage: Autentic

Although he was considered a heartbreaker, she married him. Oskar had affairs and squandered the dowry, but Emilie stuck by him. During World War Two, the Schindlers ran factories and employed Jewish workers - saving many of them from the death camps.

Oskar Schindler became synonymous with humanity under National Socialism. But what role did his wife Emilie Schindler play?Image: Autentic

In this documentary, Emilie Schindler's Argentinian carer Leandro Coseforti, her niece Traude Ferrari, and historians all describe a forgotten heroine. Annette Baumeister sensitively reconstructs Emilie Schindler's life, bringing her out of her husband's shadow. 

The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem honored Oskar Schindler as “Righteous Among the Nations” and extended this recognition to Emilie Schindler.Image: Autentic

The film draws a picture of a woman who risked her life to help others. By procuring food and medicine for those in need, she helped to rescue many Jewish people right under the noses of the SS.

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

FRI 07.02.2025 – 01:15 UTC
FRI 07.02.2025 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 08.02.2025 – 13:15 UTC
SUN 09.02.2025 – 19:15 UTC
MON 10.02.2025 – 09:15 UTC
MON 10.02.2025 – 16:15 UTC
MON 10.02.2025 – 21:15 UTC
WED 12.02.2025 – 12:15 UTC

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