Overrated Schindler's List, Underrated Rabe Diaries

"Schindler's List" is based on "Schindler's Ark" by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. is a 1993 film directed by Steven Spielberg . The film reproduces the real historical events that German entrepreneur Oscar Schindler and his wife Emily went bankrupt during World War II and protected more than 1,200 Jews from being killed by fascists.

In 1963, World War II Jewish survivor Podek Pfeifferberg wanted to make the story of his life savior public. At first, Pfeifferberg approached MGM, intending to make a biographical film with it, but to no avail. Until 1982, the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally wrote the story as a novel "Schindler's Ark" and won the Booker Prize for Fiction. Steven Spielberg saw a review of Schindler's Ark in New York Times . He was curious, "What drives a man to give everything he has to save those innocent lives?" He persuaded Universal to buy the rights in 1983 and promised Pfeifferberg to put it on the big screen 10 years later .

Steven Spielberg is an American Jew, and he is not sure if he is capable of making this film, so he found a director Roman Polanski , hoping he can direct the film. Polanski himself was a survivor of the concentration camp, and his mother died in the gas chamber in Auschwitz. However, Polanski believes that a film should not contain personal feelings and decline. After ten years of data collection and literature research, Spielberg decided to direct "Schindler's List" by himself. After the film was shot, Spielberg even refused to accept the payment for the film, believing that if he accepted the payment, it would become "blood money".

Spielberg's reverence for this history and the loss of life in it makes for an epic film that gives us a chance to see a past haunted by despair. "Schindler's List" won 90 awards, including 7 Oscars, and 49 nominations. Steven Spielberg himself also used the film to win the Best Director Award at the 66th Oscar in 1994.

What is the real Schindler like?

Oscar Schindler was born in Austria in the Sudeten region. His father was a bohemian farm tractor factory owner, and his mother was an elegant and restrained housewife. His father was an alcoholic, regardless of his family, and his mother died very early. Schindler sympathized with his mother's experience and hated his father for decades, but Schindler had all the bad things his father had.

At the age of 20, Schindler married Emily, the daughter of the estate owner. The father did not agree with the marriage, and the father and son broke up completely. Schindler simply walked away and went to work at a bank in Prague, Czech Republic. Drinking and flirting with girls, there are still records of his arrests for alcoholism in 1931 and 1932 in the files of the Czech police.

In 1935, Schindler joined the Wehrmacht Intelligence Service as an agent of the SS counterintelligence bureau, specializing in gathering intelligence on traffic, military installations and army build-ups. After Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, Schindler not only officially joined the Nazi Party, but also quickly rose to become the No. 2 figure in the Sudetenland intelligence network. In September 1939, Schindler marched into Krakow, the largest industrial city in southern Poland, with the invading German army.

After Poland was captured, all Polish Jewish property, including property, houses, factories, etc., were confiscated. Schindler went to Krakow, of course, not to save the Jews. Schindler worked all day long, he was dating his lover, drinking and dancing with high-ranking Nazi Party officials. With his connections, Schindler bought an enamel factory run by a Jewish man. Anyway, the factory buildings and production lines are ready-made.

Originally, Schindler's factory had only seven Jewish workers and more than 200 non-Jewish Polish workers. Do notAs the war escalated, Nazi Germany banned Jews from most professions. Seeing a large number of Jewish unemployed, Schindler rolled his eyes and felt that it would be more economical to hire these people, so Schindler hired a large number of Jews at extremely low wages. Schindler's enamel factory started working around the clock. Those poor Jewish workers worked like puppets on the production line, but the wages they received could not even guarantee their own food and clothing. The extremely low labor cost made Schindler earn money quickly. Gotta be full. The enamel factory grew to 1,750 people at its peak, and Schindler even became the actual head and shareholder of the three companies. He also opened an arms division, mainly engaged in pressing and molding shells .

On March 13, 1943, the Jews of Krakow were bloodbathed. The SS drove military vehicles and brought groups of wolf dogs into the Jewish district , and countless innocent Jews died under the butcher's knife. Schindler's mind began to change. Still drinking and dancing with high-ranking Nazi officials, still giving them all kinds of extravagant gifts. But Schindler did not want to get military orders, but to recruit more Jews into factories and avoid being sent to concentration camps to be poisoned to death.

Schindler made a list of nearly 1,200 mechanics in the name of hired labor and handed it in, and at the same time received a batch of military orders. The list of mechanics included women, children and some injured disabled people, and even a nine-year-old girl. You know, the title of this list is "List of Skilled Military Workers." How can the Nazis believe that children are skilled workers?

Schindler wrote in the report that the little girl's slender fingers can be inserted into the shell and polished. But in fact, these women and children are not skilled, and the shells produced are all substandard products. In order to muddle through, Schindler had to go to the black market to buy ready-made artillery shells out of his own pocket. There is a scene in the

movie where Schindler is arrested for kissing a Jewish girl at a birthday party. This is set up to embody Schindler's image; in reality, Schindler was not convicted of kissing Jewish girls, but was arrested three times for black market transactions and intimate relations with Jews.

In January 1945, Schindler and his wife Emily received 250 Jews in an airtight train. When the doors were opened, 12 people suffocated like fish in a can, and the rest were too weak to work. Emily took the survivors to the factory and cared for them in a makeshift hospital. Survivors recalled that when Emily was talking to the SS, she deliberately blocked it so that the Jews could secretly hide the bread in her clothes. At that time, a piece of bread was as precious as gold. More people were rescued, while Schindler went from being a tycoon to being destitute and on the verge of bankruptcy.

When Germany finally surrendered unconditionally, Schindler solemnly announced to all the workers in the factory: From tomorrow, you can go to find your own relatives. The Jew Simon Gerrit pulled out his gold tooth and used the gold on it. Created a ring with a verse in Hebrew engraved on it: saving a life is equivalent to saving the whole world.

This is the ending given by the movie, but the Schindler in life goes on. After World War II, Schindler and many Nazis fled to South America. Although they were very low-key, they were still hunted down by the Israeli spy agency Mossad . In 1948, Schindler sent a bill to the Jewish Rescue Foundation of America, listing all the expenses he spent on saving Jews totaling $1.056 million. A month later the Jewish Affairs Council gave him $15,000 to compensate him for losses during the war. In 1964, MGM gave Schindler an advance of $20,000, intending to make a movie based on him, but the money was spent on the movie but it was not successful.

Schindler invested in a chicken factory and beaver fur in Argentina, and both lost. Later, Schindler left Emily and returned to Germany to open a cement factory, only to lose again. The Germans regarded Schindler as a "traitor" and excluded him everywhere. Schindler lives on relief from Jewish survivors, October 9, 1974, Oscar · 67Schindler passed away due to advanced cardiovascular and cerebrovascular arteriosclerosis, and the only thing left was the box with the list.

Schindler's will clearly states: Bury him in Jerusalem . This is also the wish he expressed to his Jewish friends many times during his lifetime. Within two weeks, the Society of Saint Francis of Jerusalem officially agreed to bury him on Mount Zion outside Jerusalem's Old City, with a coffin full of stones—the highest Jewish courtesy. Schindler was also the only Nazi to be buried in a Jewish shrine.

Before the end of World War II, German public opinion was overwhelmingly anti-Semitic. Of course, it was rare for Schindler to use his own power to help the Jews. "Schindler's List" film itself is of high quality and definitely not controversial. However, the ideas that the film is trying to express has not been well conveyed and absorbed. How is Israel now treating the Palestinians? Because it is the Jews who are being saved, if they were replaced by Africans, Asians, and Americans, would they spare no effort in propaganda? So, we have pulled Schindler and the movie "Schindler's List" too high, out of realistic value.

Let's talk about Rabe Diary again

On December 23, 1882, Johann Rabe was born in Hamburg, Germany. At the age of 27, Rabe brought his wife to China for development and forged an indissoluble bond. Rabe has traveled to many big cities in China, including Shenyang, Tianjin, Beijing and Shanghai. No matter what city he is in, Rabe gets along well with the local Chinese employees.

On November 2, 1931, Rabe, as the general representative of Siemens in Nanjing Branch, lived in a villa at No. 1 Xiaofanqiao, Guangzhou Road, Nanjing. At the same time, he has another identity - the deputy minister of the Nanjing branch of the German Nazi Party.

On July 7, 1937, the Lugou Bridge Incident, the Japanese army began a full-scale invasion of China. Through the German embassy, ​​Japan issued an ultimatum to all personnel stationed abroad that the Japanese army would launch a large-scale bombing of Nanjing on September 21. Siemens headquarters and the German ambassador both persuaded Rabe to leave Nanjing early. The company said that Rabe could return to his hometown by plane at any time. After sending off his wife and children, Rabe chose to stay despite the warnings from his boss and the Japanese army.

Rabe wrote in his diary: "Today, the host country that has been kind to me for 30 years has encountered serious difficulties, the rich have fled, the poor have to stay, they do not know where to go, they have no money Run away, aren't they in danger of being massacred? Shouldn't we try to help them? At least save some people?"

Rabe led his Chinese servants and staff to build a house in the courtyard of his villa. An air-raid shelter was built, and a Nazi flag with a length of 6 meters and a width of 3 meters was also propped up in the yard to remind the Japanese aircraft not to bomb here. Rabe stipulated that women and children should occupy the safest seats in the middle of the shelter, and men could only use the seats or standing seats on either side. After the

air raid ended, Rabe immediately went out to check the city. The once prosperous city of Nanjing has become fragmented and devastated. On September 24, Rabe wrote in his diary: "In the past, people would be happy for a sunny day, but now we are worried about a clear sky without clouds. The sunny weather means to us the Japanese For this reason, we hope that there will be as few sunny days as possible." In November 1937, the Nationalist Government evacuated Nanjing one after another, and ambassadors from various countries also began to prepare for the evacuation. Inspired by the successful rescue of refugees in the Nanshi refugee area in Shanghai, the remaining 20 foreigners decided to set up an international committee to establish a safe zone for civilians to escape the war. Because of the alliance between Germany and Japan, Rabe, who has a Nazi background, was elected as the chairman of the Nanjing Safety Zone.

finalized with Rabe's house, zCentered by institutions such as the U.S. Embassy, ​​Jinling University, and other institutions, a piece of land covering a total area of ​​about 3.86 square kilometers has been set aside as the International Committee for Safe Zones, and 25 refugee shelters have been set up, which are expected to accept 200,000 refugees. In order for the refugees to survive well, Rabe ran around to publicize, hoping that people could provide some help for the refugees in the safe zone.

Rabe sent a telegram to the Japanese ambassador, asking the Japanese government to agree to the establishment of a safe zone and to ensure the safety of civilians in the safe zone. The Japanese authorities have been slow to reply. As a result, Rabe sent a telegram to the head of state, hoping that Germany would come forward to put pressure on Japan. Hitler neither wanted to lose the Far East nor to destroy the alliance with Japan, and adopted a neutral attitude.

Soon, the Japanese authorities responded: "The Japanese government has been informed of your application for the establishment of a safe zone, but unfortunately has to reject it. If the Chinese military mishandles civilians or their property, the Japanese government cannot bear any responsibility for this. However, as long as it does not conflict with Japan's necessary military measures, the Japanese government will strive to respect this area."

was seen as "absolutely refused" by others, but Rabe saw some hope in the last sentence. The safe zone was established as scheduled. The safe zone, which was expected to accommodate 200,000 refugees, actually accommodated 250,000 Chinese civilians. While Rabe wanted to raise rations and other materials for 250,000 refugees, he also urged Chiang Kai-shek's army to leave the safe zone to prevent Japan from harming civilians in the safe zone using this as an excuse.

On December 13, the Japanese captured Nanjing. The ancient city of Jinling was plunged into boundless darkness... In order to shelter more refugees, Rabe took in 650 Chinese civilians in his villa. I can only sleep in the office, sometimes in the toilet, and on the flagstone road. In the courtyard, women and children snuggle together, warming and emboldening each other.

Japanese soldiers who do all kinds of evil often climb over the courtyard wall of the villa. In most cases, Rabe only needs to show the Nazi armband or shout " Deutsche " and "Hitler", and they will immediately become very polite, Run away sullenly. However, the Japanese soldiers climbed in several times a day, which made Rabe afraid to leave the house, and arranged for people to take turns at night. Once, early in the morning, a Japanese scrambled into the yard and charged Rabe with a bayonet. When he realized that a German was standing in front of him, he put the knife away.

Another thing Rabe must do every day, which is equally significant, is to record the heinous crimes of the Japanese army in the form of a diary! It was only when he opened his diary at night that Rabe was able to confide in his heart: "It was an endless horror year, no matter how one imagined it would not be too much. In the rain, my refugees huddled against each other in the yard. Inside, staring silently at the terrifyingly beautiful flames. If the flames spread to us, there will be no way out for these poorest people, and I am their last hope." "Rabe's Diary" has a total of more than 2,100 pages, It has recorded more than 500 vivid cases, providing the most valuable historical data for future generations, and no one can replace it!

1938 New Year, Rabe received a very special gift. Chinese refugees lined up neatly in the courtyard and bowed three times to Rabe, and then gave Rabe a piece of red silk cloth 3 meters long and 2 meters wide. It was written with words such as "Relieve the hardship and help the crisis, the Buddha's heart is chivalrous...". Someone translated the words on the silk cloth to Rabe: "You are a living Bodhisattva of hundreds of thousands of people." Rabe was very moved, but felt There is guilt.

Rabe has been running and shouting for the Chinese people in the safe zone for more than three months, and the Japanese army has long regarded him as a thorn in his side. Due to the relationship between Japan and Germany, it is inconvenient to make a bad move. So the Japanese army changed its strategy and turned to pressure on Germany. In February 1938, Rabe was forcibly recalled by Siemens. Entrusting the safe zone to Mule, Waitlin and others, Rabe had no choice but to leave China. After

returned to China, Rabe still did not forget the suffering Chinese people. Running around, giving speeches, and writing letters many times, I hope to expose the atrocities of the Japanese army. After that, Rabe was arrested by the Gestapo , and the photos and video materials of the Nanjing Massacre were confiscated. After the victory of World War II, Rabe was arrested by the British for his former identity. With the help of letters of guarantee from China and a large amount of evidence, he was temporarily released. After coming out, he was thrown into prison by the Soviet side. confirming noAfter making a mistake, Rabe was released home in June 1946.

Contrasted with the illustrious early life, the Rabe family lived in a small, crowded house. Rabe, who lost his job, can only make a living by changing sellers. In the end, the family could only drink soup to survive, to the brink of starvation. When the news reached China, the Senate and the city government immediately formed a fundraising committee to help Rabe, and soon raised 100 million yuan in French currency, 2,000 US dollars, and transferred it to Rabe. The sender wrote the money: Nanjing people . Due to the implementation of food control in Germany after the war, Shen Yi, the mayor of Nanjing at the time, bought 4 large packs of food at Switzerland at the fastest speed and sent them to Rabe, thanking him for his charitable deeds and inviting him to return to China for safety. old age. After that, Rabe could always receive clothes and other materials sent to him by Nanjing citizens from time to time, and this kind of relief continued until the government of the Republic of China evacuated Nanjing.

At noon on January 5, 1950, Rabein collapsed from a stroke and died in just a few hours. Before that, Rabe handed over the diaries and other materials he had written to relatives for safekeeping, and hoped that these materials would be made public one day. Rabe's death is unknown. There was no memorial service of any kind, and the tombstone contained only the words: "A good man, an indomitable man, John Rabe".

In 1990, Japanese right-winger Ishihara Shintaro publicly shouted in the American "Playboy" magazine: "The Nanjing Massacre was fabricated by the Chinese." Shao Ziping and the patriotic Chinese around him were outraged. In 1996, he was engaged in human resources and regulatory work at the headquarters of the United Nations. Shao Ziping, the son of the diplomat Shao Yulin of the Republic of China, learned of the whereabouts of Mrs. Reinhardt, the granddaughter of Rabe's granddaughter, through Zhang Chunru, a Chinese-American female writer, and he asked Mrs. With the help of fellow German Protestant pastor Decker, Rabe's Diary was able to see the light of day again. Talking about his original intention, Shao Ziping said: The Japanese government did not reflect on the history of aggression as deeply as the German government, and then apologized and compensated. To this end, Shao Ziping tried to restore the original appearance of history, to make the Japanese government apologize to the innocent people killed in China, and also to seek economic compensation for the victims.

At 2:00 p.m. on December 12, 1996, at the same moment when Nanjing fell 59 years ago, a press conference was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Manhattan, New York. In his body, he showed his grandfather's wartime diary to reporters around the world, causing a global sensation.

Rabe was buried in the cemetery of the Wilhelm Memorial Church in the western suburbs of Berlin. In 1985, because the cemetery expired and no one renewed the contract, the management department removed the tombstone. Until December 2013, the Nanjing Municipal Government funded the reconstruction of this memorial cemetery, which was designed by Wu Weishan, president of the Chinese Academy of Sculpture. In 1997, Rabe's tombstone, which was once removed, was moved to the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, and it has become a part of this land forever. In August 1997, a reincarnation of Jiazi, the Chinese version of "Rabe's Diary" was published in Nanjing.

Mountains and mountains do not meet, but people meet. In September 2015, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, "another Rabe" came to China. Rabe's grandson, Thomas Rabe, on behalf of his grandfather, came to China, where he was longing for time, to receive the "70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression" medal.

In 2020, the new crown epidemic is raging around the world. The supply of effective medicines in Germany has been cut off, and the hospital's protective materials are also in short supply. Thomas Rabe, a doctor at Heidelberg Hospital, asked the Chinese Embassy in Germany for help in his own name. After the news came, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology quickly contacted a pharmaceutical company in Taizhou, Zhejiang, and decided to give free medicine. Relevant units in Nanjing also took action, raised 620 bottles of designated medicines, 30,000 masks and 200 sets of protective clothing, and donated medical supplies to Mr. Rabe and his family, Heidelberg City Government and Heidelberg University Medical School through chartered flights.

"The Diary of Rabe" expresses the friendship between people to help each other, better than the artistically processed film, opera or dance. Is the value underestimated? The more some people distort and falsify that history in every possible way, "The Diary of Rabe""The value of the more prominent and important!