A heart-warming collection of letters sent to Oskar Schindler by Jews he saved from the Nazis during the Second World War will go on sale.
Schindler protected workers in his Polish enamelware factory and was immortalised in the Steven Spielberg film Schindler’s List.
Now a haul of more than 70 letters from workers and other Jews saved from the Holocaust by the German businessman will go to auction.
The collection contains letters and photos sent to Schindler and his wife Emilie from countries across the world, including Israel and the US.
Kathryn Cooper of Lawrences auctioneers (left) holds onto personal mementos owned by Oskar and Emilie Schindler during their time in Argentina
Oskar Schindler poses with some of the Jewish people that he saved from the Holocaust in 1946
Emile Schindler’s German passport and letter with Israeli stamps are among the small personel archive of Emile and Oskar Schindler to be auctioned
The collection contains letters and photos sent to Schindler (left) and his wife Emilie (right) from countries across the world, including Israel and the US
Oskar Schindler saved as many as 1,200 Jewish lives by employing them at his factories. Shown is his famous Schindler’s List, which names each of the Jews saved
After the Schindlers fled to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1949, they began to receive letters from former employees expressing their gratitude.
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, an ethnic German and successful enamelware manufacturer, joined the Nazi party in 1938 and ran factories in Poland on cheap Jewish labour.
When the extent of Nazi brutality became clear, Schindler had a change of heart.
A photo (shown left) dated 1944 shows Oskar Schindler mounting a horse, while on the right is a clock given to the Schindlers as a present
The letters will go under the hammer on December 8 and are expected to fetch up to £700 at Lawrences auction house in Crewkerne, Somerset
Schindler protected workers in his Polish enamelware factory and was immortalised in the Steven Spielberg film Schindler’s List (starring Liam Neeson)
He began protecting his workers by bribing SS officers and relisting them as essential munitions workers.
After the family’s money ran out Mrs Schindler sold her jewels and clothes to buy food and medicine for the workers, saving the lives of more than 1,200 Jews.
The letters will go under the hammer on December 8 and are expected to fetch up to £700 at Lawrences auction house in Crewkerne, Somerset.
An engraved dish, a musical clock and a photo of Mr Schindler riding a horse are also among the objects on sale.
A gold Omega wristwatch thought to belong to Mr Schindler could sell for £600.