Angels of Life and Death essays

Angels of Life and Death essays "I hated the brutality, the sadism, and the insanity of Nazism. I just couldn't stand by and see people destroyed. I did what I could, what I had to do, what my conscience told me I must do. That's all there is to it. Really, nothing more" (Bulow 9). These are the words of the Angel of Life in the Holocaust, Oskar Schindler. However, the life and light that was inside this man was not in the hearts of all European people between 1933 and 1945. Coinciding with this wonderful figure is one of the most brutal men in all of history who came to be known by many, including the Nazis, as the "Angel of Death." This man, Josef Mengele, was responsible for the unmerciful killing of a large portion of the total of eleven million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and other minorities who were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Holocaust (Bulow 5). Mengele worked under the rule of Adolf Hitler who was the leader of the Nazi party. Hitler and his Nazi regime were in search of the "Final S olution"-their goal was to accomplish the complete destruction of the Jews (Chandler 35). Although the outlandish and wicked goal was not accomplished, the Angel of Death did manage to leave his impression on the lives of an enormous number of people. A true angel, Oskar Schindler, battled this mark of hellish discrimination. Schindler risked his own life and money in order to aid 1,200 Jews to safety during the reign of the devilish Hitler. Thanks to massive bribery and his inside connections, he managed to actively protect his employees." Two different angels thrust into the same time period in history-each man would be remembered for his part in this brutal massacre of innocent people. Oskar Schindler, the Angel of Life who was born into a prosperous family, dealt with bankruptcy multiple times in his life, worked for the cause of 1,200 Jews, and was rewarded with a tree on the Avenue of the ...