Did Oskar Schindler really lament not having saved more Jews?

At the end of Schindler's List, there is a scene where Oskar Schindler realises, almost breaking down in tears in front of all of his workers, that each of the extravagances/luxuries he still has could have been used for bribes to save yet more Jews.

This, to me, either represents very touching character moment, or an over-the-top bit of cheese on an otherwise very impactful film, depending of course on whether this scene took place in reality or not.

Did this really take place as depicted?

historical-accuracy schindlers-list

Best Answer

According to David M. Crowe’s book Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activities and the True Story Behind The List...

NO.

Among the key revelations in Crowe’s book: Oskar Schindler did not write out a list of people to save, he didn’t break down in tears because he thought he could have saved more people, and it is unlikely he experienced a defining moment, such as seeing a girl in a red coat, that led to his decision to save the lives of his Jewish workers. Steven Spielberg’s movie Schindler’s List, while important, impressive and admirable in many ways, took creative license on these and other issues.

^Source

Near the end of the movie Schindler’s List, a famous scene depicts Oskar Schindler departing his factory at the end of the war and crying without consolation over his inability to save even more lives. (The scene was even parodied in an episode of Seinfeld.) “The idea that Oskar collapsed sobbing into Itzhak Stern’s arms and bemoaned his failure to save more Jews is preposterous,” writes Crowe. “Oskar was proud of all he had done to save Brunnlitz’s Jews and said so in his speech earlier that evening.”

Oskar Schindler was a great man who saved the lives of more than 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust. The imperfections in his character and the nuances in the historical record only make his story more remarkable.