Schindlerjuden, literally translated as "Schindler Jews," were roughly 1,000 to 1,200 Jews who were saved by Oskar Schindler during the Holocaust. Their story has been depicted in the book Schindler's Ark, by Thomas Keneally, and Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of the novel, Schindler's List. Poldek Pfefferberg, one of the survivors, convinced Thomas Keneally to write the novel and Steven Spielberg to produce the film.
The end of the film shows actual, color footage of the Schindlerjuden depicting each putting a stone on Schindler's grave. They (or their surviving relative(s)) are each accompanied by the actor who portrayed them as they do so. Other mourners in the scene include the widow of Itzhak Stern, accompanied by the actor who portrayed her husband in the film, Ben Kingsley; Schindler's widow, Emilie Schindler; and the actor who portrays Schindler himself in the film, Liam Neeson. Neeson is the last one to approach the grave, and instead of a stone he places two red roses in the center. Appropriately, he is accompanied by no one.
In 2006, there were estimated to be over 7,000 descendants of Schindler's Jews living in the US, Europe, and Israel.
In April 2009 the original list (including 801 names) was found in Sydney among the documentation Thomas Keneally gave as a donation to an Australian library.
