The gate is a symbol of relief for Jewish prisoners on Schindler's List who passed through it in the summer and autumn of 1944.
Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), a controversial person and a member of the Nazi Party, set up a concentration camp in Brnenec in 1944. Schindler wanted the Jews who worked in his enamelware factory in Krakow sent to Brnenec, so they would not perish in Auschwitz. The men were transported from Krakow to the Gross Rosen camp and were processed and sent to Brnenec, while the women from the list got stuck in Auschwitz. Among the women was Rena Finder who decided to share her memoirs of Auschwitz and subsequent escape to Brnenec. You can now listen to her speak below.
Watch the testimony of Rena Finder, then read her short biography.
Rena Finder was born in Krakow in 1929. She is a Schindler's list survivor who is committed to sharing her story in the hope of keeping the lessons of the Holocaust alive. She is a founding survivor of Facing History and Ourselves. She moved to the USA after the war and has three daughters, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She wrote her memoirs in the book “My Survival: A Girl on Schindler’s List”.