The family of Schindler Jews return to Schindler’s Ark on 25th June to mark 30 years since the release of the film Schindler’s List. They will meet with 200 school children from 5 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Austria and Slovakia) to co-design the Museum of Survivors supported by the European Union.
Joseph and Rebecca Bau were married in Schindler’s List in one of the most famous scenes. Joseph Bau did not know how he arrived at Schindler’s Ark in Brenenec, Czech Republic. His wife crossed her name off Schindler’s List and replaced it with her husbands. She went to Auschwitz.
They both survived and they had two children who return to Schindler’s Ark on 25th June to tell their remarkable story of survival. They are joined by the family of Arnost Lustig and of the Low-Beer family who owned the factory which became the unique concentration camp where 1200 Jews were saved.
The film Schindler’s List will be shown to mark 30 years since his release, and survivors with school children from 5 countries will co-design the content of the Museum of Survivors. This will start a process in partnership with Arks Foundation, Zachor Foundation, Terezin Institute and Meeting Brno to build the museum to open by early 2025.
The European Union has approved a grant till early 2025 to develop testimony lessons to be taught in schools in five countries and then built into the first exhibition in Schindler’s Ark. The factory which was Schindler’s Ark was built by the Low-Beer family in 1854 in Brnenec, Czech Republic. It was stolen by the Nazis in 1938 and by Oskar Schindler who was a Nazi. It is the most important site in the story, where Oskar and Emilie Schindler built a concentration camp which saved 1200 Jews.
The Low-Beer family returned in 2017 and consolidated the ruined factory buildings into the Arks Foundation in 2018-2019. The Foundation saved the buildings from collapse in 2020-21. In 2022 the Arks Foundation won an EU grant to build the first Museum Exhibition with school students from five countries.
Daniel Low-Beer the chair of Arks Foundation and grandson of the owner of the factory says “The co-design of the families of Schindler Jews, Czech survivors and school children from five countries is crucial for the story of survivors to pass to the next generation. It is needed now more than ever.”
