Have you seen the film Schindler's list? It chronicles World War II Germany
industrialist Oskar Schindler by setting up factories to hire a large number of
Jews, and desperate to save them escape from Nazi clutches. Photography also
has a very similar story, called photography "Schindler's list", and
is the hero of the Leica, former Chairman of Ernst Leitz II.
In 1920, Ernst Leitz II took the Leitz company passed his father (Leslie,
Leica's predecessor), at that time as well as an optical company, and later in
1925 the first 35mm camera Ur-Leica (below) into the market for bringing
important changes to photography, which we all know.
Later, Hitler in 1933 as Germany Prime Minister, Leica since President
received numerous Jewish employees to ask for help, and have carried out a
series of rescue work, mainly "hiring" Jews as Leica's overseas
employees, and by sending them to leave Germany and from persecution, and their
descendants are called the "Leica Freedom Train" (Leica freedom
train).
As the developments have become more and more serious, Ernst Leitz II, not
only out of employees, some retailers, employees, family members, or even a
friend of the family "have been hired." They mostly sent to the
United States, whereas France and the United Kingdom, and even made to Hong
Kong. Not only that, but arrived in the local office will help employees find
jobs, subsistence allowance will be provided if one is not found, giving each a
Leica camera, sold under an impossible situation for them to survive.
1938-early 1939 as the highest peak, every group of refugees will be sent to
New York for a few weeks, until September 1939 German invasion of Poland this
action was forced to blockade the border ends.
Ernst Leitz II
Nobody knows for sure how many people sent away, but at least it saved
hundreds of lives. At the moment to come forward and this courage worthy of
admiration, and Leica's own excellent may be an important factor. Some people
believe that, precisely because the Leica optics and camera manufacturing
levels high, and Nazis as a attaches great importance to political advocacy
organization, also attached considerable importance to cooperation with Leica,
so we turn a blind eye to such action was closed. It is worth mentioning that,
as early as father at the helm of the President, has been set up to focus on
employee corporate culture, provide pensions, sick leave and health insurance,
and will reward with high-tech employees, so left a labour relations of mutual
trust. (Retaining the industry's leading old master, right? ）
This sounds simple, but in fact because Leica Alfred Turk, a senior
employee assisted local Jews (flight) was sentenced to prison, and Leitz paid
large bribes to get out of prison. Leitz's daughter was helping Jewish women
sneak into Switzerland were locked up in jail, releasing over trying to improve
after more than 700 Ukraine slave life, once again, been monitoring.
Throughout action was also has been is a secret, until one was born Yu
United States California Hou emigrated United Kingdom of Jewish rabbi Frank
Dabba Smith through carefully research, published has a this title for The
Greatest Invention of the Leitz Family:The Leica Freedom Train (Leidseplein
family most great of achievements: free train) under of book, detailed
explained has this paragraph history Shang very justice is and very low-key of
save action. Finally, died in 1956, Ernst Leitz II was reached in 2007 by the
Anti-Defamation League (Anti-Defamation League) awarded the "Courage to
Care Award" (courage to care award) in recognition of his feat.
I hope that one day the "Leica Freedom Train" (Leica freedom
train) can also be made into a movie, so that more people know. And by your
ability to Leica (laughter) should also be passed down among the moral force,
and become the next Ernst Leitz II.
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