NY Judge OK's Auction of Last Copy of Schindler's List

The 12-page document is believed to be one of the original copies, created by German-Austrian-Czechoslovakian industrialist Oskar Schindler during World War II, in which he listed the names of Jewish people to be saved from the Nazi Holocaust.

"Schindler's List" was the subject and title of Steven Spielberg's award-winning 1993 motion picture.

Justice Louis B. York, presiding in the New York Supreme Court, raised a temporary ban on the sale of Schindler's list. Apparently, Argentine biographer Marta Erika Rosenberg, an heir of Emilie Schindler (Oskar Schindler's widow), had attempted to stop the sale in the spring of 2010. Rosenberg had questioned the document's authenticity urged the court to keep Schindler's list from becoming a collector's relic.

The much-debated copy of Schindler's list is offered by Gary Zimet, a New York dealer in historical artifacts, documents and other memorabilia. Gary Zimet, who owns the website titled Moments in Time, claims to be offering the famous document as agent for an anonymous seller, although he has hinted that the owner is part of the family of Itzhak Stern, who was Oskar Schindler's accountant during World War II.

The 13-page Schindler's list document, dated April 18, 1945, is expected to fetch as much as $2 million at auction. Additional original documents of Schindler's list are held by the German Federal Archives, The U.A. Holocaust Museum and the Yad Vashen Museum of Israel.

Who was Oskar Schindler?

Oskar Schindler was a European businessman who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Polish Jews during World War II. Working with his accountant, Itzhak Stern, Oskar Schindler composed a list of the names of Jewish people that were then removed from Nazi prison camps and employed as workers in Schindler's own factory.

What was the "Schindler's List" movie?

Released cinematically by Universal Pictures in December 1993, "Schindler's List" recounted the true story of Oskar Schindler and his rescuing of Polish Jews, imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, "Schindler's List" featured actor Liam Neeson (as Oskar Schindler), with a supporting cast including Sir Ben Kingsley (as Itzhak Stern), Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Embeth Davidtz and more. The "Schindler's List" film screenplay was based on the book, titled "Schindler's Ark," written by Thomas Keneally.

The film earned 12 Academy Award nominations, winning seven Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture.