Poldek Pfefferberg
| Poldek Pfefferberg | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Leopold Pfefferberg March 20, 1913 Kraków, Austro-Hungarian Empire |
| Died | March 9, 2001 (aged 87) Beverly Hills, California |
| Nationality | Polish, American |
| Other names | Leopold Page |
| Alma mater | Jagiellonian University, Kraków |
| Occupation | Teacher, Army officer |
| Known for | motivating creation and production of Schindler's List |
| Spouse(s) | Ludmila Lewison (m. 1941) |
| Notes | |
Leopold "Poldek" Pfefferberg (March 20, 1913 – March 9, 2001), also known as Leopold Page, was a Polish-American Holocaust survivor who inspired the Australian writer Thomas Keneally to write the Booker prize-winning novel Schindler's Ark, which in turn was the basis for Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List.
Pfefferberg was born into a Jewish family in Kraków, Austro-Hungarian Empire. He gained a master's degree in philosophy and physical education from the Jagiellonian University, Kraków. He then became a high-school teacher in Kraków until 1939. He became the physical education professor at Kosciuszko Gymnasium in Podgórze.
In 1939 he joined the Polish Army and took part in the defense of Poland against the German invasion. He later explained to the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally how he was wounded on the San River where his life was saved by his sergeant major, who carried him to a field hospital.
In 1941 he married Ludmila "Mila" Page (née Lewison) with whom he later had two children. Mila was herself a survivor of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp. During the making of the movie Schindler's List, she was introduced to Ralph Fiennes who was in full costume as Amon Göth, the role in which he was cast. On seeing him, Mila began to uncontrollably shake, feeling as if she were seeing Amon Göth himself.
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