German figure skater Nicole Schott picked an interesting song to perform to at the 2018 Winter Olympics—music from the film Schindler’s List.
The 1993 film, which was directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman, who saved more than 1,000 mostly Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories during World War II.
A German Olympian deciding to perform to the score from a movie about the Holocaust—especially since anti-Semitism still exists in Germany and has been worsening—raised a few eyebrows. Folks on Twitter expressed their disbelief and disapproval.
German skater performing to music from Schindler’s List #figureskateing #olympics pic.twitter.com/yCKjl52hyy
— Space Orchid 🏝 (@SpaceOrchid8) February 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/GrvyStruvey/status/966863408770551815
https://twitter.com/BookishFeminist/status/966864469702922240
Who decided the music from Schindler’s List would be appropriate for a German figure skater?? Someone clueless obviously…
— Michael Kaner (@MichaelKaner) February 23, 2018
I mean, you CAN ice skate to the theme from Schindler’s List….but SHOULD you?
— jennifer alice (@aliceminted) February 23, 2018
Just tuned into Olympic figure skating and the German figure skater is skating to the theme song from … Schindler’s List. No joke. Call me crazy but that doesn’t seem right.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/DarlingNikkiUSA/status/966872949285306369
https://twitter.com/ScottHarrisMMA/status/966865315018788866
https://twitter.com/ShotgunZen/status/966891261490688000
https://twitter.com/fromtexarkana/status/966867972575940608
Others, however, felt the masses were overreacting. They pointed out that Schindler’s List is about saving Jewish lives so it could be seen as a positive statement from Germany.
Are you guys actually angry about a German Figure Skater skating to the Schindler’s list theme? It’s such a beautiful and brave statement and a very emotional song. A song with that much significance should be portrayed through such a graceful dance. IMO, there’s no disrespect.
— evan 🍔 (@quailposting) February 23, 2018
Oskar Schindler was a German hero who personally saved the lives of a thousand-plus Jews, & continues to inspire millions, from stories (& musical themes) of him. He is buried in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion. Of course I respect your opinion, but I think you are way off on this one.
— Peteyandjia (@PeteyandJia) February 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/Brindiesel12/status/966873094924193792
“Schindler’s List” – It may be a form of tribute or “lest we forget” for those who were killed in the war from a modern-day German person who is truly revolted by what the Nazis did.
— sharelleDT (@captainsherry) February 23, 2018
Oddly enough, Schott isn’t the first Olympic figure skater to perform to the score. In 1993—right after the movie debuted— German figure skater and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt performed to the score in a non-Olympic competition. Russian figure skater Yulia Lipnitskaya later performed to the music in 2014 at the Sochi Games.
