The Heroic Resistance of Siblings in Nazi Germany
The White Rose and Hans and Sophie Scholl's heroic actions to stand up against the tyranny of Nazi Germany.
Crushing Voices of Dissent
The university campus has long been a place where protest flourished. This is especially true when students find themselves disagreeing with those in power. For Hans and Sophie Scholl, their voices of opposition still echo across the world today.
In Nazi Germany, any dissent against the regime was suffocated. Prior to the Nazi party’s rise to power in 1933, Berlin had supported over 140 daily newspapers. Seemingly overnight, freedom of the press was eliminated. If it wasn't Nazi-approved message, it wasn't printed.
The Gestapo, and citizens loyal to the Nazis, lurked around every corner. Those caught speaking ill against Adolf Hitler or the Nazi party would disappear. Opposition to the Nazis was all but a death sentence for any who dared to speak out.
The Birth of the White Rose
In Munich, a group of five university students had the courage to take the risk. It was June 1942. Against the backdrop of the war, this was a critical time for Nazi Germany.
After enjoying initial victories early on, German momentum had stalled. And with that the losses and damages piled up. More importantly, the German population was becoming aware of reality. The Third Reich was sputtering and war was coming to German lands.
Hans Scholl, his younger sister Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, Christoph Probst, and Kurt Huber formed what would be known as the White Rose. Distraught by the mass murders being conducted in Poland and the Soviet Union, they wanted to take action.
A War of Words
The White Rose would be a non-violent resistance group to Nazi Germany. Their method of resistance would be anonymous leaflets and graffiti campaigns. Writing, printing and distributing pamphlets across Munich, the White Rose would gain momentum.
Their messages condemned the persecution of Jews, the warmongering policies, and the stifling atmosphere of control. They called for non-violent resistance, for a return to reason and compassion.
Soon copies of their materials were distributed throughout southern Germany. The students’ courage inspired others. Members and contributors of the White Rose began to grow. Yet the need to remain anonymous and unknown was never more critical.
Luck Runs Out
In February of 1943, Hans and Sophie visited Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. On campus, they hurried to drop flyers. They delivered their message against the war and Hitler’s dictatorship.
Using suitcases full of leaflets and flyers, they dropped stacks along any empty corridors they could find. As they went to leave, they noticed left-overs. Sophie flung them from a top floor across the school’s atrium.
A school custodian named Jakob Schmid took notice. Unfortunately for the Scholl’s, he was loyal to the Nazis. He quickly reported them to the Gestapo. Days later, Hans and Sophie Scholl were in the People’s Court.
Last Words to Live By
The People’s Court was well-known for unfair political trials. It was also infamous for its death sentences. Under Judge-President Roland Freisler, the Scholls, along with Christoph who had also been captured, received a death sentence. The method: guillotine.
They were executed hours after receiving the sentence. Sophie went first, followed by Christoph. It is said both were silent and stoic. Hans went last. Before the blade fell he yelled “es lebe die Freiheit!” - long live freedom. Immortal last words.
The White Rose Lives On
The heroic deaths of some of its founding members did not stop the White Rose. It emboldened them. In July of 1943, Allied planes dropped leaflets all over Germany. The leaflet headline: The Manifesto of the Students of Munich. It was a White Rose leaflet.
Today, the State Association of Bavaria offers the Geschwister-School-Preis. It is a literary prize awarded to the book that shows “intellectual independence….and moral, intellectual and aesthetic courage.” They’ve offered the award every year since 1980.
On the campus where the Scholls were caught lies a memorial for the White Rose. It sits in front of the main building and depicts the group’s flyers. Many cities across Germany have proudly named streets, plazas, and schools after the Scholl’s.
History for the Hurried:
August 16, 1777: The Battle of Bennington in Vermont occurred. Militiamen from Vermont, aided by Massachusetts troops, wiped out a detachment of 800 German-Hessians sent by British General Burgoyne to seize horses during the Revolutionary War.
August 16, 1896: Gold was discovered in Rabbit Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River in Alaska, resulting in the Great Klondike Gold Rush. It also added to the legend of one of the world’s most interesting men.