Die Weiße Rose (Lizzy Hall)

Die Weiße Rose gleich Aktion. The White Rose equals action, something that
Sophie Scholl had wanted all along. “What does my death matter, if through us thousands
of people are awakened and stirred to action?” (Zimmerman and Burns) she inquired
while being escorted to the guillotine in February of 1943. Sophie Scholl, one of the
most unforgettable young women in German history, was a member of the tightly knit
resilient White Rose Society. The White Rose Society worked to write and produce anti-
Nazi pamphlets. Those simple yet eloquent pieces of paper would eventually lead to the
demise of the White Rose Society and ultimately the death of all the members.
Born Sophia Magdalene Scholl on May 9, 1921 in Forchtenberg, Germany to
Robert and Magdalene Scholl, Sophie grew up comfortably in the small town of Ulm.
Far away from the rest of the world, kind, intelligent Sophie lived in her imagination.
Raised Lutheran, Sophie’s parents taught her to believe in justice and fairness. She had
five siblings: Inge, Hans, Elisabeth, Werner, and Thilde who were completely devoted to
each other. Tragically, Thilde passed away less than two years after birth when Sophie
was about six.
Before Sophie’s twelfth birthday in 1933, Hitler seized control of Germany and
abolished the basic rights of freedom of speech, assembly, and press. Sophie joined the
League of German Girls (the Hitler Youth for girls) because all of her good friends and
peers were participating. Her siblings soon followed suit, much to the dismay of their
father, who was very liberal and anti-Nazi. The family had a history of being against
Hitler, and once the initial excitement had worn off, all of the Scholl children eventually
terminated their involvement in the Hitler-praising communities.
Sophie’s last years of high school were torturous because National Socialism had
invaded the classrooms, and she felt like an outsider amongst her peers. Even though un-
enjoyable could not even begin to describe hoe Sophie felt about participating in class,
she did pay enough attention to fulfill the requirements for her Abitur (the final exam
taken before graduating secondary school in Germany), which allowed her to graduate
and have the option of attending a university. Before attending the University of Munich,
Sophie’s life-long dream, she had to complete her National Labor Service. Sophie
thought becoming a substitute kindergarten teacher would suffice for her credit, she went
to a training course, and devoted the required six months to five year olds. Unfortunately,
and much to Sophie’s dismay, her labor service could not be spent as a teacher and as a
result, Sophie spent one year of force labor at a work camp (Dumbach 47).
Finally, Sophie’s dreams of attending the University of Munich came true. In
May of 1942 at the age of twenty-one, she arrived to her dream school about to begin her
dream classes: double majoring in biology and philosophy. Her philosophy instructor,
Professor Kurt Huber, soon became a close friend, despite his anti-feminist views.
At the University of Munich in June of 1942, leaflets, signed anonymously
from the White Rose Society began being scattered. All over campus, the leaflets lay
scattered. They expressed powerful hatred for National Socialism, Adolf Hitler, and the
war. Sophie, on her way to show Hans the leaflet, discovered that he, along with a close
friend, Alex Schmorell, had written it. She agreed with the views the leaflets expressed,
and chose that day to crossover – venturing down the road of no return. Sophie became
the newest member of the White Rose.
After the production of three more leaflets, the group expanded again as did its
publicity. The Society now consisted of six core members: Sophie and Hans Scholl,
Christopher Probst, Willi Graf, Alex Schmorell, and Professor Kurt Huber who was the
most politically conservative member. Political views aside, all of the members believed
what they were doing would not only get the word out, but also benefit the German
people by getting rid of Hitler.
After the fourth pamphlet was written, Sophie and Professor Huber mailed it
to numerous highly regarded citizens in Munich. Unfortunately, many of the handouts
eventually fell into the hands of the Gestapo. The fifth leaflet, written by Hans and edited
by Professor Huber, titled, “Leaflets of the Resistance Movement in German,” began
circulation in late January 1943. In Munich’s town square, thousands of copies blew in
the wind for the public to lay eyes on. This act triggered Gestapo interest in the White
Rose because thousands of German citizens were now seeing the leaflets. As a result, The
Society remained under close surveillance from then on.
When news of the German defeat at Stalingrad reached Munich in 1943,
Professor Huber decided to compose a sixth leaflet, and addressed it to the German
students. After deciding those addressed should see the leaflet, Hans and Sophie scattered
thousands from the third floor windows of the University of Munich on February 18,
1943. A university janitor spotted the pair and he immediately notified the Gestapo, who
took the Scholl’s into custody. Some speculate Hans and Sophie knew the Gestapo had
been closing in, and distributing the leaflets served as a dramatic act to get their attention,
as though self-sacrifice (People of the Holocaust). The Society had created a system of
mailing themselves leaflets to be sure they arrived at their desired destination. However,
the sixth leaflet was not received, and the Gestapo later claimed they had intercepted it.
Sophie even had a dream that she and Hans would get arrested the night before the sixth
leaflet fell from the third floor that fateful day.
Without delay, they were escorted to prison, locked in their cells all alone. The
Scholl family in Ulm was notified by Traute Lafrenz, Otl Aicher, and Jürgen Wittenstein
of their children’s arrest. By sheer luck, Werner was on leave, and accompanied his
parent to the train station. After hurriedly purchasing tickets for the next available train
(leaving at dawn the next day), they anxiously waited to see their babies, now considered
convicts.
At 10 o’clock the morning of February 22, 1943, the trial began. Only invited
guests attended, mostly in uniform, even the families of the accused went uninvited.
The presiding judge- Roland Freisler, also known as Hitler’s hanging judge- entered
enveloped in a sea of crimson robes. As the witnesses (who consisted of two Gestapo
and the university janitor) presented their “facts,” Freisler shrieked and hollered. As
other evidence was presented, including the leaflets, yells and shouts echoed in the
court room... Throughout the entire trial, Freisler screeched, he roared. He could not
keep his mouth shut. With one exception. Shortly before the verdict became known, a
great deal of movement and noise came from the entrance of the court room. Robert,
Magdalena, and Werner Scholl burst through the door. Robert fought his way to his
children’s defense attorney and announced, “Go to the president of the court and tell him
that the father is here and he wants to defend his children!” (158 Dumbach). The attorney
sauntered toward Freisler, who had a confused look on his face. But as the lawyer
whispered in the judge’s ear, a slow smile spread across his face. The only motion made:
a simple shake of the head. Robert Scholl had been shut down.
After the verdict of death had been decided, three accused arrived back at their
cells. Friesler wanted their death to happen privately and immediately. It was decided
upon to use the guillotine just outside the prison gates. Sophie was the first to be
executed. She went, led by guards, calmly from her cell, and shortly laid down on the
wooden deathbed with Hans and Christopher just outside. One sickening thud of the
blade and it was over…
Sophie and Hans’ death was celebrated later by dropping copies of the sixth
leaflet all over Germany. A toll was taken on the Scholl family after Sophie and Hans’
execution. Inge was sent to a concentration camp, and was lucky enough to survive
to tell the tale. She even wrote a book telling the story of her sibling’s trial. Werner
was announced Missing in Action and was presumed dead in June of 1944. The third
Scholl child, Elisabeth, went on to marry Sophie’s long time boyfriend Fritz Hartnagel.
Magdalene sadly died of a broken heart after losing four of her six children. Robert
continued to raise and care for Inge and Elisabeth until his death in 1973 at the age of
eighty-two.