Have you ever thought, why didn’t anyone try to stop Adolf Hitler? Were any Germans ever against him? Was the German community aware of the harm that Hitler was causing to innocent people? Indeed, there were. But who were the people behind these courageous acts? A group of college student attempted to stop Hitler and his heinous acts against Jews and his betrayal of the German people. In 1942, the group known as the White Rose arose in the streets of Munich, Germany. It was a student resistance movement that was created to expose Hitler to all of Germany. Their acts were believed to portray the true meaning of Christianity. The group made leaflets that contained information about the Nazis and their injustices. The letters were mailed to random addresses all over Germany. These students were willing to do whatever was needed in order to follow their moral duty and stop Hitler and his army.1
Sophie Scholl will always be remembered as one of the key individuals in the White Rose movement. She was born in Forchtenberg, Germany in 1921. She grew up in a religious and very political home. Her father was the mayor of the small town and her mother was a deaconess at their local church.2 Her parents raised her family to live an anti-Nazi life. Sophie was the second of three children. Both Hans and Sophie, like most other young Germans, were a part of the Hitler youth movement. There, individuals would be taught Nazi morals and train for battle. While in the program, Sophie and Hans were exposed to the injustices that were done by the Nazi government.3 Hans, her older brother, and his friends were responsible for starting the resistance movement. They named it after a white rose because it portrayed “purity and innocence.”4
Hans was attending the University of Munich when he started the movement. Along with friends that were also opposed to Hitler and the Nazi regime, they began writing leaflets that denounced the inhumanity of Hitler and his army. They described the Nazis as gangsters and violent criminals.5 After Sophie graduated High School, she followed her brother’s footsteps and attended the University of Munich, where she studied biology and philosophy.6
Sophie was an excellent writer, which played a crucial role in not only writing leaflets but distributing them as well. Not only did the group write leaflets, they spread their beliefs by spraying quotes on twenty-nine different public buildings. Some of the sayings were, “Down with Hitler” and the word “Freedom” on the sides of the entrance of the University of Munich.7 On one very significant leaflet, they exposed the horrendous acts, in which Hitler was responsible for the mass-murder of Jewish people. The group described this as, “the most terrible crime against human dignity, a crime not to be compared to any similar one in the history of mankind.” 8
One night, Sophie had a dream that she and her brother were arrested by the Gestapo. Little did she know that her dream would one day become a reality.
“Our people stand ready to rebel against the national socialist enslavement of Europe in a fervent breakthrough of freedom and honor.” This was the last line of the last leaflet that Hans and his sister would distribute on February 18, 1943.9 While everyone was in class, Hans and Sophie distributed the leaflets around the University. When they were done, Sophie went back and threw a stack of leaflets down a balcony. She was not able to flee the scene fast enough, as a Janitor saw her throw the leaflets down a balcony and went after her and the man beside her, Hans. The janitor stopped the individuals and reported the incident. Later, they were detained and taken to Gestapo Headquarters, where they were questioned. At the time, Hans still had a hand-written letter in his pocket, which incriminated his friend, Christoph Probst. The letter was potentially going to be the group’s next leaflet. Christoph was brought in for questioning. The individuals were detained for four days. They were questioned, and they in turn became victims of the brutality of the Nazi machine. While detained, the Gestapo broke one of Sophie’s legs. The three individuals were found guilty of “high treason,” and four days later were beheaded. The Gestapo did not stop, and they were on the lookout for other people who were involved in the group. It was not until five months after their execution when more members were detained and punished. One of the individuals was a Professor who had helped the group write some of the leaflets; he was later executed as well.10
The members of the White Rose stood up for their beliefs and condemned the horror of the Nazis, including Sophie, who was willing to do whatever was needed to inform others and stop Hitler from committing injustices, even if it meant losing her life in the process of it. They exposed the Nazis to all of Germany and fought to stop Hitler. Sophie Scholl along with her friends will go down in history for their braveness and courage to stop the Nazi regime.
- Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn, Sophie Scholl and the White Rose (Oxford: Oneworld Publications), 5. ↵
- Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia, 2002, s.v. “Sophie Scholl,” by Anne Commire. ↵
- John M. Lewis, “Germany and the White Rose,” New Hampshire Bar Journal 53, No. 2 (2012): 56-57. ↵
- Russel Freedman, We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler (New York: Clarion Books, 7 ↵
- John M. Lewis, “Germany and the White Rose,” New Hampshire Bar Journal 53, No. 2 (2012): 56-57. ↵
- Russel Freedman, We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler (New York: Clarion Books, 24. ↵
- Simon Henderson, “The White Rose and the definition of ‘resistance: Simon Henderson explains the significance of Hans and Sophie Scholl in the history of Nazi Germany,” History Review No. 53 (2005): 42. ↵
- Simon Henderson, “The White Rose and the definition of ‘resistance: Simon Henderson explains the significance of Hans and Sophie Scholl in the history of Nazi Germany,” History Review No. 53 (2005): 42. ↵
- Simon Henderson, “The White Rose and the definition of ‘resistance: Simon Henderson explains the significance of Hans and Sophie Scholl in the history of Nazi Germany,” History Review No. 53 (2005): 42. ↵
- Simon Henderson, “The White Rose and the definition of ‘resistance: Simon Henderson explains the significance of Hans and Sophie Scholl in the history of Nazi Germany,” History Review No. 53 (2005): 42. ↵
67 comments
Jason Garcia
I had no idea that there were German people that opposed Hitler’s words and actions, the movement may not have been enough to effectively stop the Nazi occupation, it did indeed make other Germans think about the evils that the Nazis were committing. To be so young and fight for a cause as big as the one they died for will forever be remembered. I thought the article did a great job in explaining a subject that not many people know about. This article will no doubt bring awareness of the White Rose.
Seth Castillo
The White rose movement is something I had never heard of before. I knew that there were many people who opposed Hitler’s regime in Germany. Many of them either left Germany or were arrested. They did all they could to bring awareness to the atrocities that Hitler was committing but I guess many drew a blind eye just to not become a victim of the regime.
Carlos Vazquez
This article is very well written and informative. Before reading it I had no idea people like Sophie excited. When looking at history, we often look back at the terrible things the Nazis did to the Jewish people of Europe but we don’t often think of those German citizens who bravely opposed Hitler and His regime. It’s sad to see that most of those people like Sophie and her brother, don’t often get the attention they deserve for fighting back the horrors of Nazi Germany.
Isaac Rodriguez
I knew that there were Germans that resisted Hilter’s nazi-regime because I’ve heard details of the July 20th Plot, lead by Claus Von Stauffenberg, and other high-ranking members of the German Army. I had not heard of the White Rose Student Resistance Movement or siblings, Hans and Sophie Scholl. While exposing the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party cost the siblings their lives, I found their bravery to be admirable. Great read.
Christopher Martinez
Through our history classes in previous years we always here about shat America did to help stop Hitler but never what Germany their own country did to help stop him. This article does great on bringing light to this concept through the “White Rose Student” resistance. Its amazing to see that even in their own country who was being ruled by a man who stood for non of their beliefs was able to rise to power. Similarly we can compare this to things today in which celebrities that use their platform to talk about things going on today. Going back to the article itself Sophie Scholl and the resistance knew they could possibly get found and killed but kept writing to bring light to how evil Hitler action and intentions really were.
Johnanthony Hernandez
With little ever being talked about Germans who were against Hitler and the Nazi party during World War II, it is interesting to see that there were individuals like Sophie Scholl in Nazi-Germany that were against HItler’s ideology because of there morals. As well as a group of young adults who had gone through the Hitler Youth Program had resisted its teachings and pushed for the downfall of the Nazi party from within the German borders. With people mostly talking about individuals who smuggled Jews out of Nazi occupied territories, I wouldn’t think that a group of people like Sophie and her brothers would be able to when they had grown up under Nazi propaganda.
Edgar Ramon
A truly brave set of individuals, especially since they were brave at a time when the bad guys controlled just about everything. Being executed for denouncing evil, when others comply is heroic, they could even be called martyrs for their cause. These ‘White Rose’ rebels surely have a place in heaven. They just came across bad timing, perhaps if they had just waited some minutes or released those pamphlets earlier, they would not have been caught. Although I’m sure they knew what the price would be. This was an article to reflect on, to read and say ‘hey, my life ain’t too bad’.
Monica Avila
I have read so many different articles regarding the Holocaust but never have I learned about The White Rose. It is heartbreaking to know that Sophie and her brother were both executed when all they were trying to do was expose the Nazis for their brutality. These individuals did not deserve what was done to them. Hitler’s cruelty is one of the worst in our world’s history.
Hector Garcia
It is inspiring to read about Sophie School’s courage and how she was able to lay down her life in order to inform the German people of Nazi’s cruelty toward Jewish citizens. It is interesting to read about these young men and women who stood up to one of the most horrible political parties in history. It sickens me that that her life was taken away at such a young age, when she had potential to do so much more.
Alyssa Childs
I have read and studied a lot about WWI and WWII but never did I read about the White Rose. I am in awe of these young and empowering adults. We need more people in life like them to stand up to the wrongs in life. It is insane on how brave these individuals are to stand up in what they believe in even if it meant their life. We need to start a group today to stop Trump.