The "Geschwister Scholl"

Hans and Sophie Scholl were founders or rather members of the resistance group “Weiße Rose” at the university of Munich. On February 18, 1943, after a flyer action against the NS-regime they were arrested, sentenced to death by the “Volksgerichtshof”. Hans and Sophie Scholl were executed on February 22, 1943.

Hans Scholl (22th September 1918- 22th February 1943) Hans Scholl was born as the second child of five children on September 22, 1918 in Ingersheim/Württemberg (a federal state of Germany!). In the beginning of the 1930s the family moved to Ulm. There Hans became a member of the “Hitler-youth” and he was also “Fähnleinführer”. But his enthusiasm for the NS-youth-movement of Hitler was very short. Soon he dissociated himself from the organisation and some years later he became the leader of the resistance group “Weiße Rose”

Sophie Scholl (9. May 1921 – 22. February 1943) At the beginning of May 1942 Sophie came to Munich and enrolled for biology and philosophy. Her political attitudes conform to her brother. However when Hans still was enthused from the “Hitlerjugend” (an organisation in the Third Reich especially for the young Germans), Sophie was front critical the Nazi-Regime already as young person. 1940 after she had passed her final secondary-school examination she didn’t go to the “Reichsarbeitsdienst” because she made a kindergarten teacher schooling and followed her brother to Munich after a year. There she got to know the friends of her brother’s. Sophie Scholl (9. May 1921 – 22. February 1943)

The „Weiße Rose“(in engl. „White Rose“) Certainly, the “Weiße Rose” was the most famous resistance group in the Third Reich (Nazi-Germany of 1933 to 1945), in that mostly young people fought against the regime. The inner circle of this Munich group consisted of six persons: Hans and Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorrel, Willi Graf and Kurt Huber. They used the simplest things against Adolf Hitler, the dictator in Germany to that time, and the Nazi- Regime Between June 1942 and February 1943 the “Weiße Rose” published six flyers. The texts consist of radical animadversion on the Nazi-Regime, Hitler, who has provoked the Second World War and the murder at the Jews.

Why the „Weiße Rose“ ? In a letter from 27, June 1938 Hans Scholl wrote to his sister Inge: In my front pocket I wear the bud of a rose. I need this little crop because this is the other side, far away from all military and however not contradictory to this attitude.

The Beginning of the „Weiße Rose“ (Engl.: ”White Rose”) Hans Scholl came to Munich in 1939 to study medicine there. At the “Studentencompanie” he got to know Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst and finally Willi Graf. These friends soon found, that they also had the same political convictions. In spring 1942, Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell wrote the first four flysheets. Each of these flysheets were printed in 100 copies and were sent by mail. The addressed were doctors, advocates, professors and bookshops. They hoped to find multiplicators, however, they were severely disappointed: 35 of the 100 addressed brought their letters directly to the Gestapo.

The End of the „Weißen Rose“ The fifth and the sixth handbill was printed in an edition of ca. 10.000 copies. On February 18, 1943, Sophie and Hans Scholl distributed the copies of the sixth handbill in the main building of the Munich university. They were discovered by the caretaker and then they were arrested by the “Gestapo”. Just some days later the trial was made to Sophie and her fellow combatant Christoph Probst. They were accused of “ ’Nationalverrat’, aiding and abetting the enemy, preparation for the high treason and military force decomposition”. Already on February 22, the judgement was certain: Death penalty. Still on the same day the three Resistance fighters were executed. In a second trial Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Professor Kurt Huber were condemned and executed.

Resistance in the World War II Resistance against the NS-regime consisted of members of all social classes and political convictions. A resistance movement that was organised centrally and acted in the same way didn’t exist. Resistance had very different forms. It went up to planned assassinations and attempts of violent overthrow. The resistance included opposition circles in the armed forces and also members of the “Weiße Rose” and other organisations, too. Individuals helped people who were politically persecuted and Jews to hide from the Gestapo.