The White Rose

On this day in 1943, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst were executed by the Nazi government. The three were members of a resistance group known as The White Rose.

Hans Scholl had been a member of the Hitler Youth, but after growing disillusioned he quit and began to explore avenues banned by the Nazi Regime. Drafted in 1939, he served in the medical corp of the Wehrmacht. He also attended medical school at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Hans initially supported the war effort as a typical patriotic German. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the war as he saw atrocities committed in France, Poland, and the Soviet Union. Along with some friends, Hans formed a group opposed to the Nazi government. They secretly distributed leaflets appealing to the intelligentsia of Germany to reject Hitler and Fascism. The leaflets quoted from the Bible, philosophers like Aristotle, and writers like Goethe. The most destructive activity the White Rose engaged in was graffiti. 

On February 18, Hans and his sister Sophie distributed White Rose pamphlets at the University of Munich. Though usually cautious, this time they were seen by a janitor who was also a member of the Nazi party. He immediately called the Gestapo, and the two were arrested. After they had been searched, evidence was found implicating another member of the group named Christoph Probst. 

On February 21, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst were brought to trial before Judge Roland Freisler of the People's Court. Freisler was brought in from Berlin to ensure a guilty verdict. Though Probst asked for mercy on account of his sick wife, he was shown none. All three were condemned as traitors. There was supposed to be ninety days from the time of the judgment till the sentence was carried out, but the Nazis expedited the process. They were executed on the February 22 in Munich. On his way to the guillotine, Hans Scholl shouted, "Long live freedom!"

Both Hans and Sophie Scholl were raised in a devout Lutheran home. Though neither was overzealous in their faith in their youth, they were guided to resistance by their Christian faith. They bravely stood for righteousness when so many were willing to turn a blind eye to the crimes of the government. 

Too few people know about the White Rose Movement outside of Germany. In Germany, the martyrs of the White Rose are regarded as heroes. There are many books and movies about their brief lives. I highly recommend the film Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage made in 2005. It is in German with English subtitles and was available on Netflix.