Photo one-www.flashbak.com
Sophie Magdalene Scholl was a young bi-sexual anarchist from Nazi Germany during WWII. By 1937 her father, many of his friends and even her brother were becoming disillusioned by Adolph Hitler. Sophie was an intellectual she read philosophy and theology. Her artistic ability (painting and drawing) put her in the company of other artists in Germany. In 1940 she almost did not graduate secondary school, as she lost all interest in taking and passing the mandatory Nazi indoctrination courses in school. She did end up graduating and became a member of the White Rose organization.
The white Rose began as Sophia’s brother Hans Scholl was studying at University of Munich in 1940 and 1941. He and a couple of friends were having doubts about the teachings of the Nazi regime. He was introduced to two Catholic priests, men of letters who inspired him to study medicine, religion, philosophy, and the arts. (Staff, 2021) They became passive resistors to the Nazis and created an organization called the White Rose. The organization supported passive resistance to the Nazi Regime.
The White Rose began with leaflets written by Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorrell. The writings were from the bible and Greek philosopher Aristotle, along with German Poets. They tried to appeal to the German intellectuals with these flyers. They were left in phone booths and mailed to professors and students. Sophie became active in 1942.
Photo two-Hans, Sophie and Christoph, dionne-espinoza.blogspot.com
1942 she was already being indoctrinated by the Nazis by working the National Labor Bureau for six months, and during the summer was working at a metallurgical plant for war service. She managed to register at the University of Munich that year and spent much time with Hans and his intellectual friends. She also had a contact that she used to request a duplicating machine, so during this year she was already working with the White Rose.
February 18, 1943 she was tossing leaflets all over the campus of Ludwig Maximilian University. Just as she finish up and toss the final few, a Nazi janitor who was loyal to the Reich spotted her and turned her in. On February 22, she, her brother Hans, and a friend Christoph Probst were found guilty of treason. At 5:02, 5:03, 5:05, Sophie, then Hans, then Christoph were beheaded by guillotine.
After the three were executed, a copy of the sixth leaflet was smuggled out of Germany into Scandinavia and finally into England. It was used by the Allied forces in 1943, when millions of copies was dropped by the Royal Air Force over Germany. They renamed the leaflet as The Manifest of the Students of Munich.
Since her death, she has been recognized in Film, literature, theater, and music. Her contributions to passive resistance to Nazi Germany were last recognized on what would have been Sophie’s 100th birthday on Instagram @ichbinsophiescholl, so her legacy along with Hans’ and Christoph’s live on.
Photo three- www.elk-wue.de
- History.com Editors (17 February 2021). "Nazis arrest White Rose resistance leaders". History.com. A&E Television Networks (published 5 November 2009).
- Atwood, Kathryn (2011). Women Heroes of World War II. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. p. 22
- Scholl, Inge(1983). The White Rose: Munich, 1942–1943. Schultz, Arthur R. (Trans.). Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press
- Lisciotto, Carmelo (2007). "Sophie Scholl". Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team. Retrieved 21 March2016.
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