The "White Rose" Resistance

Dear Readers!

Today, I invite you to read about an interesting event that I experienced firsthand. It was a topic I researched extensively at the time. I visited the places where the events occurred, even conducted interviews and made tape recordings. I had actually wanted to compile the information I gathered into a book, but due to the hustle and bustle of daily life, my doctoral thesis, and other commitments, I was unable to realize this intention. I wanted to share this event, which deeply affected my heart, even if briefly.

INTRODUCTION

It was sometime in the late 1990s. I was pursuing my Ph.D. in economics at the university in Freiburg, a city in southern Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. At the same time, I was working as an investment consultant for American energy companies, a role I continued more out of personal preference than serious commitment.

One day, I was having dinner with a German friend at a Greek restaurant. The weather was pleasant. We fell into a political discussion. To be honest, it would be more accurate to say I started the argument:

“Stephan, there’s something I don’t understand. Germany left behind a great war and destruction. Yet, no one wants to talk about the war. In fact, I even notice that they get uncomfortable with the questions I ask. Can you tell me anything about why this is?”

Stephan, who was also a doctoral student like me, didn't particularly welcome my question but deemed it appropriate to give a brief answer:

“You’re right! Since my childhood, this topic has never come up, neither at home nor at school. It’s as if we live as if Germany wasn’t a party to the war. We’ve gotten used to it. Perhaps people don’t want to confront the pain that supporting Hitler created in their consciences.”

“Another thing I can’t understand is how everyone in such a vast Germany succumbed to Hitler’s magic and charisma. Not a single person resisted Hitler. No one organized a resistance. What do you say about that?”

Stephan placed his fork and knife on his plate. He lightly dabbed his mouth with his napkin. He reached for his wine glass. Then, he began to speak in an emotional tone:

“What you’re saying isn’t true! There were young people in Germany who wanted to organize resistance. With a thousand difficulties, they printed and distributed leaflets. But they were soon caught by the Gestapo and executed. For example, the White Rose Resistance is one of them. Have you ever heard that name before?”

I was surprised. I shook my head, meaning “No!” I wanted to learn more. Stephan continued in a calm tone:

“I was born in Stuttgart. My father often took us to the town of Frochtenberg and told us about the courage of the Scholl family and their resistance to the Hitler regime. That was the first time I heard the name ‘White Rose’ from my father. If you want, you can research it.”

Following Stephan's suggestion, the next day I went to the University of Freiburg and the city library. The information I obtained was limited. I visited the cities of Frochtenberg, Ulm, and Munich. In these cities, there were small museums, monuments, and foundations established to honor the "White Rose" movement.

I gathered the information and prepared an article in German. I gave the article to my German teacher to correct my mistakes. He was very impressed. He organized a seminar. I spoke in German to the German students and explained the "White Rose" movement.

When my speech ended, I received a standing ovation. My teacher asked me to publish the information I had gathered as a book. He voluntarily promised to help me correct my mistakes and even find a publisher. However, due to my heavy workload, this project never materialized. Now, I leave you with the "White Rose" resistance movement.

SOPHIE'S JOURNEY TO MUNICH

Year 1942… First week of May…

As the train departed from Ulm station, Sophie Scholl sat down in her seat.

It was the first few days of May. It was an unusually warm day. Sophie hoped for a pleasant journey. She was alone in the compartment.

As the train slowly began to move towards Munich, 150 km away from Ulm, she felt her heart flutter. Sophie had placed her suitcase on the overhead rack and was sitting calmly in her seat. In the bag she held, there was a bottle of wine and some cake.

There was nothing exceptional about the young woman's appearance, with her brown hair and eye color. She was simply dressed. She wore no makeup. She had on a brown pleated skirt and a pink sweater. And a fresh daisy tucked behind her ear… She looked younger than her 21 years.

The train began to pick up speed. It left the outskirts behind. Sophie looked out the window, as if bidding farewell to the city of Ulm she was leaving behind. Even though the train had traveled quite a distance, the massive Ulm Cathedral could still be seen in the distance.

Her parents lived in a house near the Cathedral. Although Sophie didn't show it, she felt a lump in her throat from leaving her parents.

Sophie had decided to study at the University of Munich. She had finally achieved the desired score on the Abitur (high school diploma) exam she had been taking since she was 18.

The train sped across the Danube River. Sophie couldn't take her eyes off the outside. She was mesmerized.

She was in love with nature. Even seeing a small stream awakened a secret joy in her heart, reminding her of Frochtenberg am Kocher, the town where she was born and raised. The games she played with her brother Hans and the other children of the town in the stream and the forest flowed into her mind, causing her to smile sweetly.

While Sophie experienced the bittersweet sadness of leaving her family and the inner happiness she felt in the face of nature's beauty, the war on the Russian front continued with full intensity.

Her younger brother, Werner, was fighting on the Russian front. Her older brother, Hans, a medical student, was occasionally called to the front to treat the wounded and civilians. In fact, Hans had taken this opportunity to learn Russian fluently.

Sophie was lost in lyrical thoughts. Her early diaries were always filled with descriptions of nature. In fact, a strong movement had emerged among German youth starting in 1929. This youth group, calling themselves "Wandervögel" (Migratory Birds), would collectively venture into nature, happily sharing a life away from cities for days.

These groups, mostly composed of young men, hiked in the mountains and hills, set up camps along lakes and rivers, sang songs, and recited poems. Their goal was to be close to nature, communicate with wild animals, and be alone with the sun and water. For this youth group, this lifestyle was the most beautiful way to experience freedom.

There could be no better solution to escape the restrictions and ugliness brought by bourgeois society. German youth were not content with this; they sought to be at one with nature in countries like Italy, Finland, or Yugoslavia.

When Hitler won the elections in 1933 and established the Third Reich (Hitler's Germany 1933-45), this youth group was incorporated into the National Socialist movement.

This time, Hitler's ideology and propaganda dominated the excursions. Although initially some youth groups organized these trips on their own without joining the National Socialist movement, by the spring of 1942, all youth would be forced to participate in Hitler camps.

Hitler decided to use the German youth's admiration for nature for his own party propaganda. His aim was to separate children from their parents. He wanted to instill in them the feeling of being leaders, that is, to make them feel important.

Sophie's mother had no interest in politics. She couldn't be expected to interfere with her children. Her father maintained dialogue with his children, giving them the chance to express their opinions freely.

One truth was clear: their father, Robert Scholl, hated Hitler. When his children left the house, he would put Hitler's picture, which hung on the wall, into a drawer, and when they returned, he would take it out and hang it in the most prominent place in the house.

Due to the war, total mobilization had been declared, and Sophie had been working as a kindergarten teacher in Blumberg for six months. She had also taken on the task of helping farmers.

The train would reach Munich in a few hours. Her brother Hans was waiting for her at the station. It was Sophie's birthday today. She knew she would celebrate it with her brother.

Sophie was engaged to a young officer named Fritz Hartnagel. This engagement had no official status as they had exchanged rings without their families' knowledge. Fritz Hartnagel was now in the thick of the war on the Russian front.

Sophie corresponded with her fiancé. As she learned the true face and brutality of the war, she became anxious and saddened. The cruel deaths of civilians and soldiers caused an unfamiliar anger to rise in her heart.

The Scholl family had five children. Sophie was the fourth and youngest daughter. Sophie Scholl's siblings, in order of age, were: Hans, Sophie, Inge, Elisabeth, and Werner.

Her parents were a harmonious and loving couple. Her father, Robert Scholl, had served as mayor in several small towns in the 1920s. When they moved to Ulm, he opened his own office as a tax and business consultant. His wife, Magdalena, had worked as a nurse for many years. She was a gentle and soft-spoken woman. Her only passion in life was her husband and children.

Because Robert Scholl held liberal views, he lost his position as mayor. After settling in Ulm, he maintained contact with his Jewish friends. In short, Robert Scholl was an independent character who scorned the regime and went his own way.

In their early youth, Sophie and her brother Hans had both joined the Hitler Youth. Their father was very upset by this, and it even caused some tension between them. But those days were now behind them.

Sophie harbored a growing hatred for the war and the dictatorship. She felt safe with her family in Ulm. But now she realized she was sailing into an unknown future.

These were the days when Sophie was working as a kindergarten teacher in Blumberg. Her unofficial fiancé, Fritz Hartnagel, had been called back to Germany from the Russian Front for a short period to train soldiers who would be sent to Africa. Taking advantage of this, the engaged couple met near Freiburg to catch up.

Sophie and Fritz had danced together for the first time at a party. At that time, Sophie was 16 and Fritz was 20. Sophie was impressed by Fritz's kind and gentle demeanor and accepted his offer of friendship. Fritz was not a member of the Nazi party. He was a classic soldier with no other ambition than to pursue a career in the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces).

***

The train was rapidly approaching Munich Station. Soon, the train would slowly enter the magnificent station. The platform was crowded. Young girls were waiting for their uniformed fiancés, husbands, or boyfriends. Hans must have been somewhere in this crowd.

Sophie's mind suddenly went back in time. While Sophie was in Blumberg, she had been shaken by the news that her father had been reported to the Gestapo. The informant was her father's own secretary. In fact, the secretary seemed like a good-natured person.

One day, Sophie's father, in a fit of anger, had called Hitler "the curse of humanity." The Gestapo, acting on the report, took Robert Scholl in for questioning but released him. The reason was that Robert Scholl's private firm was working on a project for the Ulm City Municipality. The Gestapo did not want to cause a delay in this project.

From that day on, the Scholl family lived in fear and suspicion that the case would be reopened at any moment. Sophie was very upset by this news. To find solace, she played the organ in the small cathedral in Blumberg, wanting to clear her mind.

Her brother Hans came to meet Sophie with his girlfriend Traute Lafrenz. When Sophie hugged her brother, she felt at peace and safe.

Sophie arrived in Munich in May 1942. Her brother Hans, along with his friend Alexander Schmorell, had decided to launch a struggle against the Hitler regime even before Sophie arrived. Of course, Sophie had no idea what was going on. Her brother and his girlfriend took Sophie to her rented room.

The district where she stayed had been a meeting place for intellectuals before the war, but the Nazi regime had put an end to this life. The "Jugendstil" movement, an important art current, had taken root in this district and spread throughout the world. This was later followed by the "Blue Rider" expressionism movement. Famous painters like Kandinsky, Klee, and Franz Marc created their first works in this district.

Thomas Mann, considered Germany's greatest writer, had also settled in this district and penned his works there. Munich was now the center of the National Socialist movement, that is, the Nazi Party.

Hans's friends crowded into Sophie's room to celebrate her birthday. Sophie offered her guests the cake her mother had baked and the wine she had brought.

Alex Schmorell's pipe was never out of his hand. He spoke German with a Russian accent. Alex Schmorell's parents were German-Russians.

(Here I would like to add a note: Germans also known as "Volga Germans" who remained within the borders of Tsarist Russia, over time remained culturally and linguistically Russian, but ethnically German. In a sense, Volga Germans are one of the rare communities in the world that see themselves as both Russian and German, possessing a dual national identity. After the 1917 revolution, the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established. However, during World War II, this autonomous republic was dissolved by Stalin due to fears of their collaboration with Hitler, and its inhabitants were deported to Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, Volga Germans gradually returned to Germany. They still continue to speak Russian among themselves.)

If you wish, let's take a look at Alex Schmorell's family:

His German-born grandfather settled in Russia to trade furs and renounced his German citizenship. His father, Hugo, was born in Russia but identified and presented himself as German. He married a Russian woman, the daughter of an Orthodox priest. Hugo received a medical education.

During World War I, Hugo and his family were sent from Moscow to the Ural region. Hugo became responsible for the hospital where German prisoners were held. Alex was born in 1917, during the height of the civil war between the Reds and Whites in the Urals.

When Alex was only two years old, his mother died from a typhus epidemic. In 1921, the third year of the Russian Revolution, Dr. Hugo Schmorell returned to Germany on the last train leaving Russia, accompanied by his four-year-old son Alex and an elderly Russian nurse. Hugo Schmorell married a Russian-born German woman in Munich and opened his own practice.

The elderly Russian nurse constantly told Alex about his mother who had died in Russia. A sympathy and longing for Russia developed in Alex's heart. Alex had two half-siblings from his stepmother. However, they felt completely German.

Alex, in a sense, pursued his Russian roots. He spoke Russian like a native. Books by Dostoevsky, Gogol, and Pushkin were always in his hands. He learned to play the piano but also did not neglect the Balalaika (a Russian musical instrument). Art, travel, horseback riding, skiing, and mountaineering were his most important hobbies. He embraced the Orthodox religion like his mother.

This cultural fragmentation caused a deep melancholy in Alex's heart. In those years, studying at the University of Munich was a privilege. Alex decided to study medicine. Over time, Alex took a stand against the Hitler regime.

Hans and Alex, two important figures of the "White Rose" resistance movement, met at the University of Munich in the autumn of 1940.

Sophie gave Alex Schmorell a nickname: "Shurik." Hans, Alex Schmorell, Christoph Probst, and Willi Graf were medical students. They were occasionally called to the front temporarily, treated the wounded, and then returned to continue their education. Sometimes they were also responsible for treating war wounded in hospitals near Munich.

To relieve the psychological burden of the war, they occasionally went to concerts, took fencing lessons, and even sang in music choirs. A similar situation was not seen in other countries participating in the war.

In fact, it was these hobbies that brought these young people together. Later, these students laid the foundation for a resistance group. They sent the leaflets they printed by mail to certain students and prominent figures in the business and intellectual circles, trying to inform the public that Germany was losing the war and needed to get rid of Hitler. The money needed to buy equipment such as typewriters and copying machines came from Hans's generous allowance sent by his father.

The missing "brain" of the White Rose movement at Sophie's birthday party was Professor Kurt Huber.

The Hitler regime had a two-stage project to control the youth: those in the 10-14 age group were members of groups called Jungvolk (boys) and Jungmädel (girls), meaning Young Community.

After the age of 14, boys joined the group called Hitler Youth, and girls joined the group called the League of German Girls. In the years when Hitler came to power, all five children of the Scholl family joined these groups, despite their father's disapproval. They particularly participated in magnificent demonstrations organized in Ulm. In 1935, the number of young people who were members of youth groups in Germany exceeded 5 million.

When Germany declared war on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, and launched Operation Barbarossa, this decision caused disappointment in Sophie, as it did in German youth who thought the war was over.

The group decided to take action. In mid-June 1942, the first leaflet of the White Rose movement was secretly penned. Soon after, three more leaflets were published. The leaflets were carefully placed in envelopes and mailed to prominent families in the city.

Some of those who received the leaflet informed the Gestapo of what was happening. Later, the leaflet was secretly distributed at the university. While classes were in session, the leaflets were secretly placed in front of the classrooms, and they disappeared without anyone noticing. The group was not content with this; they wrote anti-Hitler slogans on walls and inside telephone booths.

While the group continued its anti-Nazi propaganda, the war on the Russian front also continued with full intensity. The leaflets read:

“This year will be very difficult for Germany. Every German who loves their country must take risks and fulfill their duty.”

Meanwhile, America was bombing cities like Cologne, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf almost off the map.

Despite everything, the German people were still silent against the regime. A joke circulated within the "White Rose" movement:

“Germans have clenched their mouths so tightly that doctors will almost have to pull their teeth out through their noses.”

There were many rumors about why the group chose the name "White Rose." The first thought was that the phrase "White Rose" evoked a sense of innocence and blamelessness. In later years, when Hans was caught by the Gestapo, he would explain why they chose the name "White Rose" as follows:

“We gave our movement this name because 'The White Rose' is the title of a book by the German-born anarchist writer B. Traven, whose true identity is not yet fully known, which describes resistance against exploitation.”

Initially, Sophie did not know that her brother Hans and his friends were the founders of the "White Rose" resistance movement. One day, while listening to a lecture in a university classroom, her eye caught a leaflet placed under the desk. The leaflet called on intellectuals and students to take action against the Hitler regime. The name "White Rose" was at the bottom of the leaflet.

This was how Sophie first encountered the name "White Rose." Sophie folded the leaflet and placed it between the pages of her book. She went to her brother's room. Hans was not there. While waiting in the room, Sophie got bored and glanced at the books on the table. She picked up a book by the famous German poet Schiller.

As she flipped through the pages of the book, she noticed a pencil inscription somewhere. At that moment, her heart almost stopped because the words in the leaflet matched the pencil inscription in this book.

At that moment, Hans entered the room. Sophie began to argue with her brother. Hans denied the claim about the leaflet. At that moment, their other friends also arrived. After long discussions and confessions, Sophie learned the truth.

Sophie's mind was more occupied with her fiancé Fritz, who was fighting on the Russian front, and her younger brother Werner. Sophie suddenly felt guilty for remaining silent in the face of the brutal war. Although she accused her brother of being careless and causing trouble for the family, her own internal reckoning continued.

Days later, she received a letter from her fiancé Fritz. Fritz wrote:

“Sophie, it’s very cold here! People are freezing to death. I want you to collect and send clothes.”

Sophie's answer was firm:

“Whether German or Russian, anyone freezing to death on the front deserves help, not just German soldiers! We have lost the war. The wool blankets I send will only help prolong the war, and I don't want that.”

Sophie had received a strict religious education in her childhood. Somewhere in the Bible it was written:

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only!”

Sophie decided to join the "White Rose" resistance movement.

It was the summer of 1942. Before the university went on a three-month holiday, the group distributed the fourth leaflet. This leaflet contained the following statement:

“We are not a group under the command of foreign powers. We are Germans through and through. We will not remain silent. Our existence will be the pang of conscience of the Hitler regime. Know that the ‘White Rose’ will not leave you in peace.”

On February 3, 1943, the German army was defeated at Stalingrad and surrendered. Three days later, on February 6, German radio suddenly stopped its program. First, the sound of a slow-tempo drum was heard. After a long silence, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony played. Then a mourning voice announced:

“The Battle of Stalingrad is over. The Sixth Army, under the command of Field Marshal Von Paulus, fought to their last breath, loyal to their oath to the flag, but they were defeated. They died so that Germany might continue to exist.”

The Sixth Army consisted of 300,000 men. 200,000 died in battle, and the rest either froze to death or were taken prisoner by the Russians. The Battle of Stalingrad was the greatest defeat in German history.

Learning of the Stalingrad disaster, Professor Kurt Huber locked himself in his room and penned the last, the sixth, leaflet. This leaflet was addressed to students.

On the night of February 3, 1943, Hans, Alex, and Willi went out together. They wrote the words "Freedom" and "Down with Hitler!" on the walls of workplaces, the university, and houses. They drew a white Swastika (Nazi symbol) and put a red cross over it. While two people were writing, one of them took turns standing guard with a weapon.

The next day, Russian women prisoners were assigned under police supervision to erase these writings from the walls. Hans arrived at the university in the morning, proudly. When some friends asked him, "Do you know what's going on?" Hans merely pursed his lips as if he hadn't written any of it himself.

A few days later, Falk Harnack, one of the group members, brought news from Berlin. The resistance movement in Berlin was taking the "White Rose" resistance seriously and said that they needed to combine their forces. That evening, all members except Christoph met secretly in an apartment.

Professor Huber presented the sixth leaflet he had prepared for the members' approval. The members' eyes were filled with sparkle. They were aware that they had created a revolution in Munich. The anti-Nazi spirit was growing stronger in Munich. The situation reached such a point that the Nazi Party warned its members in Munich, advising them not to wear party badges on their lapels.

Harnack had arrived with promising news from Berlin. The possibility of an assassination or coup against Hitler was gaining strength at any moment. Furthermore, an Allied invasion of Europe could happen at any time.

The Berlin-based resistance organization invited two important figures of the "White Rose" resistance, Alex and Hans, to a secret meeting to be held at the Kaiser Wilhelm Church on February 25, 1943.

The Berlin group had meticulously outlined the steps to be taken after a coup against Hitler: Nazi Party members would be severely punished, and they would be prohibited from participating in elections. Marxists, Liberals, and Christian conservatives would be allowed to participate in the elections.

A line in the leaflet written by Professor Huber caused a debate. Huber had written: "Supporting the glorious German Army..."

Hans and Alex found this phrase inappropriate and demanded its removal from the leaflet. When Huber insisted on not removing it, Hans angrily interjected:

“There is nothing ‘glorious’ about the German Army that keeps the Nazi regime alive!”

Huber replied nervously:

“Either the leaflet is published as is, or I withdraw it.”

The members were forced to accept the leaflet. From that day on, Professor Kurt Huber completely severed his ties with the "White Rose" resistance organization and never saw Hans Scholl again.

On the nights of February 8 and 15, the organization's members once again covered the city walls with anti-Nazi writings. Everywhere, there was the inscription, "Down with Hitler!"

Christoph, who found going out and writing in this manner too risky, suspended his meetings with his friends. His wife had given birth to a daughter. Christoph was not meeting with his friends, but he had penned a leaflet himself. In the leaflet, which he wanted to be distributed among soldiers fighting on the front, he argued that a new world order should be created under the leadership of America after the war. This leaflet, which would cost him his life, was neither printed nor published.

The Gestapo in Munich was not idle. From January 1943, they were making extraordinary efforts to catch those distributing leaflets.

On the morning of February 18, the two siblings, Hans and Sophie, walked towards the university with a suitcase full of leaflets. When they arrived at the university, it was 11 o'clock. Classes were in session. The university's inner courtyard, known as "Lichthof" and covered with a glass ceiling, was completely empty.

The two siblings opened the suitcase and took out the leaflets. They placed the leaflets, written by Professor Kurt Huber, in front of classrooms, along stair railings, and on windowsills. The two siblings distributed approximately 1800 leaflets in this manner. When they returned, they saw that there were still some leaflets left in the bag.

The break bell was about to ring at any moment. They had no time to lose. Sophie grabbed the last remaining leaflets in the bag and threw them from the first floor down into the courtyard below. The university caretaker saw this.

As the two siblings closed the suitcase, the caretaker appeared behind them and shouted: "You are arrested!"

Just then, the break bell rang, and students rushed out of the classrooms. Taking advantage of the confusion, the two siblings quickly ran down the stairs and disappeared. The SS guard was determined to catch them. He ran after them and shouted again: "Stop! You are arrested!"

The two siblings, helpless, stopped. The guard brought both of them before the Rector. Meanwhile, students were reading the distributed leaflets. Great astonishment filled the air. Professor Kurt Huber, who had written the leaflet, was also among this astonished crowd. A Gestapo team quickly arrived at the scene. Finally, the mystery surrounding the leaflet, which had lasted for months, was solved!

When the Gestapo Chief arrived, he found the two siblings quite calm. So much so that the Gestapo Chief did not want to believe they were the real culprits. He checked their IDs. Everything seemed normal.

“Why are you carrying a suitcase?”

“We are going to our family in Ulm.”

“Why is your suitcase empty?”

“We were going to bring our clothes from home!”

The Gestapo chief found them innocent. All the leaflets were collected and placed in the suitcase. Yes, the suitcase was completely full. So, the leaflets must have been brought in this suitcase! Thereupon, the Gestapo Chief decided to take the two siblings to the Gestapo headquarters.

At that moment, Hans took a piece of paper from his pocket, tearing it into small pieces with one hand and trying to put some of it in his mouth and swallow it. This paper was the leaflet Christoph had written to be distributed to soldiers on the front. The police intervened and confiscated the pieces of paper from Hans. Hans still maintained his composure:

“It’s a piece of paper given by a friend! I don’t know what’s written in it. I didn’t even have a chance to read it. I acted this way because I thought something against me was written.”

The police handcuffed the two siblings. They dragged them through the crowd and took them to the car in front of the university. Hans and Sophie tried as much as possible not to look at the crowd. Making eye contact with their friends could also risk their lives. Alex was among the crowd outside. He watched with sadness as the Gestapo took his two friends away. The guard who caught the young people at the university received a reward of 3000 Marks.

Alex began to make a plan to save the two siblings. He went to Willi Graf's room. No one was there. He left an encrypted message. He wanted to meet at the train station in a suburb of Munich for the next day. He didn't know what to do! He called home. His mother answered the phone: "Alex, the police are here!" Alex immediately hung up. Suddenly, a girlfriend named Lilo Ramdohr came to his mind. He could trust her. He wanted to spend the night there.

Willi Graf had been at the hospital all day, so he was unaware of the arrest. In the evening, he went home. He planned to meet Hans and Sophie. When he arrived home, the Gestapo was waiting for him. He was taken to Wittelsbach Palace (detention center) with his sister.

The Gestapo began to interrogate Hans and Sophie. Both still maintained their composure. The Gestapo Chief did not believe they could be guilty. He hesitated between taking their suitcases and letting them go to Ulm. The two siblings were interrogated for 17 hours in separate rooms. The Gestapo could not obtain any tangible information. Both siblings stubbornly kept repeating that they had nothing to do with what was happening.

Meanwhile, the police raided the apartments where Sophie and Hans were staying, searched the rooms, and found piles of envelopes and postage stamps worth 8 pfennigs. Only printed material was sent with these stamps. They also found a letter written in Christoph's handwriting. This writing matched the writing on the paper Hans had torn and tried to swallow. At that time, Christoph was in Innsbruck, unaware of what was happening.

Taking into account the information received, the Gestapo extended the interrogation period. The two siblings were forced to confess everything. They claimed that only they were responsible for the "White Rose" movement. They never changed their decision.

The two siblings were locked in separate cells. The light on the ceiling was constantly on. This was a sign that both would be executed. There was a second person in their cells. Their duty was to prevent the two siblings from committing suicide.

Meanwhile, the Gestapo was not idle; they had moved to apprehend Alex. Alex's pictures were distributed everywhere. The poster read: "Wanted criminal!"

Alex spent the night with his girlfriend Lilo. Lilo continued to protect Alex in the following months. Lilo found a Yugoslav passport, and with the help of a neighbor who forged documents, she pasted Alex's picture into the passport. A plan was made for Alex to escape to Switzerland. Alex was to meet Willi Graf, and together they would cross the Alps to Switzerland.

Alex and his girlfriend went to Starnberg train station, near the Swiss border. It was Friday, February 19. Lilo waited at a distance. Alex went into the station to check if Willi had arrived. Willi was nowhere to be seen. Alex left the station. They quickly left the station area. Alex said that Willi was not inside, but the station was swarming with Gestapo police. ID and ticket checks were being conducted.

On the same day in Munich, Christoph Probst went to the payment center to collect the money he had earned during his days working at the hospital. His wife was still hospitalized, despite having given birth weeks ago. Christoph did not receive the payment he was expecting. The clerk told him he first needed to speak with his boss.

As soon as Christoph entered the boss's office, someone quickly closed the door behind him. There were two Gestapo officers in the room. They were holding Christoph's suitcase. The police ordered:

“Immediately take off your air force uniform and put on the civilian clothes in the suitcase we brought!”

Christoph was handcuffed. He was put in a car and taken to the center of Munich. Christoph knew that his immunity had been revoked now that he was a civilian. Christoph was handed over to the Gestapo headquarters.

Soon after, Hans and Sophie received news of Christoph's arrest. Sophie was very upset by this news and burst into tears. Christoph was married and a father of three. She hoped Christoph would receive a light sentence since he hadn't participated in too many activities. Meanwhile, Willi Graf had also been arrested and was being held in a cell on the floor above.

Meanwhile, Alex was trying to implement his plan to escape to Switzerland. Alex had changed clothes and looked very different from his picture on the posters plastered everywhere. Alex was impatient. He boarded a train to Innsbruck.

The interrogation in the cells of Wittelsbach Palace continued uninterrupted all day. The Gestapo tried to convince Sophie that she would be released if she confessed everything and swore allegiance to National Socialism. Sophie resisted, claiming she had no ideological connection with her brother.

Sophie, despite all persuasion efforts, maintained her opposition to the Hitler regime. To win Sophie over, the Gestapo provided special meal service to her room, wanting her to become an informant. Sophie managed to convince the female guard watching her, ensuring that the food offered to her reached her brother, who was held in another cell.

Alex arrived in Innsbruck on Saturday morning. He called his Ukrainian girlfriend, who worked at the Russian prisoner-of-war camp in Munich, and asked her to come to Innsbruck. Alex's aim was to blend in with the Russian prisoners and thus lose his trail. After all, he could speak Russian fluently.

Alex went to the train station to meet his Ukrainian girlfriend. He waited for the train from Munich. The train arrived, but his girlfriend was not on it. Alex wandered around the station for a long time with a feeling of helplessness. He realized he had to make a new escape plan.

On Sunday morning, Sophie was taken from her cell and brought before the prosecutor. The Berlin Court had condemned Hans, Sophie, and Christoph to death for "High Treason," but the Munich Court also needed to conduct a trial.

Sophie returned to her cell, read the decision carefully, and began to tremble. Sophie approached the window, which was covered with iron bars. Outside, there was a spring atmosphere. The people, as if nothing had happened, were dressed in their fine clothes, strolling through the streets.

Sophie lay down on her bed again. She asked Else, the guard watching her, to tell her what was happening. She said she felt sorry for her mother. Poor woman! Two of her children were condemned to death, and the youngest was fighting on the Russian front. She said she knew her father would suffer but hoped he would understand what they had done. The trembling in her hands stopped. Sophie had now accepted her fate and what was to come.

Alex left Innsbruck and went to Mittenwald, a ski resort. He knew a Russian-born ski instructor and planned to ask him for help. On the way, police stopped Alex. They asked for his ID. Thanks to the Slavic names on his ID, the police were not suspicious. They released Alex. Alex was lucky when he arrived in Mittenwald. The ski instructor agreed to hide Alex.

The court, as per the rules, appointed a defense lawyer for Hans and Sophie. The lawyer visited the cells separately. It was not possible for the lawyer to defend them; he was merely fulfilling a formality.

The decision of the Berlin Court had to be re-examined and approved by the Munich Court.

On Monday, February 22, Hans and Sophie appeared before the Munich Court. The presiding judge was a man named Roland Freisler, known for his ruthlessness. He was synonymous with death. In later years, in June 1944, he would mock the generals who attempted to assassinate Hitler, sending them all to the gallows on meat hooks with a laugh.

In court, Sophie spoke first, accepted the accusations, and stated that she wanted to receive the same punishment as her brother Hans. If Hans, considered a soldier because he had served on the front occasionally, was to be executed by firing squad for this reason, Sophie wanted to die in the same way. The court said that both would be executed without a firing squad. Sophie stepped forward and asked:

“Will we be executed by hanging or by beheading?”

The Gestapo Chief asked Hans and Sophie to write letters to their families. Both letters were quite short. The two siblings thanked their parents, expressed hope that they would understand their actions, and were grateful for the interest shown to them. Christoph was also to be executed with the two siblings. He also wrote a letter to his mother:

“I had planned to come home last Saturday. Don’t be sad that I couldn’t! I was caught and brought to Munich. I am in custody in a Gestapo cell. They are treating me well, and I have no complaints about my life in the cell. I have no fear of staying here for a long time! Your love is above everything. I am sorry for causing you anxiety and uneasiness in your heart. You know everything is fate. Please, don’t be angry with me for acting irresponsibly! I love you, my wife, and my children. Don’t think that I have left you. I embrace you with love. Your son Christel”

Sophie wrote letters to her friend Inge and her fiancé Fritz Hartnagel. Her fiancé was fighting on the Russian front. The Gestapo would not send any of these letters.

It was Friday. The Scholl family in Ulm had received the terrible news and didn't know what to do. The youngest son of the family, Werner, had also come home on leave from the Russian Front for a few weeks. They needed to get permission from the Gestapo to leave the city. However, since the Gestapo headquarters was closed to civilians on weekends, they planned to go to Munich on Monday.

On Monday morning at 7:00, the three prisoners were taken from their cells. Sophie maintained her composure. She even made sure to say goodbye to Else, the female guard who accompanied her in the cell. Sophie carefully tidied her bed. On top of it, she placed the paper containing the court decision. On the back of the paper, she had written in capital letters, "FREEDOM."

Hans had also written on the wall of his cell with a pencil:

“Even if you are under overwhelming forces, you must know how to stand tall!”

These words actually belonged to his father. His father had also memorized this sentence from the famous German poet Goethe.

At 9 o'clock, the Gestapo took the three prisoners from their cells. Heinrich Himmler in Berlin had decided how the three prisoners would be executed. Although the Munich Court was in favor of executing the three students in a public square, even in front of the university as a lesson to other students, it was impossible for them to go against Himmler's decision. When this suggestion was made to Himmler, Himmler roared:

“Public executions can lead to incitement. The execution must be swift and secret.”

The three prisoners were brought before the court for the last time. The ruthless judge Roland Freisler, who instilled fear in hearts, reappeared on the scene. Behind him hung a magnificent portrait of Hitler. Roland Freisler's past was full of zigzags. In World War I, he was taken prisoner by the Russians. He learned Russian fluently. Meanwhile, he became deeply committed to Bolshevik ideology. In 1925, he returned to Germany and suddenly sided with Hitler.

He was an admirer of Stalin's brutal methods of terror. In fact, for this, he had reviewed the tactics of the ruthless Bolshevik judge Andrei Vishinsky, who sent Stalin's opponents to their deaths in the 1930s. For this reason, Hitler sometimes jokingly referred to Roland Freisler as "He is our Vishinsky too."

At 10 o'clock, the court began. The three young people were accused of high treason. They were sentenced to death. Judge Roland Freisler was shouting, having lost control. The silent, fearless, and upright posture of the three young people infuriated Freisler even more. He wanted them to beg, to kneel. No, no! The young people honorably accepted what they had done and accepted their punishment. It was unbelievable!

Although the three young people admitted their guilt, the prosecutor placed the typewriter, copying machine, envelopes, and stamps, which he considered instruments of crime, on the table. The Gestapo chiefs who had arrested the young people were called as witnesses.

Freisler's aim was to prolong the time, to see the three young people crushed before him. But all his efforts were in vain. The three young people sat proudly, upright, and silently. There was no fear in their eyes, no trembling in their hands. Freisler, hoping the young people would be afraid, made harsh gestures and got carried away in long speeches. Sophie could not stand it, stood up, and spoke loudly:

“Someone had to start a resistance against the Hitler regime. As we stated in our written and verbal statements, we accept our guilt. What we did is what the people want to do. They are only silent because they are afraid. We are not afraid!”

Sophie's words angered Roland Freisler even more. He now wanted to conclude the trial. He asked if they had any last requests. Hans and Sophie remained silent. Christoph spoke and said that he did not regret what he had done for the good of his country, and his only goal was to end the war.

The pro-regime audience filling the courtroom cursed Christoph. Encouraged by this, Roland Freisler, to provoke the audience even further, pointed at Christoph and said:

“This young man, he writes a leaflet and asks for help from US President Roosevelt in it. Can you imagine?”

Upon this, the hateful curses in the courtroom intensified. Christoph asked for forgiveness for his wife and three children. These words were met with a great silence in the hall. Hans stood up:

“Christoph has nothing to do with the distribution of the leaflet. I demand his acquittal.”

Roland Freisler was extremely disturbed by Hans's intervention:

“Speak only for yourself, or shut your mouth!”

Just as the court was about to announce its decision, noises were heard at the door. Hans and Sophie's parents and siblings had arrived from Ulm. A family friend met them at Munich train station. He told them that the trial was still ongoing. The mother asked in a trembling voice: "Will they die?"

The family friend merely said:

“If I had the means, I would storm the court with a tank, take the young people to the border, and blow up the court.”

They all ran towards the courthouse together.

When Father Robert Scholl arrived at the courthouse door, he forced his way through the guards. The other family members followed him. The father approached the lawyer who was defending his children and spoke in an angry tone:

“Go to the presiding judge and tell him that the children’s father has arrived and wants to defend them!”

The defense lawyer reluctantly approached the Presiding Judge. He conveyed what had been told to him. Roland Freisler was astonished by the father's audacity. The hall was buzzing with whispers. Roland Freisler rejected this request. He pointed at the father and ordered him to be removed from the courtroom.

When the father insisted on not leaving, the court officials, in a sense, dragged him out of the hall. The father seemed to faint for a moment but quickly recovered. The father was angry, he shouted:

“Do not forget! There is a higher justice! My children will go down in history as heroes, but what about you?”

The parents had to wait in the courthouse corridor. Soon after, the door opened, and the audience streamed out. The decision would now be made. The parents sat on a bench. No one from the audience approached them.

The door opened. The decision had been made. Their children had been condemned to death. When Roland Freisler announced the death sentence to the three young people's faces, Hans shouted:

“Don’t worry! You will soon go to the same place we are going (the gallows)!”

The three young people were handcuffed and led out of the courtroom. Among the crowd, their youngest brother Werner, in his military uniform, was looking at his siblings. He pushed through the crowd, approached his two siblings and Christoph, and squeezed their hands. His eyes were filled with tears. Hans reached out to his younger brother, touching his shoulder:

“Be strong and never compromise your principles!”

The prisoners were put into a prison van and taken to Stadelheim Prison, where the executions were carried out. Everything happened very quickly. The father rushed to the Chief Prosecutor's office, pleading for mercy for all three young people. However, he received no positive response. This time, all family members quickly rushed towards the prison where their children had been taken.

Since they didn't know Munich, they sometimes entered dead ends, which caused them to lose time. The father was filled with great anger. Finally, they managed to reach the prison.

Stadelheim Prison had a fundamental rule: it did not accept visitors. For the first and last time, they made an exception. There was a reason for this. The prison director and officials, who were not members of the SS or Gestapo, were impressed by the courage the young people showed in court against the brutal judge Ronald Freisler and the Gestapo. For the first time, the "White Rose" movement spoke to their hearts and became the interpreter of their feelings.

Prison officials broke the rule. They took the mother and father and kept them in the waiting room. First, they brought Hans. Hans was wearing a striped execution uniform. Hans shook his parents' hands and spoke in a proud voice:

“I am now leaving this world. I bear no hatred towards anyone.”

His father hugged his son:

“Son, you are now part of history! Remember, justice always stubbornly returns.”

It was time to say goodbye. He sent his regards to his friends. Especially when he uttered one name, his eyes filled with tears, and he struggled to control himself from crying. His father shouted after him:

“I am proud of you!”

Then they brought Sophie. Sophie was wearing her own clothes. She smiled at her parents. Unlike Hans, she took one of the cookies her mother offered. She said she was hungry and hadn't had lunch.

Her mother spoke, sobbing:

“Sophie! Sophie! You will never enter our house again.”

Sophie comforted her mother:

“Mother, what importance do a few years have in a person’s life!”

“Sophie… Don’t forget Jesus Christ!”

“Of course, but you shouldn’t forget either!”

The guards took Sophie away too.

Christoph, who had not been baptized since birth, said he wanted to see a priest. The priest and Christoph had a short conversation and prayed together. They knelt before a table. Thus, Christoph officially embraced Catholicism for the first time. At that time, Hans and Sophie were also praying with a Protestant priest.

Suddenly, the cell door opened. Their hands were handcuffed, and they were led out. The three prisoners were side by side for the first time. There were no guards between them. The three made a request together:

“We want to smoke.”

The court officials once again broke the rule for the first time. They offered cigarettes to the prisoners. Christoph whispered:

“I never thought death could be so easy.”

The gate of the prison yard opened. The distant guillotine caught their eyes.

First, they took Sophie away. Sophie walked upright, with her executioners on either side. It was 5 PM. Sophie placed her head on the guillotine. A violent sound was heard from afar. Sophie had been executed.

Now it was Hans's turn. Hans walked quickly, as if in a hurry. Before placing his head on the guillotine, he shouted with all his might:

“LONG LIVE FREEDOM!”

February 24 was the anniversary of the founding of the National Party. Hitler gave a speech. He heartily congratulated the officials who had eliminated the saboteurs in Munich.

CONCLUSION

Dear Readers!

The members of the "White Rose" resistance movement were gradually arrested. They were tried in five separate courts and executed. We respectfully commemorate Hans and Sophie Scholl, the siblings, and Christoph Probst, who were executed by guillotine in the first trial. May God grant all nations a brave and honorable father like Robert Scholl (1891-1973). The youngest brother, Werner, died on the Russian front. His body was never found.

1. Hans Scholl            Place of Birth: Ingersheim  Date of Birth: September 22, 1918
2. Sophie Scholl         Place of Birth: Forchtenberg Date of Birth: May 9, 1921
3. Christoph Probst    Place of Birth: Aldarns Date of Birth: November 6, 1919

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