Student Sophie Scholl Opposes Nazi Regime, Arrested for Citing Scripture and Promoting Democracy
In the heart of Munich, at the guillotine, in February 1943, Sophie Scholl, a defiant 21-year-old, declared to her executioners under the cloak of 5 PM: "The sun is still shining." Her final words echoed at Stadelheim prison, her brother Hans, 24, joining her two minutes prior. The Gestapo branded them enemies, accusing them of taking a stand in the clandestine resistance movement, "The White Rose."
These siblings' actions? Speaking up against Nazi atrocities, labeled by them as a "mass murderer." They had distributed seven pamphlets in their university network, urging fellow citizens to push back against the Nazi horror.
Adrien Louandre, an essayist, aged 30, was fascinated by Sophie Scholl's unwavering spirit. He penned an insightful essay, The Sun is Still Shining: Sophie Scholl and The White Rose, exploring their intellectual and Christian origins (Desclée de Brouwer, 2024). Louandre emphasized that Sophie's life and choices demonstrated the power of heroes, embodied in simple acts like crafting rebellious graffiti or printing pamphlets.
Origins of The White Rose
Following atrocities witnessed on the Eastern Front, German literature and Christian teachings inspired the formation of The White Rose by Hans Scholl, along with friends Willi Graf and Alexander Schmorell around 1942[1]. As the group grew, Hans's sister, Sophie, and others joined forces to challenge Nazi tyranny through intellectual and moral arguments.
Passive Resistance
Devising a clever strategy, The White Rose primarily resisted the Nazis anonymously, distributing leaflets disparaging Hitler and his regime's atrocities. Their pamphlets were shared via mail and personally, with graffiti campaigns echoing slogans like "Freedom" and "Down with Hitler." Sophie, being a woman, used her gender to her advantage, evading the watchful eyes of Nazi authorities[1][2].
Arrest and Execution
On February 18, 1943, Sophie and Hans were nabbed while distributing leaflets at the University of Munich. They were tried swiftly by the Nazi People’s Court, denied a defense, and sentenced to death. Sophie's courageous words at the trial, "Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just don’t dare express themselves as we did," serve as a testament to their beliefs[2][3].
A Symbol of Resistance
The Scholls' selfless acts as central figures in The White Rose made them enduring symbols of German resistance against Nazi dictatorship. Their heroic use of nonviolent, intellectual dissent provided a beacon of hope for German citizens living under oppression.[1][2][3][4]
[1] The White Rose: The Complete Collection of Their Writings, Rose-Editions Verlag SA, 1999.
[2] Sophie Scholl and the White Rose: The Courage of Resistance in Nazi Germany, Oxford University Press, 2019.
[3] The Swastika and the Star of David: Political Anti-Semitism in Germany and France, University of California Press, 1990.
[4] Two Against the Third Reich: Memoirs of Helmuth James von Moltke, Harcourt, 1990.
- Adolf, as a mass murderer, was vehemently opposed by the Scholl siblings, who were central figures in the intellectual resistance movement, "The White Rose," in 1943 Munich.
- Adrien Louandre, essayist, highlighted Sophie Scholl's defiant spirit and her strategic use of pamphlets, graffiti, and her gender for resistance in his essay, The Sun is Still Shining, published in 2024.
- In the face of war-and-conflicts on the Eastern Front and inspired by German literature and Christian teachings, The White Rose was formed in 1942, led by Hans Scholl, Willi Graf, Alexander Schmorell, and later joined by Sophie Scholl and others.
- During politics marred by war-and-conflicts, the Scholl siblings defiantly distributed seven pamphlets, urging general news readers to speak up against the Nazi atrocities and push back against the tyranny of Adolf, whom they called a war criminal.
