I've mentioned this group before...
The White Rose, who were executed 70 years ago yesterday. True Heroes.
The White Rose, was formed by students at the University of Munich in
1941. It is believed that the group was formed after August von Galen,
the Archbishop of Munster, spoke out in a sermon against the Nazi
practice of euthanasia (the killing of those considered by the Nazis as
genetically unsuitable).
Members of this
anti-Nazi group included Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, Inge Scholl,
Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Jugen Wittenstein.
Kurt Huber, a philosophy teacher at the university, was also a member
of the group.
The group decided to adopt the strategy of passive
resistance that was being used by students fighting against racial
discrimination in the United States. This included publishing leaflets
calling for the restoration of democracy and social justice. These were
distributed throughout central Germany and the Gestapo soon became aware
of the group's activities.
Several members had served in the
German Army before resuming their studies. This provided them with
information about the atrocities being committed by the Schutz
Staffeinel (SS). Willi Graf had served as a medical orderly in France
and Yugoslavia in 1941 whereas Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell had
seen Jews being murdered in Poland and the Soviet Union. When Scholl and
Schmorell returned to Munich in November, 1942, they joined up with
Graff and began publishing leaflets about what they had seen while in
the army.
The leaflets were at first sent anonymously to people
all over Germany. Taking the addresses from telephone directories, they
tended to concentrate on mailing university lecturers and the owners of
bars. In Passive Resistance to National Socialism , published in 1943
the group explained the reasons why they had formed the White Rose
group: "We want to try and show them that everyone is in a position to
contribute to the overthrow of the system. It can be done only by the
cooperation of many convinced, energetic people - people who are agreed
as to the means they must use. We have no great number of choices as to
the means. The meaning and goal of passive resistance is to topple
National Socialism, and in this struggle we must not recoil from our
course, any action, whatever its nature. A victory of fascist Germany in
this war would have immeasurable, frightful consequences."
The
White Rose group believed that the young people of Germany had the
potential to overthrow Adolf Hitler and the Nazi government. In one
leaflet, Fellow Fighters in the Resistance, they wrote: "Germans! Do you
and your children want to suffer the same fate that befell the Jews? Do
you want to be judged by the same standards as your traducers? Are we
do be forever the nation which is hated and rejected by all mankind? No.
Dissociate yourselves from National Socialist gangsterism. Prove by
your deeds that you think otherwise. A new war of liberation is about to
begin." The group also began painting anti-Nazi slogans on the sides of
houses. This included "Down With Hitler", "Hitler Mass Murderer" and
"Freedom". They also painted crossed-out swastikas.
Members
also began leaving piles of leaflets in public places. On 18th February,
Sophie Scholl and Hans Scholl began distributing the sixth leaflet
produced by the White Rose group. It included the following: "The day of
reckoning has come - the reckoning of German youth with the most
abominable tyrant our people have ever been forced to endure. We grew up
in a state in which all free expression of opinion is ruthlessly
suppressed. The Hitler Youth, the SA, the SS, have tried to drug us, to
regiment us in the most promising years of our lives. For us there is
but one slogan: fight against the party! The name of Germany is
dishonoured for all time if German youth does not finally rise, take
revenge, smash its tormentors."
Jakob Schmidt, a member of the
Nazi Party, saw them at the University of Munich, throwing leaflets from
a window of the third floor into the courtyard below. He immediately
told the Gestapo and they were both arrested. They were searched and the
police found a handwritten draft of another leaflet. This they matched
to a letter in Scholl's flat that had been signed by Christoph Probst.
The three members of the White Rose group appeared before the People's
Court judge, Roland Friesler, on 20th February. Found guilty of sedition
they were executed by guillotine a few hours later. Her cell-mate, Else
Gebel, said Sophie's last words were: "It is such a splendid sunny day,
and I have to go. But how many have to die on the battlefield in these
days, how many young, promising lives. What does my death matter if by
our acts thousands are warned and alerted." Just before he was executed
Hans Scholl shouted out: "Long live freedom!"
Inge Scholl and her
parents were also arrested and imprisoned. Over the next few weeks Kurt
Huber, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, Jugen Wittenstein and over
eighty others suspected of being members of the White Rose group were
taken into custody. Huber, Graff and Schmorell were all found guilty of
sedition and were executed.
Copies of this leaflet made their way to Allied territory and were republished and dropped by airplane on Germany.
(BTW, I believe one of the White Rose members had a gun when he was arrested).