White Rose anti Nazi resistance movement in Munich - Die Weiße Rose

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The White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor.

The core of the White Rose comprised students from the university in Munich—Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans Scholl, Alex Schmorell, Willi Graf, Christoph Probst, Traute Lafrenz, Katharina Schueddekopf, Lieselotte (Lilo) Berndl, Jurgen Wittenstein, and Falk Harnack. Most were in their early twenties. A professor of philosophy and musicology, Kurt Huber, also associated with their cause. Additionally, Wilhelm Geyer, Manfred Eickemeyer, Josef Soehngen, and Harald Dohrn participated in their debates. Geyer taught Alexander Schmorell how to make the tin templates used in the graffiti campaign. Eugen Grimminger of Stuttgart funded their operations. Grimminger's secretary Tilly Hahn contributed her own funds to the cause, and acted as go-between between Grimminger and the group in Munich. She frequently carried supplies such as envelopes, paper, and an additional duplicating machine from Stuttgart to Munich.

Between June 1942 and February 1943, they prepared and distributed six leaflets, in which they called for the active opposition of the German people to Nazi oppression and tyranny. Huber wrote the final leaflet. A draft of a seventh leaflet, designed by Christoph Probst, was found in the possession of Hans Scholl at the time of his arrest by the Gestapo.

Willi Graf saw the Warsaw and Lodz Ghettos, and could not get the images of brutality out of his mind. By February 1943, the young friends sensed the reversal of fortune that the Wehrmacht suffered at Stalingrad would eventually lead to Germany's defeat.

On 18 February 1943, the Scholls brought a suitcase full of leaflets to the university. They dropped stacks of copies in the empty corridors for students to find when they flooded out of lecture rooms. Leaving before the class break, the Scholls noticed that some copies remained in the suitcase and decided it would be a pity not to distribute them. They returned to the atrium and climbed the staircase to the top floor, and Sophie flung the last remaining leaflets into the air. This spontaneous action was observed by the custodian Jakob Schmid. The police were called and Hans and Sophie Scholl were taken into Gestapo custody. The other active members were soon arrested, and the group and everyone associated with them were brought in for interrogation.

The Scholls and Probst were the first to stand trial before the People's Court that tried political offenses against the Nazi German state—on 22 February 1943. They were found guilty of treason and Roland Freisler, head judge of the court, sentenced them to death. The three were executed the same day.. All three were noted for the courage with which they faced their deaths, particularly Sophie, who remained firm despite intense interrogation. She said to Freisler during the trial, "You know as well as we do that the war is lost. Why are you so cowardly that you won't admit it?"

The second White Rose trial took place on 19 April 1943. Only eleven had been indicted before this trial. At the last minute, the prosecutor added Traute Lafrenz (who was considered so dangerous she was to have had a trial all to herself), Gisela Schertling, and Katharina Schueddekopf. None had a lawyer. One was assigned after the women appeared in court with their friends.

Professor Huber had counted on the good services of his friend, Justizrat Roder, a high-ranking Nazi. Roder had not bothered to visit Huber before the trial and had not read Huber's leaflet. Another lawyer had carried out all the pre-trial paperwork. When Roder realized how damning the evidence was against Huber, he resigned. The junior lawyer took over.

The third White Rose trial was to have taken place on 20 April 1943 because Freisler anticipated death sentences for Wilhelm Geyer, Harald Dohrn, Josef Soehngen, and Manfred Eickemeyer. He did not want too many death sentences at a single trial, and had scheduled those four for the next day. However, the evidence against them was lost, and the trial was postponed until 13 July 1943.

At that trial, Gisela Schertling —who had betrayed most of the friends, even fringe members like Gerhard Feuerle— redeemed herself by recanting her testimony against all of them. Since Freisler did not preside over the third trial, the judge acquitted all but Soehngen (who got only six months in prison) for lack of evidence.

Alexander Schmorell and Kurt Huber were beheaded on 13 July 1943, and Willi Graf on 12 October 1943. Friends and colleagues of the White Rose, who had helped in the preparation and distribution of leaflets and in collecting money for the widow and young children of Probst, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to ten years.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• White
• Rose
• Munich
• Muenchen
• Munchen
• Monaco
• Germany
• Deutschland
• Nazi
• Adolf
• Hitler
• Sophie
• Hans
• Scholl
• Alex
• Schmorell
• Willi
• Graf
• Christoph
• Probst
• Traute
• Lafrenz
• Katharina
• Schueddekopf
• Lieselotte
• Lilo
• Berndl
• Jurgen
• Wittenstein
• Falk
• Harnack
• Kurt
• Huber
• Wilhelm
• Geyer
• Manfred
• Eickemeyer
• Josef
• Soehngen
• Harald
• Dohrn

[rosstcorbett]

Another excellent video Alan, I love the WW2 videos you make :)

[alanheath]

@rosstcorbett Thank you - that is nice to hear!

[Broadsword255]

That's really interesting, can any one go and look or do you have to phone the Uni and ask permission?

Sophie was a very brave young woman, when I watched the film I was so incensed with the care taker who turned them in I could have thrown him over the bloody balcony.

[alanheath]

@Broadsword255 Anyone can go in. I did not ask permission. Maybe you get better service if you ask though!

[llewesa100]

I have the DVD of the film starring Julia Jensch and Alexander Held.The way they were put to death gave me a nasty jolt and the movie didnt pull any punches in that respect.Suddenly the picture turns black and there are awful gruesome sounds that  need no description.

I get the impression that only in the last few years has Germany finally decided to address this period in her history cinematically ; films such as Downfall and this that I have just mentioned.

[SabuPtolemy]

Alan, another amazing WW2 war movie - the best in my book! - is 'Come And See', a Soviet made film from 1985 about the German invasion of Belorussia, told from the perspective of a young boy who joins the partisans.

It's posted here on YT: watch?v=nIgnwQkZ56k

Another great one is 'Before the Fall (Napola)' , a recent German move centered around 2 teenaged boys at a Nazi boarding school, a so-called Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalt.

Watch the trailer here:

watch?v=OO3JbMrXp4Y

[WehrmachtFeldwebel]

I wish I could behead the custodian! R.i.p white rose!!! :)

[Oblfreak]

today we have the bloody same shit...

dont want to know what is going to happen to bradley D:

[swans1997]

Thanks for sharing this Alan. Must have been a really heavy experience visting that place. Greetings from, Seattle.

[vivascargill]

@1nizza a great hero--but I would have to say Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer a black sharecropper from Miss. Look at he videos--no disrespect to Sophie Scholl God bless her

[alanheath]

@llewesa100 That is very good - I would have read it in French as the easiest option. I find that Dutch is relatively easy to understand when it is written although of course ik spreekt geen nederlands!