Sophie Scholl

Activist

• Born: May 9, 1921
• Birthplace: Forchtenberg, Germany
• Died: February 22, 1943
• Place of death: Munich, Germany

Also known as: Sophia Magdalena Scholl

Education: University of Munich

Significance: Sophie Scholl was a German college student who was a member of the White Rose, a nonviolent political resistance group that protested Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime during World War II (1939–1945). The group members wrote and distributed fliers that called for Germans to oppose the Nazis. White Rose members were eventually caught and charged with treason; Scholl was beheaded for her actions in 1943.

Background

Sophie Scholl was born Sophia Magdalena Scholl on May 9, 1921, in Forchtenberg, Germany. Her father, Robert Scholl, served as the mayor of Forchtenberg. The family, which included five children, moved frequently, living in Ludwigsburg from 1930 to 1932 and then Ulm. The Scholls eventually settled in Munich, where Scholl attended an all-girls' school. In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. Scholl's father and brothers criticized the political atmosphere of Germany at the time, even though citizens who opposed Nazi policies or spoke out against Hitler could be severely punished.

When Scholl reached age twelve, she joined the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls), a wing of the Nazi Party for young girls. At first, Scholl was enthusiastic about the cause, though members of her family were anti-Nazi. However, she soon grew disillusioned. She was upset when she learned that two of her Jewish friends were banned from the joining the group after the passage of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935. These laws discriminated against Jews. The group then punished Scholl for reading books by Jewish authors. Scholl's brothers and several of her friends were arrested in 1937 for their involvement in the German Youth Movement. This incident changed Scholl's views about the Nazi Party. She developed a critical attitude toward the Nazis, like much of her family.

In 1939, World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. The following year, Scholl finished her schooling, and she became a kindergarten teacher at the Froebel Institute in Ulm. She took the job in the hope that it would allow her to skip her participation in Reichsarbeitsdienst (National Labour Service), which was required before she could attend university. In 1941, she was required to perform auxiliary war service as a nursery school teacher in Blumberg. Scholl was unhappy about being forced into this service.

Life's Work

Scholl completed six months of war service and then enrolled in the University of Munich in 1942. An avid reader, she studied biology and philosophy. She was also interested in art and religion and developed a strong Christian faith. Her faith helped her to see how morally wrong the Nazis were. Her brother, Hans Scholl, also attended the University of Munich, where he studied medicine.

Scholl became close with some of her brother's friends at the university. They had similar interests in art, culture, literature, music, and philosophy. They also had strong political views and opposed the Nazi regime. Scholl's father was imprisoned in 1942 for negative remarks that he made about Hitler. This further angered Scholl, her brother, and their friends. The group then began to focus on political concerns. They discussed the Nazi's policies and noted how unfair most of the laws had become toward certain groups, especially Jews. They were also angry that they could not voice their opinions about the Nazis or Hitler, as they could face harsh punishment for doing so.

In the summer of 1942, Hans Scholl and his friends, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, and Christoph Probst formed a group called the White Rose. They had learned of a nonviolent tactic called passive resistance. The members of the White Rose coauthored anti-Nazi fliers that called on all Germans to resist the Nazi Party. They put them in public places such as telephone booths and mailed them to universities and other businesses. At the time, the risks associated with composing and distributing anti-Nazi fliers were huge.

The White Rose later added Scholl and philosophy professor Kurt Huber to the group. Others also became involved with the White Rose. They composed additional fliers. Hans Scholl and Schmorell wrote the first four fliers with input from Probst; Graf and Huber worked on the fifth one; and Huber composed the sixth flier. Scholl secured stamps and paper and distributed fliers, since the Gestapo (secret state police) and Security Service (SS) were less likely to randomly stop a woman. The members made thousands of copies of the fliers and distributed them throughout several German cities—including Stuttgart, Cologne, Freiburg, Chemnitz, Hamburg, and Berlin—and in Vienna, Austria, in 1942 and into 1943.

On February 18, 1943, Scholl and her brother distributed fliers at the University of Munich. They had several copies left in their suitcase and decided to climb to the top floor of the building and toss them into the air to be dispersed to the students below them. A janitor named Jakob Schmid saw their actions. He reported them to the Gestapo, which later arrested the Scholls. The Gestapo found a seventh flier, which was drafted by Probst, on Hans Scholl. This led to the arrest of Probst.

The trio was ordered to stand trial on February 22, 1943, and all three were found guilty of treason. They were sentenced to death that same day. A few hours later, Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Probst were beheaded. As Scholl calmly walked to her death, she said, "Die Sonne scheint noch," or "The sun still shines." Later in 1943, the court found Schmorell, Graf, and Huber guilty and sentenced them to death. Others associated with the White Rose also were arrested and punished.

Impact

Scholl relied on her Christian faith and the support of her family to give her the strength to stand up for what she believed to be right. She showed courage at a time when many people were brainwashed by propaganda and feared for their lives. The members of the White Rose had hoped their actions would ignite others to oppose the Nazi regime. They were remembered for their heroic actions and courage for many years after their deaths. The 2005 German film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days recounted the last days of Scholl's life.

Bibliography

Hornberger, Jacob G. "Holocaust Resistance: The White Rose—A Lesson in Dissent." Jewish Virtual Library, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-white-rose-a-lesson-in-dissent. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.

Pettinger, Tejvan. "Biography of Sophie Scholl." Biography Online, 8 Mar. 2017, www.biographyonline.net/women/sophie-scholl.html. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.

Smith, Laura. "Beheaded by the Nazis at Age 21, Sophie Scholl Died Fighting against White Supremacy." Timeline, 13 Sept. 2017, timeline.com/sophie-scholl-white-rose-guillotine-6b3901042c98. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.

"Sophie Scholl." HolocaustResearchProject.org, www.holocaustresearchproject.org/revolt/scholl.html. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.

Von Lüpke, Marc. "Sophie, Hans Scholl Remain Symbols of Resistance." Deutsche Welle, 18 Feb. 2013, www.dw.com/en/sophie-hans-scholl-remain-symbols-of-resistance/a-16605080. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.

"The White Rose." HolocaustResearchProject.org, www.holocaustresearchproject.org/revolt/whiterose.html. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.