Sophie Scholl was born in Forchtenberg, South Germany, on May 9, 1921, the fourth of six children. At the time, Germany was in turmoil. The people felt betrayed by their leaders following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles after WWI, which devastated the once-thriving country.
Throughout WWI, German leadership had maintained that they were the superior power and would defeat their enemies, even when it became clear they were losing the war. Because of this, when the war ended and the Germans signed the treaty, harsh sanctions were imposed on Germany. Vast tracts of land were taken away and the Rhineland (Germany’s industrial heart) was occupied by Allied troops.
The German army was reduced to a maximum of 100,000 men. All Germany’s colonies were seized and most damaging of all, reparations were imposed upon Germany to compensate the Allies for damages incurred during the war. It’s understandable that everyday Germans felt bitterness and resentment. They felt they were cheated of their rightful victory, that they were sold out by their leaders. Into this political climate came the National Socialist German Workers Party (also known as the Nazis) with promises that they make a better Germany—that they would make Germany great once more.
the seed of resistance
While many supported them, not all Germans embraced the Nazis. Sophie Scholl was raised in a Christian household. Her parents believed in speaking up for truth, even when it was painful to do so. The Scholl household hosted many political discussions.
A few months before Sophie’s 13th birthday, the Nazis were voted into power. They brought with them a lot of change, not least of which was a rush of youth groups popping up with the aim of supporting Nazi values. In addition to the official youth groups were some not officially affiliated with the Nazi party, whether because they existed before youth groups became a political platform or because they wanted to explore their own way through Nazi values without having to follow the official rules and their emphasis on military training.
The Nazis did not like unofficial youth groups, however, and soon a law was implemented banning any such groups. However, some defied the law and kept going. Sophie, as well as her brothers Werner and Hans, who supported the Nazis against their parents’ wishes, were part of one such group. Because of this law-breaking, Hans and Werner were arrested in 1937, along with other members of the illegal youth group. Werner and the others were soon released with a warning, but Hans was detained for longer. This prolonged time in prison made him start to think hard about what the Nazis were doing, comparing them with the values he knew to be true, and when he was finally released, he brought those questions home with him.
Sophie’s struggle
Those questions stayed in the back of Sophie’s mind as she tried to fulfil her dream of studying at university. However, when WWII broke out, a law was implemented that only those who had served time in National Labour Service would be given leave to seek higher education. At first, Sophie quit school to take on an apprenticeship as a kindergarten teacher in the hopes that this would satisfy the requirement. However, when she realised it would not, she joined the National Labour Service and found it to be arduous.
The strict discipline with no room for personal expression did not suit her and she chafed at it. But eventually, she was able to enrol in the University of Munich where she studied biology and philosophy while also studying religion as much as she could.
Sophie Scholl was raised in a Christian household. Her parents believed in speaking up for truth, even when it was painful to do so. The Scholl household hosted many political discussions.
Her brother, Hans, also attended the University of Munich after having completed his conscription services as a medic on the eastern front.When Sophie heard some of the stories he brought home of the cruelties of the Nazis in their treatment of captured enemies, she felt the injustice of it and wanted to do something.
It wasn’t until she came across a pamphlet one day that she had any idea what she could do. This pamphlet contained information about the ugly truth the Nazis were trying to contain as well as a call to action for the citizens of Germany. It was highly illegal and if the Nazis found out who wrote it, the perpetrators would be killed for treason. Sophie recognised the writing and knew immediately that Hans was involved.
the White Rose
When she confronted him, he tried to keep her out of it because of the danger—but she was adamant that she be included. Thus, she became a member of the resistance group known as the White Rose. It was a small group of mostly students and one professor bent on fighting back with the power of truth.
Most of the members were Christians, unable to turn a blind eye to the cruelty happening in their country. They still had faith in the German people and formed the White Rose to tell the truth about what was happening and spark a fire of resistance that they hoped would defeat the Nazis and end their reign of injustice. They wrote pamphlets and mailed them to people encouraging them in whatever resistance efforts they could manage, from sabotaging ammunitions factories to publicly speaking out against the Nazis.
At the time of the release of their sixth pamphlet, it was increasingly clear that the Germans would lose this war also. This emboldened the White Rose, and they took increased risks, hand delivering the pamphlets around their university. Sophie was in the corridor between classes when she realised that there was a stack of these pamphlets that would go to waste if she didn’t act so she grabbed them and threw them down the stairwell. Unfortunately, a janitor who was loyal to the Nazis saw her and reported her. She and her brother, as well as their friend, Christoph Probst, were arrested within hours. At the time, Hans was carrying the draft for their seventh pamphlet.
The three were executed for treason on February 22, 1943. Sophie was just 21 years old. To the very end, she held true to their cause. This wasn’t the end of the impact of the White Rose however, as the Allies heard of the executions and ran stories in their newspapers, including the New York Times, about German students protesting the Nazis. This helped boost morale near the end of a very long war. They also managed to get a copy of the sixth pamphlet, which they copied and dumped over Germany from planes, scattering the passionate call to arms.
Sophie never resorted to violence; she held true to the belief that truth would set them free. She was loud during her lifetime, ensuring her voice and those of her fellow conspirators would be heard far and wide. But she was even louder in death, holding her head high in the face of injustice. Many books, movies and plays have been written to tell her story, ensuring that her courage in speaking the truth will not be in vain and that Sophie Scholl will never be forgotten.
