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Hans Scholl, born in 1918, and his sister 

Sophie, born in 1921, grew up in Ulm. Their 

father said that Hitler was like the Pied Piper 

and he would lead Germany to destruction. He 

was reported by his secretary and arrested for 

saying, "The war! It is already lost. This Hitler 

is God's Scourge on mankind, and if the war 

doesn't end soon the Russians will be sitting in 

Berlin." Hans and Sophie used to be passionate 

members of the Hitler Youth, but slowly came 

into their father's point of view. Their 

professor   also helped influence them. 

galegroup.com

school.eb.com

The founding members of the White Rose were 

Hans Scholl, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell 

were the founding members of the White Rose. 

The name "White Rose" could have originated 

from either a German poem, novel, or as a symbol 

intended to represent purity and innocence in the 

face of evil. The members of the White Rose were 

a group of college students: Hans Scholl, Sophie 

Scholl, Willi Graf, Cristoph Probst, Taute Lafrenz, 

Katharina Schuddekopf, Lieseolette Bendl, Jurgen 

Wittenstein, Marie-Luise Jahn, and Falk Harnack. 

They were supported by their professor of 

philosophy and musicology, Kurt Huber and 

funded and assisted by Wilelm Geyer and his 

secretary.

Jewishvirtuallibrary.org

The White Rose was a non-violent resistance that 

worked in Munich, Germany. They used a type 

writer and a duplicating machine to help make 

their leaflets. The members worked day and night 

in secrecy. They used grafitti as a way of protest 

usually saying, "Freedom!" "Down with Hitler!" or 

"Hitler the murderer!" Their work was temporarily 

stopped when several members were sent to the 

Eastern Front as medics. The Gestapo could not 

find the White Rose for two years and were 

worried that the they could be potentially 

dangerous. Six leaflets were published. There was 

a seventh, but they were caught before it could be 

published.

jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Four of the six leaflets were entitled "The White Rose." 

They quoted the Bible, German literature, Aristotle, and 

other great thinkers. The leaflets said that the regime had 

turned evil and told Germans to rise up and resist the 

tyranny of their own government. Some of the quotes are: 

"The day of reckoning has come, the reckoning of our 

German youth with the most abominable tyranny our 

people has ever endured. In the name of the entire 

German people we demand of Adolf Hitler's state the 

return of personal freedom, the most precious treasure of 

the Germans which he cunningly has cheated us out of."

"Do not forget that every nation deserves the government 

that it endures!"

The bottom of each leaflet said to "make as many copies 

of this leaflet as you can and distribute them."

jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Hans Scholl was caught dropping leaflets at the University of 

Munich by a janitor who reported him, leading to the Sophie 

Scholl and Cristoph Probst being caught. Robert Freisler was 

sent from Berlin to act as judge for the trial, but acted so 

angrily and accusingly that is seemed as if he were the 

prosecutor and not the judge. They admitted everything in 

their trial as guilty. They were announced guilty of treason 

and they were to be executed by guillotine. They acted so 

brave before execution, that the guard let them see each 

other one last time. Sophie told Freisler during the trial that, 

“Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote 

and said is also believed by many others. They just don't dare 

to express themselves as we did," and, "You know as well as 

we do that the war is lost. Why are you so cowardly that you 

won't admit it?" to the shock of everyone in the court room. 

Hans yelled "Long live freedom!" before the blade fell. Alex 

Schmorell, Willi Graf, and Kurt Huber were later also tried 

and executed.

jewishvirtuallibrary.org

history.com

The White Rose got the last word in 

the end. The sixth leaflet was 

smuggled into the United Kingdom, 

which air-dropped millions of copies 

over Germany. The White Rose are 

now heroes in Germany today. At 

the University of Munich, there is a 

granite memorial dedicated to the 

White Rose and all of its members 

and two fountains for Professor 

Huber and Sophie and Hans Scholl. 

Two hundred schools in Germany 

are named after the Scholls and 

parts of Germany are named after 

members of the White Rose.

jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Citations:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazis-arrest-white-rose-

resistance-leaders

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/rose.html

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/Acade

micJournalsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Journals&action=e&

windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA141250635&

mode=view

http://school.eb.com/eb/article9543531?query=White+Rose+AND+

Scholl

Newborn, Jud, and Annette E. Dumbach. Sophie Scholl and the 

White Rose. Oxford: Oneworld, 2007. Print.

Pictures:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/rose.html

http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/revolt/wrleaflets.html

http://www.justflower.org/white-rose-7.html

http://youngyoungs.wordpress.com/page/5/

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