She Who Dared | Brave Women Through History: Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Movement

Sophie Scholl (1921-1943) was a German student and anti-Nazi activist in the White Rose movement. Hans Scholl (1918-1943) and Alexander Schmorell founded the group at the University of Munich, and Hans’ sister joined later. Both Sophie and Hans had been members of the Hitler Youth. Each soon saw through the group’s purpose: to indoctrinate the German Youth with Nazi ideology to silence opposition. In the White Rose, Hans dealt with the ideological and strategic aspects, while Sophie spread the message, ensuring the leaflets reached as many people as possible. As a last act of defiance before arrest, Sophie scattered the leftover leaflets from a university balcony.

White Rose resistance consisted mainly of distributing anti-Nazi leaflets and graffiti campaigns to spread awareness of the regime’s atrocities. They urged Germans to resist Hitler’s rule, exposing the horrors of the Holocaust and calling for an end to the war. The graffiti campaigns involved painting slogans such as “Down with Hitler” and “Freedom” on buildings throughout Munich. Philosophy, literature, and Christian ideals heavily shaped the movement, which stressed moral accountability under oppression.

Stalingrad fell on February 2, 1943. Axis forces suffered about 800,000 to 1,500,000 casualties and deaths. The Gestapo arrested Sophie and her brother on February 18 for the distribution of pamphlets. After a terrible defeat, they struck out at even the smallest opposition. The law stated there should be ninety-nine days between sentencing and execution. The Scholls’ trial on February 22nd lasted three hours. Three days later, authorities executed them by guillotine.

Sophie’s words should be a guiding light to all of us now.

“Stand up for what you believe in even if you are standing alone.”

~ Sophie Scholl