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15 The White Rose

In the early summer of 1942, a group of Munich University students formed around Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell. They sought to evade co-optation by National Socialism and to preserve their intellectual independence. Their numbers included Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, and Willi Graf. They were influenced by their professor, Kurt Huber, with whom they discussed fundamental issues of the new political order. In the summer of 1942, the first White Rose leaflets called for resistance against the criminal dictatorship. Two further leaflets followed in the winter of 1942/43.

The students also tried to forge contacts with other cities. A group of pupils in Ulm formed around Hans Hirzel, who had connections to Hans and Sophie Scholl. On February 18, 1943, Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested while leaving copies of the sixth leaflet around Munich University.

Hans Scholl, his sister Sophie, and Christoph Probst were sentenced to death on February 22, 1943, and murdered that same day. In April 1943, the “People’s Court” sentenced Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, and Kurt Huber to death; other helpers and confidants, including members of the Ulm group, received long prison and penal sentences.

Another group with links to the Munich students through Traute Lafrenz and Hans Leipelt formed in Hamburg in 1942. In the fall of 1943, the Gestapo uncovered the Hamburg group’s activities and imprisoned more than twenty people. In the following years, another ten regime opponents associated with the Munich and Hamburg branches of the White Rose were murdered or driven to death.

Biographies

Graf Willi
Willi Graf
Grimminger Eugen
Eugen Grimminger
Harnack Falk
Falk Harnack
Himpkamp Bruno
Bruno Himpkamp
Huber Kurt
Kurt Huber
Kucharski Heinz
Heinz Kucharski
Lafrenz Traute
Traute Lafrenz
Ledien Ilse
Ilse Ledien
Leipelt Hans
Hans Leipelt
Leipelt Maria
Maria Leipelt
Probst Christoph
Christoph Probst
Schmorell Alexander
Alexander Schmorell
Schneider Karl Ludwig
Karl Ludwig Schneider
Scholl Hans
Hans Scholl
Scholl Sophie
Sophie Scholl
Suhr Albert
Albert Suhr
Willbrandt Hannelore
Hannelore Willbrandt

Documents

  • First White Rose leaflet,written by Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell, June 1942.
    Source: Bundesarchiv, R 3018/NJ 1704, Bd. 32
    English translation: Katy Derbyshire; English editing: Ginger A. Diekmann;
    Editing: Ute Stiepani
    1st edition 2016
  • Second White Rose leaflet,written by Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell, June 1942.
    Source: Bundesarchiv, R 3018/NJ 1704, Bd. 32
    English translation: Katy Derbyshire; English editing: Ginger A. Diekmann;
    Editing: Ute Stiepani
    1st edition 2016
  • Third White Rose leaflet,written by Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell, July 1942.
    Source: Bundesarchiv, R 3018/NJ 1704, Bd. 32
    English translation: Katy Derbyshire; English editing: Ginger A. Diekmann;
    Editing: Ute Stiepani
    1st edition 2016
  • Fourth White Rose leaflet,written by Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell, July 1942.
    Source: Bundesarchiv, R 3018/NJ 1704, Bd. 32
    English translation: Katy Derbyshire; English editing: Ginger A. Diekmann;
    Editing: Ute Stiepani
    1st edition 2016
  • Fifth White Rose leaflet,written by Kurt Huber, based on a draft by Hans Scholl, January 1943.
    Source: Bundesarchiv, R 3018/NJ 1704, Bd. 32
    English translation: Katy Derbyshire; English editing: Ginger A. Diekmann;
    Editing: Ute Stiepani
    1st edition 2016
  • Sixth White Rose leaflet,written by Kurt Huber, February 1943.
    Source: Bundesarchiv, R 3018/NJ 1704, Bd. 32
    English translation: Katy Derbyshire; English editing: Ginger A. Diekmann;
    Editing: Ute Stiepani
    1st edition 2016