The young woman pictured above is Sophie Scholl, a member of the famous German Resistance group, the White Rose.
Even at a young age Sophie was a reader and a thinker. In secondary school, Sophie joined the League of German Girls, a Nazi youth group, as did most of her classmates. However, as she grew older and attained her own political opinions, she came to detest the Nazi ideology.
Later, she entered the University of Munich, where her brother was studying at the time. During her time as a college student, she was horrified by the letters that came from her boyfriend Fritz Hartnagel, who was deployed to the Eastern Front. She also learned about the systematic holocaust that was kept a secrete. To Sophie, her Lutheran faith played a huge role in the development of her political ideologies.
In 1942, the members of White Rose co-authored an anti-Nazi leaflet. After Sophie found out about her brother’s Hans’ involvement with the organization, she petitioned to join, too. In the early spring of 1943, she, her brother, and friend Christopher Probst were caught distributing the 6th leaflet. They were put on a show trial in People’s Court and were condemned to execution. Before she died, she said: “such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go. But what does my death matter, if through us thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?”
It was said that before the three young people were executed, they were allowed to sit in a room and talk for a while, and enjoy a cigarette together.
Sophie was the first to go.
"such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go. But what does my death matter, if through us thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?”
