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La Rosa Bianca
La storia dei fratelli Hans e Sophie Scholl che diedero vita al movimento di opposizione al nazismo e che furono giustiziati il 22 febbraio 1943. Attraverso il racconto della sorella Inge, di amici e di testimoni delle loro ultime ore, emerge una passione per la vita che nemmeno il terrore del regime potè soffocare.
«Possiamo veramente chiamarli eroi? Non hanno fatto nulla di sovraumano. Hanno difeso una cosa semplice, sono scesi in campo per una cosa semplice: per i diritti e la libertà dei singoli, per la loro libera evoluzione e per il loro diritto a una vita libera. Non si sono sacrificati per un’idea fuori del comune, non perseguivano grandi scopi.
Ciò a cui aspiravano era che gente come te e me potesse vivere in un mondo umano. Il vero eroismo consiste forse proprio nel difendere con costanza la vita quotidiana, le cose piccole e ovvie» (Inge Scholl).
Da questa storia è stato tratto il film La Rosa Bianca
Il racconto di Inge Scholl fu pubblicato in Italia per la prima volta nel 1959 dalla Nuova Italia. Successivamente l’Autrice arricchì il suo testo con testimonianze di altre persone vicine ai protagonisti della Rosa Bianca nell’ultimo periodo della loro vita, che vengono qui proposte per la prima volta ai lettori italiani. Ad esse in parte ha attinto il regista Marc Rothemund per il film Sophie Scholl. Gli ultimi giorni.
«Possiamo veramente chiamarli eroi? Non hanno fatto nulla di sovraumano. Hanno difeso una cosa semplice, sono scesi in campo per una cosa semplice: per i diritti e la libertà dei singoli, per la loro libera evoluzione e per il loro diritto a una vita libera. Non si sono sacrificati per un’idea fuori del comune, non perseguivano grandi scopi.
Ciò a cui aspiravano era che gente come te e me potesse vivere in un mondo umano. Il vero eroismo consiste forse proprio nel difendere con costanza la vita quotidiana, le cose piccole e ovvie» (Inge Scholl).
Da questa storia è stato tratto il film La Rosa Bianca
Il racconto di Inge Scholl fu pubblicato in Italia per la prima volta nel 1959 dalla Nuova Italia. Successivamente l’Autrice arricchì il suo testo con testimonianze di altre persone vicine ai protagonisti della Rosa Bianca nell’ultimo periodo della loro vita, che vengono qui proposte per la prima volta ai lettori italiani. Ad esse in parte ha attinto il regista Marc Rothemund per il film Sophie Scholl. Gli ultimi giorni.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
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October 21, 2018Well this was curious, I think Sophie Scholl and the White Rose draws quite strongly on this, however I think this book by Inge Aicher-Scholl is more successful as a literary product, she was the sister who survived the Nazi regime, although she mentions in passing being in prison she does not spell out her non-involvement in her sibling's and their circle's resistance activism. Here the book is really very odd, but I will come back to that. The tone is gentle, and oddly even a little dream like, the language simple - although pitched at 17 year olds I would have felt that younger school children would have been able to manage it quite comfortably. The point I feel with 17 year olds is that the book consists of Aicher-Scholl's account of her siblings route to martyrdom, after that follow the "White Rose" leaflets produced by the Scholls and those I suspect would resonate more with a bookish 17 year old school child more than any one else.
What I, as a biased reader, want to know is why the author of this book, Inge Aicheer-Scholl, sister to the two white Rose Scholls was not involved with them in resistance work, but that's not what she wants to tell us, nor does she tell us how she reacted to their execution, nor does she really give insight into why these particular two youngsters were active in a resistance leafleting campaign, yet I feel that her siblings, in death, became central to her life. After the war she starts a school and later a Foundation, in memory of her siblings, possibly there is here an element of survivor guilt, but I notice too that she records the Scholl father saying "Ihr werdet in die Geschichte eingehen, es gibt noch eine Gerechtigkeit" (p.86). Well as a rule you only make it into history if others make conscious efforts on your behalf, and that is part of what Aicher-Scholl does. But she's also translating two students into a particular Christian context, they emerge as martyrs, calm in the face of death, hauled before the unjust court of a persecuting authority, even their cruel prison warders and the stool pigeons are overwhelmed by the experience of being in their presence and themselves desire to do good to such radiant young people (by allowing the three due to be killed to smoke a final cigarette together). The Scholls were a Protestant family in a staunchly Catholic region, Aicher-Scholl cunningly insinuates her siblings into a safe and acceptable conservative tradition, they are not rebels with a cause against authority, no, they are Christian martyrs aligned with a higher Justice and truth. This is, though, a bit subversive, it is after all an assertion of individual moral conscience against state power, against mass media urging conformity, against violence and coercion, nor if one takes into account the reproduced leaflets, is the inspiration for their course of action entirely, if at all Christian, instead there they cite Schiller, Goethe and Lao-Tse. If you guess from that, that their resistance leaflets were not a slick targeted campaign with clear objectives, I would agree with you . They read more like the work of restless talkative mildly politicised students, sitting around drinking wine, determined to set the world to rights and to explain just how fantastic and relevant something they have just read is. Such a course of action in Nazi-Germany led to their execution.
One wonders also about the radicalisation, or the deradicalisation, of the Scholl siblings and looks to the surviving sister for insight into how they came to form a group and to take action in a social context design to promote alienation and mistrust, but she doesn't have an answer beyond this book itself, which implicitly says that if such events and regimes are to be avoided in future then we must have role models to inspire us and to give us a moral compass. Writing her siblings into history was her way to make "never again" more than just a phrase.
What I, as a biased reader, want to know is why the author of this book, Inge Aicheer-Scholl, sister to the two white Rose Scholls was not involved with them in resistance work, but that's not what she wants to tell us, nor does she tell us how she reacted to their execution, nor does she really give insight into why these particular two youngsters were active in a resistance leafleting campaign, yet I feel that her siblings, in death, became central to her life. After the war she starts a school and later a Foundation, in memory of her siblings, possibly there is here an element of survivor guilt, but I notice too that she records the Scholl father saying "Ihr werdet in die Geschichte eingehen, es gibt noch eine Gerechtigkeit" (p.86). Well as a rule you only make it into history if others make conscious efforts on your behalf, and that is part of what Aicher-Scholl does. But she's also translating two students into a particular Christian context, they emerge as martyrs, calm in the face of death, hauled before the unjust court of a persecuting authority, even their cruel prison warders and the stool pigeons are overwhelmed by the experience of being in their presence and themselves desire to do good to such radiant young people (by allowing the three due to be killed to smoke a final cigarette together). The Scholls were a Protestant family in a staunchly Catholic region, Aicher-Scholl cunningly insinuates her siblings into a safe and acceptable conservative tradition, they are not rebels with a cause against authority, no, they are Christian martyrs aligned with a higher Justice and truth. This is, though, a bit subversive, it is after all an assertion of individual moral conscience against state power, against mass media urging conformity, against violence and coercion, nor if one takes into account the reproduced leaflets, is the inspiration for their course of action entirely, if at all Christian, instead there they cite Schiller, Goethe and Lao-Tse. If you guess from that, that their resistance leaflets were not a slick targeted campaign with clear objectives, I would agree with you . They read more like the work of restless talkative mildly politicised students, sitting around drinking wine, determined to set the world to rights and to explain just how fantastic and relevant something they have just read is. Such a course of action in Nazi-Germany led to their execution.
One wonders also about the radicalisation, or the deradicalisation, of the Scholl siblings and looks to the surviving sister for insight into how they came to form a group and to take action in a social context design to promote alienation and mistrust, but she doesn't have an answer beyond this book itself, which implicitly says that if such events and regimes are to be avoided in future then we must have role models to inspire us and to give us a moral compass. Writing her siblings into history was her way to make "never again" more than just a phrase.
September 8, 2019
My three high school English classes begin with 10 minutes of independent reading. We (including me) have chosen our books to read this term. Since I have the unfair advantage of plowing through my books faster, I have a box full of my potential reads. First up in my reading box was the 1983 edition of the story of Hans and Sophie Scholl and their group of friends that formed the White Rose movement. Written by their sister Inge, the translation explores Sophie and Hans discontent with the Third Reich and the loss of liberty in Germany. It also includes the court documents presented at their trial and testimony from individuals who saw Sophie in her final days and photos of the major players of the White Rose movement.
As this was a translation, I did feel that the text held a formality and rigidity that made me feel at times quite remote from the actual events of the story. My recommendation would be to pair this book with the 2005 film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days starring Julia Jentsch. I believe that together they create the importance of the White Rose movement during WWII.
Goodreads review published 08/09/19
As this was a translation, I did feel that the text held a formality and rigidity that made me feel at times quite remote from the actual events of the story. My recommendation would be to pair this book with the 2005 film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days starring Julia Jentsch. I believe that together they create the importance of the White Rose movement during WWII.
Goodreads review published 08/09/19
November 17, 2019
Ci si può sempre opporre, dire di no.
Qualcuno l'ha fatto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0JQ...
ragazzi coraggiosi.
In questo link le foto di tutti i membri del Gruppo La Rosa Bianca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkoJg...
Qualcuno l'ha fatto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0JQ...
ragazzi coraggiosi.
In questo link le foto di tutti i membri del Gruppo La Rosa Bianca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkoJg...
April 11, 2022
I first learned of the White Rose, of German student resistance to the Nazi government while in Norway, staying at my mother's apartment in Oslo while she was away with a friend at the Canary Islands or somesuch. It was, as I recall, a German movie with Norwegian subtitles. Between the two of them, I got the gist. Now, years later and just a few months ago, I've seen an English-language film focused on Sophie Scholl which was available on Amazon. Both films were, of course, very moving, my reactions being informed by the fact that my mother, and many other older relatives and friends, grew up under Nazi occupation. One of her friends was executed by them, her third husband and my Norwegian girlfriend's father had been jailed by them, many of them had stories to tell of resistance and subversion, if only, as in the case of mother as a teen, to smuggle underground publications.
Norwegians had it easier that German resisters, as this book shows. There, in Germany, to protest, to be seen as resisting, was a capital offense. The Scholls and their comrades in Munich and, eventually, in other cities as well knew they were risking their lives--and, significantly, they began doing so before it became obvious that Germany would lose the war. Also significant is the fact that they worked from ethical motives. These twenty-somethings were not red diaper babies. They were simply Christians who took the ethical teachings of the gospels seriously.
Norwegians had it easier that German resisters, as this book shows. There, in Germany, to protest, to be seen as resisting, was a capital offense. The Scholls and their comrades in Munich and, eventually, in other cities as well knew they were risking their lives--and, significantly, they began doing so before it became obvious that Germany would lose the war. Also significant is the fact that they worked from ethical motives. These twenty-somethings were not red diaper babies. They were simply Christians who took the ethical teachings of the gospels seriously.
December 11, 2017
One of the phenomenons of Nazi Germany was the lack of resistance from the populace. Arguments abound over just how aware the general public was of the atrocities being committed just around the corner, however, even before these started, the noose of censor and terror had been tightening for years.
Concentration camps began as places to store anybody who spoke out against the Nazis-- and they did not have to be Jewish. 'Aryan' pedagogs, students, and anybody who otherwise noted the steadily rising antisemitism were equally eligible to disappear. A joke or slight criticism again the Nazi party could put yourself or your family in danger--with the average person facing blacklisting, imprisonment or even worse, who dared to speak out?
This book chronicles the path of a group of students who did dare to speak and paid the highest price. Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alex Schmorrel, Professor Huber and a handful of other brave individuals found each other in a chaotic sea too frightened to act. The White Rose's mission was simple and dangerous: Print out and circulate a series of one-page pamphlets that attempt to appeal to the population's higher moral sense.
Selecting their recipients randomly from phone books and traveling all around the country to mail letters from different cities, the student group's efforts struck home. The Nazis were bewildered and enraged by the series of subversive leaflets that began to crop up in every major city in Germany. Their furious hunt to find the originators make up the body of this remarkable book.
Concentration camps began as places to store anybody who spoke out against the Nazis-- and they did not have to be Jewish. 'Aryan' pedagogs, students, and anybody who otherwise noted the steadily rising antisemitism were equally eligible to disappear. A joke or slight criticism again the Nazi party could put yourself or your family in danger--with the average person facing blacklisting, imprisonment or even worse, who dared to speak out?
This book chronicles the path of a group of students who did dare to speak and paid the highest price. Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alex Schmorrel, Professor Huber and a handful of other brave individuals found each other in a chaotic sea too frightened to act. The White Rose's mission was simple and dangerous: Print out and circulate a series of one-page pamphlets that attempt to appeal to the population's higher moral sense.
Selecting their recipients randomly from phone books and traveling all around the country to mail letters from different cities, the student group's efforts struck home. The Nazis were bewildered and enraged by the series of subversive leaflets that began to crop up in every major city in Germany. Their furious hunt to find the originators make up the body of this remarkable book.
January 30, 2021
L'autrice racconta brevemente e senza fronzoli ciò che ha portato i suoi fratelli, Sophie ed Hans, ad essere decapitati nel febbraio 1943, accusati di divulgazione di volantini contro il sistema nazionalsocialista. Sono riportati anche i volantini in questione diffusi dal movimento della Rosa bianca e le testimonianze di amici e persone che li hanno conosciuti negli ultimi giorni della loro vita.
October 25, 2014
This was a hard book to read. It was not long or poorly written but the subject was so sad that I picked it up and set it down a number of times since I bought my copy nearly 20 years ago. The White Rose was a very small group of German university students in Munich in 1943. They had the incredible self-sacrificing courage to oppose Hitler and his Nazi machine. There was no violence in their opposition, they didn't hurt anyone, for for their willingness to state that Hitler and Nazism was evil and wrong three of the leaders were executed by beheading. All they did was print and distribute some leaflets and paint FREEDOM and DOWN WITH HITLER on some walls. Three of the leaders, Hans and Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst bravely accepted their death sentence in order to not reveal the identity of other members of the White Rose. Others were caught and executed later in spite of this. Hans, Sophie and Christoph were brilliant and idealistic and very young. We should give thanks for their sacrifice. The best way to do that is by standing up for the truth.
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April 12, 2009There are several accounts of the White Rose Movement--what makes this one s[ecial is that it was written by the sister of Hans and Sophie Scholl, who had an inside view into actions, motivations, etc.
In a very real sense The White Rose was not defeated by the murders of Hans and Sophie Scholl--but it will be defeated if people forget. It's important to realize that not all resistance is violent--and that if nonviolent resistance were ineffectual, the Nazis would simply have let the White Rose continue. Josef Gobbel's diaries constantly rail against defeatism. He and the other Nazi leaders were aware that their chief danger was not outside enemies, but people like college students, storekeepers, etc, who were inside the gates, and could throw them open if they united against the Nazis and all they stood for.
In a very real sense The White Rose was not defeated by the murders of Hans and Sophie Scholl--but it will be defeated if people forget. It's important to realize that not all resistance is violent--and that if nonviolent resistance were ineffectual, the Nazis would simply have let the White Rose continue. Josef Gobbel's diaries constantly rail against defeatism. He and the other Nazi leaders were aware that their chief danger was not outside enemies, but people like college students, storekeepers, etc, who were inside the gates, and could throw them open if they united against the Nazis and all they stood for.
April 9, 2023
3 stars
A very interesting and potentially engaging story, however, I’m not sure it’s the translation or the narration, the story was told in quite a formal and distant way, making me at times lose focus and the story didn’t touch me as it could have.
Characters 6
Atmosphere 6
Writing Style 6
Setup 5
Plot -
Intrigue 5
Logic -
Enjoyment 5
Narration 5
A very interesting and potentially engaging story, however, I’m not sure it’s the translation or the narration, the story was told in quite a formal and distant way, making me at times lose focus and the story didn’t touch me as it could have.
Characters 6
Atmosphere 6
Writing Style 6
Setup 5
Plot -
Intrigue 5
Logic -
Enjoyment 5
Narration 5
September 7, 2025
Hold out in defiance of all depotism.--GoetheRobert Scholl, mayor of Forchtenberg, father of Inge Scholl, often said these words out loud and in meditation. He encouraged his children to develop and maintain a democratic and humanistic worldview. He succeeded.
Three of his children were involved in the Munich student-organized resistance group The White Rose. The ideals they maintained and the arguments they made in their leaflets show their commitment to their ideals. Two were executed. One lived to write a memoir of the resistance group.
The way the text is laid out, it seems as though Inge Scholl may not have included the five leaflets written by The White Rose, that the leaflets were added to the text by introduction-writer and seeming editor Dorothee Sölle who sought to show that these students were not naive but rather well-educated, thoughtful, aware students who knew the dangers and took action anyway.
I am glad that I happened to come across this text on Scribd. I wanted to read something about Germany for my city challenge this year. It feel it an honor of meeting even through text and time these wonderful people. To label them as mere students misses their complexity and awareness.
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January 17, 2024Jag läste inte klart men tyakaläraren säger att jag är klar så då är jag klar
January 7, 2013
Very interesting book about a student non-violent resistance movement in Munich, 1942-1943. Two things which I liked in particular. First, the author (sister of the two protagonists) admitted to being swept up in the Hitler Youth movement, along with her siblings and friends. I appreciate the lack of white-washing and the question of whether or not the themes of the Youth would be attractive to *any* youth, as impressionable as they (youth in general) are. I fear that the answer is a resounding Yes!
Youth/kids learn. They want to drink Coke and smoke cigarettes and be Tony Hawk when they see these things on TV and movies. They don't know hate and prejudice and racism until it is taught. They are little sponges. Want to feel dumb? Have you 10th grader ask for help reviewing for his chemistry exam, 30 years since you studied photons (oh, wait; that's from Star Trek).
The second thing I liked was the "afterward" in which the author tried to distinguish between what her siblings did in Munich in 1942-1943 and the protests of other university students over the centuries. She notes and supplies evidence that they weren't just idealistic, and in fact were realistic in the notion that only armed resistance (defeat) could restore Germany to per-war days.
Youth/kids learn. They want to drink Coke and smoke cigarettes and be Tony Hawk when they see these things on TV and movies. They don't know hate and prejudice and racism until it is taught. They are little sponges. Want to feel dumb? Have you 10th grader ask for help reviewing for his chemistry exam, 30 years since you studied photons (oh, wait; that's from Star Trek).
The second thing I liked was the "afterward" in which the author tried to distinguish between what her siblings did in Munich in 1942-1943 and the protests of other university students over the centuries. She notes and supplies evidence that they weren't just idealistic, and in fact were realistic in the notion that only armed resistance (defeat) could restore Germany to per-war days.
December 11, 2017
After I learned the name of Sophie Scholl through an online article I wanted to learn more about this courageous girl and her brother and their friends, who were executed by the Nazis in 1943 for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets at their college. Executed. For distributing leaflets.
There are several books about the Scholls and their friends, but I chose this one to start as it was written by their sister, Inge, and I felt it would be a good personal introduction. I was not disappointed.
People like Sophie and Hans must be forever remembered. They were brave and their courageous in the face of what they knew could be their death, and they felt the need spread what they knew about the horrors that the Nazis were committing was more important than their own safety. I will now forever remember your name, Sophie.
There are several books about the Scholls and their friends, but I chose this one to start as it was written by their sister, Inge, and I felt it would be a good personal introduction. I was not disappointed.
People like Sophie and Hans must be forever remembered. They were brave and their courageous in the face of what they knew could be their death, and they felt the need spread what they knew about the horrors that the Nazis were committing was more important than their own safety. I will now forever remember your name, Sophie.
July 27, 2020
Un témoignage. Inge Scholl n'est pas romancière. Elle raconte, dans une grande simplicité, la résistance, sans armes, sans violence, sans bombe, de six jeunes Allemands face au pire régime jamais imaginé par quelques cerveaux détraqués: le nazisme. Dictature encore un cran au-dessus dans l'abjection, que celle de Staline (schizo qui s'est contenté d'asservir "son" peuple et d'en exécuter entre 50 et 70 millions), ou la folie des grandeurs imposée par Napoléon. La résistance par les mots, des tracts, dénonçant le régime, réclamant seulement une chose naturelle: la liberté individuelle. En sachant que la sanction sera la mort...
June 1, 2015
EX-BOOKWORM GROUP REVIEW
The difficult thing about a non-fiction book like this is to separate comment on the book from comment on the people and events it contains. As a book, the White Rose is not much more than a collection of documents relevant to the activities and fate of Hans and Sophie Scholl and others in Munich in 1942-1943. It is interesting, because unless Helen recommended this book, I feel sure that I would never have heard anything about the Scholls and how they tried to oppose National Socialism in their own country during the war. The relevant documents are there – an account by a surviving sister, Inge (who seemed curiously uninvolved and not particularly well informed), the White Rose leaflets, the court documents, a statement by a prisoner-wardress in the prison where Sophie Scholl was interrogated, a couple of newspaper articles etc, but largely the book was a record rather than an interpretation. It is stated somewhere that the book was written for use in schools, a text book, so to speak, but I think it could still have done with some interpretation., even speculation if you like. What was it that prompted the Scholls and their associates, in particular, to take this action? How effective was the form of protest? What impact, if any, was there on protest in general against National Socialism? Did it encourage more protest. or did it silence protest because people feared meeting the same fate as they did? Really the book had none of this, leaving us to draw our own conclusions. There is just a hint of interpretation in the concluding remarks of Inge Scholl (and her co-writer) but it is rather oblique. The purpose of the White Rose was said to be increasing public consciousness of the real nature of National Socialism and the encouragement of passive resistance. An appeal to the heart of the German people, if you like. Common humanity. The comment that "practical applications do not exist, we should look back upon it as a singular instance" suggest that the impact was not great. Sadly, I think it possible that by their deaths, the National Socialist state made further resistance less likely. Sadly, I think their response was probably too intellectual to appeal to the general population, and that quotations from Goethe, Lao-Tzu and Ecclesiastes don't have the same power as flying airoplanes into skyscrapers or explosions in public transport networks.
And yet… I think the significance of what they did was not trivial. I have read few accounts of what things were like for Germans during the war. Although there was not huge detail in the book, there was enough to see what sort of regime the people were living under . It seems quite clear that everyone knew what National Socialism really meant, some embraced it to get power, many must have supported it, but many more must have feared and loathed it. The court documents were absolutely chilling in demonstrating their control over the people. There was a part that said "The police could not be everywhere," which made it a citizen's duty to report any "wrongdoing". Everything was control, control, control from the Hitler Youth to the armed forces, but also everything else. This was 1984 forty years before Orwell predicted it. Imagine not being able to express your opinions about the government. Baz's record count in the other place would drop by half. A statement that has reverberated in my head to demonstrate what a vile regime this was concerned the lecturer (Huber?) who was condemned for abusing his responsibility as an educator which was to guide young people to an "absolute trust in the Fuhrer". It seems impossible that people would accept such a regime, yet they did. What would I have done? What would you have done? The significance of the White Rose was, I think, to demonstrate decency, the fact that there are always some people who are prepared to stand against such regimes and though they do not have an immediate effect – there were no major rebellions or uprisings at the time of their deaths – perhaps they do make a difference. The closing sentence of the concluding remarks is: "It is rare that a man is prepared to pay with his life for such a minimal achievement as causing cracks in the edifice of the existing order." Yet I am reminded of the film The Dambusters, when you see a small crack in one of the dams when it is hit by the bouncing bomb but the pressure of the water causes a bigger breach and eventually a torrent rushes through.
I think these were fine young people. They were obviously sustained by their religion, and their protest seemed to be founded on humanity rather than political ends of any particular kind. They were not communists or anarchists. In fact, they were rather bourgeois and traditionalist, being particularly upset about the loss of the aristocratic youth of Poland. I wonder how much they are remembered now in Germany? I suspect not much. But I admire them, particularly when I look at the pictures and see how young they were. The pictures of Sophie Scholl are particularly moving because she still looks like a child.
Interesting read, Hel, thanks.
The difficult thing about a non-fiction book like this is to separate comment on the book from comment on the people and events it contains. As a book, the White Rose is not much more than a collection of documents relevant to the activities and fate of Hans and Sophie Scholl and others in Munich in 1942-1943. It is interesting, because unless Helen recommended this book, I feel sure that I would never have heard anything about the Scholls and how they tried to oppose National Socialism in their own country during the war. The relevant documents are there – an account by a surviving sister, Inge (who seemed curiously uninvolved and not particularly well informed), the White Rose leaflets, the court documents, a statement by a prisoner-wardress in the prison where Sophie Scholl was interrogated, a couple of newspaper articles etc, but largely the book was a record rather than an interpretation. It is stated somewhere that the book was written for use in schools, a text book, so to speak, but I think it could still have done with some interpretation., even speculation if you like. What was it that prompted the Scholls and their associates, in particular, to take this action? How effective was the form of protest? What impact, if any, was there on protest in general against National Socialism? Did it encourage more protest. or did it silence protest because people feared meeting the same fate as they did? Really the book had none of this, leaving us to draw our own conclusions. There is just a hint of interpretation in the concluding remarks of Inge Scholl (and her co-writer) but it is rather oblique. The purpose of the White Rose was said to be increasing public consciousness of the real nature of National Socialism and the encouragement of passive resistance. An appeal to the heart of the German people, if you like. Common humanity. The comment that "practical applications do not exist, we should look back upon it as a singular instance" suggest that the impact was not great. Sadly, I think it possible that by their deaths, the National Socialist state made further resistance less likely. Sadly, I think their response was probably too intellectual to appeal to the general population, and that quotations from Goethe, Lao-Tzu and Ecclesiastes don't have the same power as flying airoplanes into skyscrapers or explosions in public transport networks.
And yet… I think the significance of what they did was not trivial. I have read few accounts of what things were like for Germans during the war. Although there was not huge detail in the book, there was enough to see what sort of regime the people were living under . It seems quite clear that everyone knew what National Socialism really meant, some embraced it to get power, many must have supported it, but many more must have feared and loathed it. The court documents were absolutely chilling in demonstrating their control over the people. There was a part that said "The police could not be everywhere," which made it a citizen's duty to report any "wrongdoing". Everything was control, control, control from the Hitler Youth to the armed forces, but also everything else. This was 1984 forty years before Orwell predicted it. Imagine not being able to express your opinions about the government. Baz's record count in the other place would drop by half. A statement that has reverberated in my head to demonstrate what a vile regime this was concerned the lecturer (Huber?) who was condemned for abusing his responsibility as an educator which was to guide young people to an "absolute trust in the Fuhrer". It seems impossible that people would accept such a regime, yet they did. What would I have done? What would you have done? The significance of the White Rose was, I think, to demonstrate decency, the fact that there are always some people who are prepared to stand against such regimes and though they do not have an immediate effect – there were no major rebellions or uprisings at the time of their deaths – perhaps they do make a difference. The closing sentence of the concluding remarks is: "It is rare that a man is prepared to pay with his life for such a minimal achievement as causing cracks in the edifice of the existing order." Yet I am reminded of the film The Dambusters, when you see a small crack in one of the dams when it is hit by the bouncing bomb but the pressure of the water causes a bigger breach and eventually a torrent rushes through.
I think these were fine young people. They were obviously sustained by their religion, and their protest seemed to be founded on humanity rather than political ends of any particular kind. They were not communists or anarchists. In fact, they were rather bourgeois and traditionalist, being particularly upset about the loss of the aristocratic youth of Poland. I wonder how much they are remembered now in Germany? I suspect not much. But I admire them, particularly when I look at the pictures and see how young they were. The pictures of Sophie Scholl are particularly moving because she still looks like a child.
Interesting read, Hel, thanks.
January 9, 2026
This is totally heartbreaking. Nowadays few or none would be so brave.
April 18, 2015
Definitely full of interesting information. Different accounts of the events from different perspectives. The first part is a story of their childhoods and their lives told from the perspective of their surviving sister Inge. Then it moves on the the actual leaflets. These were interesting to read since I had never actually read them in their entirety. Then it went on to the court documents and a really interesting letter written by the woman who shared a cell with Sophie during her final days.
I found the court documents to be shocking and they gave a clear picture of the madness of the Nazi court system and people who are frantically trying to hold onto power and ideals that were rapidly falling to pieces. Definitely an interesting read for anyone who is curious about resistance in Germany during the Nazi era.
I found the court documents to be shocking and they gave a clear picture of the madness of the Nazi court system and people who are frantically trying to hold onto power and ideals that were rapidly falling to pieces. Definitely an interesting read for anyone who is curious about resistance in Germany during the Nazi era.
February 14, 2015
An excellent account of the idealistic student movement that attempted to end the atrocities of Nazi Germany. It shows the group's evolution from apolitical youths brought up on Christian teachings to determined opponents of an evil government. The book is written by the sister of Hans and Sophie Scholl, two leaders of the White Rose Movement. It covers their childhood, time in the Hitler Youth organizations, the German Army and their campaign at Munich University. It concludes with their brave, but naïve pamphlet calls to overthrow Hitler and their ultimate impact on the consciousness of the German people.
The story of the White Rose Movement has been made into film three times. Twice in the 1980s and most recently a few years ago. All three were in German, but worth watching.
The story of the White Rose Movement has been made into film three times. Twice in the 1980s and most recently a few years ago. All three were in German, but worth watching.
December 20, 2023
We read history so as not to have to repeat it.
Six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Even now, we might ask ourselves, "How could this possibly have happened?"
Robert Scholl, father of Hans and Sophie Scholl at the center of The White Rose, shares, "Just recall the bad times we had to live through: first the war, then the difficult postwar years, inflation, and great poverty. Then came unemployment. If a man's bare existence is undermined and his future is nothing but a gray, impenetrable wall, he will listen to promises and temptations and not ask who offers them." His wish foretells the struggle that Sophie and Hans will endure, sharing with his children, "What I want most of all is that you live in uprightness and freedom of spirit, no matter how difficult that proves to be."
Life will prove both difficult and short for Hans and his younger sister, Sophie, both executed by guillotine for high treason at the ages of 25 and 22 respectively.
Hans, a medical student, and his younger sister, Sophie, a double major in biology and philosophy, were both Germans and, during their adolescence, members of the Hitler Youth. Their enlightenment came early and ended tragically as they organized the White Rose, a resistance movement that published and anonymously distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, until both were caught doing so at the University of Munich and reported to authorities.
From their very first leaflet, which was authored by Hans without Sophie's involvement, sought to "kindle the spark of resistance in the hearts of millions of honest Germans," emphasizing that "Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized people as allowing itself to be 'governed' without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct."
The White Rose had aspirations to become a carefully coordinated and disciplined resistance movement. It published and distributed several leaflet publications in 1942 before it was found out.
Hans and Sophie's surviving sister, Inge, wrote this book. She so powerfully shared, "It is rare that a man is prepared to pay with his life for such a minimal achievement as causing cracks in the edifice of the existing order."
I didn't know the story of The White Rose. In fact, I only stumbled upon it because it was a footnote in another book I read earlier this year. This is a powerful story that deserves to be more widely known.
4 out of 5
Six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Even now, we might ask ourselves, "How could this possibly have happened?"
Robert Scholl, father of Hans and Sophie Scholl at the center of The White Rose, shares, "Just recall the bad times we had to live through: first the war, then the difficult postwar years, inflation, and great poverty. Then came unemployment. If a man's bare existence is undermined and his future is nothing but a gray, impenetrable wall, he will listen to promises and temptations and not ask who offers them." His wish foretells the struggle that Sophie and Hans will endure, sharing with his children, "What I want most of all is that you live in uprightness and freedom of spirit, no matter how difficult that proves to be."
Life will prove both difficult and short for Hans and his younger sister, Sophie, both executed by guillotine for high treason at the ages of 25 and 22 respectively.
Hans, a medical student, and his younger sister, Sophie, a double major in biology and philosophy, were both Germans and, during their adolescence, members of the Hitler Youth. Their enlightenment came early and ended tragically as they organized the White Rose, a resistance movement that published and anonymously distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, until both were caught doing so at the University of Munich and reported to authorities.
From their very first leaflet, which was authored by Hans without Sophie's involvement, sought to "kindle the spark of resistance in the hearts of millions of honest Germans," emphasizing that "Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized people as allowing itself to be 'governed' without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct."
The White Rose had aspirations to become a carefully coordinated and disciplined resistance movement. It published and distributed several leaflet publications in 1942 before it was found out.
Hans and Sophie's surviving sister, Inge, wrote this book. She so powerfully shared, "It is rare that a man is prepared to pay with his life for such a minimal achievement as causing cracks in the edifice of the existing order."
I didn't know the story of The White Rose. In fact, I only stumbled upon it because it was a footnote in another book I read earlier this year. This is a powerful story that deserves to be more widely known.
4 out of 5
November 12, 2022
"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn." ~Sophie Scholl
I learned about Sophie Scholl by happenstance a few years ago somewhere on the internet. She was mentioned in a post discussing how many people that claim they would've been on the right side of history during the Holocaust couldn't even speak up against white supremacy and xenophobia today much less risk their lives like the members of the White Rose. This book follows the two oldest Scholl siblings Hans and Sophie and their friend Christoph Probst and how they rejected the indoctrinations of Hitler's Germany and how they formed The White Rose. I love that newspaper clippings, articles, and the pamphlets the White Rose passed around were included within this book to be read. It's an inspiring and heartbreaking story of a group of young adults who stood firmly for what they believed in, against the inhumanity occurring around them knowing they were risking their lives. All three were executed by guillotine on February 22, 1943 on account of high treason for distributing their leaflets that discussed overthrowing the Nazi party and anti-war declarations.
I learned about Sophie Scholl by happenstance a few years ago somewhere on the internet. She was mentioned in a post discussing how many people that claim they would've been on the right side of history during the Holocaust couldn't even speak up against white supremacy and xenophobia today much less risk their lives like the members of the White Rose. This book follows the two oldest Scholl siblings Hans and Sophie and their friend Christoph Probst and how they rejected the indoctrinations of Hitler's Germany and how they formed The White Rose. I love that newspaper clippings, articles, and the pamphlets the White Rose passed around were included within this book to be read. It's an inspiring and heartbreaking story of a group of young adults who stood firmly for what they believed in, against the inhumanity occurring around them knowing they were risking their lives. All three were executed by guillotine on February 22, 1943 on account of high treason for distributing their leaflets that discussed overthrowing the Nazi party and anti-war declarations.
March 15, 2021
Inge Scholl raconte son frère, sa soeur et de ses amis qui se sont dressés contre le nazisme
Ce livre est une reconnaissance pour ces combattants de la liberté. Comment ne pas être ému et bouleversé par les derniers instants de Sophie et de Hans. Ces jeunes gens ont choisi une autre voie, bien plus difficile, et celle d'être seul, de croire en son idéal. C'est un livre de sacrifice et de tolérance. La tolérance et l'idéal de vivre ensemble transpirent de ces héros. Ils étaient courageux, dignes et aimaient l'autre, la vie. Ils étaient profondément humains, lumineux et leur combat pour la liberté dans une Allemagne plongée dans l'obscurantisme et la folie nazie est exemplaire et admirable. On connait tous Anne Franck, on devrait tous connaitre Sophie et Hans Scholl, et l'histoire de la rose blanche.
Ce livre est une reconnaissance pour ces combattants de la liberté. Comment ne pas être ému et bouleversé par les derniers instants de Sophie et de Hans. Ces jeunes gens ont choisi une autre voie, bien plus difficile, et celle d'être seul, de croire en son idéal. C'est un livre de sacrifice et de tolérance. La tolérance et l'idéal de vivre ensemble transpirent de ces héros. Ils étaient courageux, dignes et aimaient l'autre, la vie. Ils étaient profondément humains, lumineux et leur combat pour la liberté dans une Allemagne plongée dans l'obscurantisme et la folie nazie est exemplaire et admirable. On connait tous Anne Franck, on devrait tous connaitre Sophie et Hans Scholl, et l'histoire de la rose blanche.
August 6, 2024
Dieses Buch war sprachlich anspruchsvoll, da es in „älterem“ Deutsch geschrieben war, was mir gut gefallen hat (zu meiner persönlichen Abwechslung).
Inhaltlich erschütternd und gleichzeitig ermutigend – es ist inspirierend über Studenten zu lesen, die sich selbstständig und im Geheimen gegen ihre damalige Regierung aufstellt und dafür sogar ihr Leben aufgeben. „Das wird Wellen schlagen“, sagten sie sich einander und lebten ihr Leben bis zu letzten Minute mit Zuversicht, Selbstvertrauen und Dankbarkeit.
Mir hätte eine klarere zeitliche Übersicht geholfen, den Verlauf der Dinge besser zu verstehen. Das ist aber nur ein kleiner Kritikpunkt, denn Jahreszahlen sind gelegentlich genannt worden.
Zusammenfassend halte ich dieses spannende und zugleich informative Buch für ein wichtiges Schriftstück.
Inhaltlich erschütternd und gleichzeitig ermutigend – es ist inspirierend über Studenten zu lesen, die sich selbstständig und im Geheimen gegen ihre damalige Regierung aufstellt und dafür sogar ihr Leben aufgeben. „Das wird Wellen schlagen“, sagten sie sich einander und lebten ihr Leben bis zu letzten Minute mit Zuversicht, Selbstvertrauen und Dankbarkeit.
Mir hätte eine klarere zeitliche Übersicht geholfen, den Verlauf der Dinge besser zu verstehen. Das ist aber nur ein kleiner Kritikpunkt, denn Jahreszahlen sind gelegentlich genannt worden.
Zusammenfassend halte ich dieses spannende und zugleich informative Buch für ein wichtiges Schriftstück.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2021
In February 1943, 3 members of the Munich branch of the White Rose, a resistance group were executed for high treason. The White Rose was a passive resistance organization, distributed leaflets throughout Munich and other cities encouraging Germans to fight against the tyranny of the Hitler regime, the SS and the Gestapo.
Included in this book by Inge Scholl, sister to Hans and Sophie 2 of the 3 that had been executed, are the leaflets that the White Rose distributed, documents from the trial, newspaper announcements and letters.
This is what was written at the beginning of the first leaflet: Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized nation as allowing itself to be "governed" without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct."
Included in this book by Inge Scholl, sister to Hans and Sophie 2 of the 3 that had been executed, are the leaflets that the White Rose distributed, documents from the trial, newspaper announcements and letters.
This is what was written at the beginning of the first leaflet: Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized nation as allowing itself to be "governed" without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct."
October 5, 2022
The forward and end notes claim that this book aims to answer the question, "How was it possible for [people] to be taken in by the Nazis?" I don't think this book answers that question AT ALL, but it's a worthwhile short read anyway. I think that the book Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow absolutely answers that question (superbly) for a teen and adult audience, and the section in that book about the White Rose resistance was sufficient. This gave a bit more detail, particularly about the experiences of the members' last days before execution, which was appreciated and very moving insight.
October 23, 2023
This is a translated book that was written for high school age students. I don't know if it was the translation, or the time in which it was written, but it was very pedantic and wordy. I truly believe that every survivor of Nazi Germany who wrote testament deserves a place in history and in archives, but there are better books available to teach students in this age range about the Holocaust. Perhaps if I was reading the actual book, I wouldn't have noticed as much, but I wouldn't recommend this audiobook.
May 29, 2023
Awesome find in Champaign Urbana used bookstore. BUT. My copy has a giant swastika on the cover, which is just the dumbest cover to a book like this. Imagine getting beheaded for being anti nazi then having your writing covered by a swastika.
February 19, 2024
If anything, this book puts paid to the idea that the German citizens didn't know the Holocaust was happening, and shows that there were people who didn't buy into the Nazi BS and fought against it, albeit at the cost of their young lives.
Why this story is not more well-known I do not know.
Why this story is not more well-known I do not know.
November 30, 2017
3.75
Bom, porém cansativo no final.
Bom, porém cansativo no final.
December 20, 2021
lol heb n duits boek in t engels gelezen💀💀 maar t verhaal is best prima, maar gwn saai aangezien ik t al kende lol
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