Sophie Scholl

Sophie Scholl (1921–1943) was a member of the German resistance in World War II. She was born on 9 May 1921 and died on 22 February 1943. She was a German student who opposed the Nazi regime as part of the White Rose, a non-violent resistance group. Her family was politically engaged, and she grew up in Forchtenberg am Kocher, where her father, Robert Scholl, served as mayor. Robert was a liberal politician and a vocal critic of the Nazis. Sophie was the fourth of six children: Inge, Hans, Elisabeth, Werner, and Thilde. Elisabeth later married Sophie’s longtime boyfriend, Fritz Hartnagel. Werner went missing in action in 1944 and was presumed dead. Sophie began school at age seven, picked up lessons easily, and had a largely untroubled childhood. She was raised in the Lutheran church and remained a devout Christian throughout her life. At age 12, she joined the female branch of the Hitler Youth, the Bund Deutscher Mädel, as most of her classmates did. Her early enthusiasm for the group faded over time. She took note of the dissenting political views held by her father, friends, and some teachers. Her brother Hans, once an eager participant in the Hitler Youth, became completely disenchanted with the Nazi Party. Political stances became a key factor in choosing her friends. She was a keen reader and grew interested in philosophy and theology. She also had a gift for drawing and painting, and met several artists labeled “degenerate” by the regime. All the Scholl children loved art and befriended many artists, especially those who opposed National Socialism and explored such themes in their work. One artist, Otl Aicher, helped Sophie with her sketching and later married her sister Inge. At age 16, Sophie was arrested by the Gestapo for the first time. The Gestapo arrested Hans at his military post, while other agents took his siblings Inge, Werner, and Sophie from their home. Sophie was released the same day; Inge and Werner spent a week in jail. Hans was held for three weeks and interrogated before being released following the intervention of his cavalry officer. This experience strengthened Sophie’s opposition to the Nazis. In spring 1940, she finished secondary school, writing an essay on the poem “The Hand that Moved the Cradle, Moved the World” by William Ross Wallace. She nearly failed to graduate because she had lost interest in classes that had become mostly Nazi indoctrination. She liked children and became a kindergarten teacher at the Fröbel Institute in Ulm, hoping it would count as alternative service for the Reichsarbeitsdienst, a requirement for university admission. The strict military routine of the Labor Service made her rethink the political situation and begin practicing passive resistance. Her brother Hans, studying medicine there, introduced her to his friends. The group was first united by a shared love of art, music, literature, philosophy, and theology, not politics. They enjoyed hiking, skiing, and swimming, and often attended concerts, plays, and lectures. In Munich, Sophie met artists, writers, and philosophers, especially Carl Muth and Theodor Haecker. They often discussed how an individual should act under a dictatorship. The White Rose distributed leaflets calling for opposition to the Nazi state, using ethical and philosophical arguments. In February 1943, Sophie and Hans were caught distributing leaflets at the university. The Gestapo arrested them, interrogated them, and they were convicted of high treason in a show trial led by Roland Freisler. They were sentenced to death and executed by guillotine. After her death, copies of the final White Rose leaflet were air-dropped over Germany by the Allies. In the decades since, many schools, streets, and memorials have been named after Sophie and her brother for their anti-Nazi resistance. Her story has appeared in films, books, and other media, including the Oscar-nominated film *Sophie Scholl – The Final Days*.