Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans were leaders of a group of students who wrote and distributed anti National Socialist Philosophy.  (Nationalsozialismus/Nazi) leaflets which they wrote and printed themselves.  Sophie converted to Catholicism after reading Cardinal Newman.

  “When terror is in the air” and when  “a wave of unrest goes through the land we will allow ourselves no  rest until many join the cause and in a great final effort this system can be shaken off.”  The Scholls

“After all, an end in terror is preferable to terror without end.”    Hans Scholl                                                                              

Geschwisget ersi     The Scholl Siblings

The Second Leaflet of many by the Scholls:”

“After all, Hitler states in an early edition of “his” book (a book written in the worst German I have ever read, in spite of the fact that it has been elevated to the position of the Bible in this nation of poets and thinkers.

It is unbelievable to what extent one must betray people in order to rule.

If at the start this cancerous growth in the nation was not particularly noticeable, it was only because there were still enough forces at work that operated for the good, so that it was kept under control. (Hitler’s National Socialism)

As it grew larger, however, and finally in an ultimate spurt of growth attained ruling power, the tumor broke open and infected the whole body.  The greater part of its former opponents went into hiding.  The German intellectuals fled to their cellars, there, like plants struggling in the dark, away from light and sun, gradually to choke to death.

Now the end is at hand.  Now it is our task to find one another again, to spread information from person to person, to keep a steady purpose, and to allow ourselves no rest until the last man is persuaded of the urgen need of his struggle against this system.

Since the conquest of Poland three hundred thousand Jews have been murdered in this country in the most bestial way.  Here we see the most frightful crime against human dignity, a crime that is unparalleled in the whole of history.  Jews too are human beings.  Someone may say that the Jews deserve their fate.  This assertion would be a monstrous impertinence;  but let us assume  that someone said this – what position has he then taken toward the fact that the entire Polish aristocratic youth is being annihilated?  May God grant that this program has not yet fully achieved its aim as yet!  All male offspring of the houses of the nobility between the ages of fifteen and twenty were transported to concentration camps in Germany and sentenced to forced labor, and all the girls of this age group were sent to Norway, into the bordellos of the SS!

Why do German people behave so apathetically in the face of all these abominable crimes? Crimes so unworthy of the human race!

Hardly anyone thinks of it.  It is acceepted as fact and put out of mind.  The German people slumber on in their dull, stupid sleep and encourage these fascist criminals.  They give them the opportunity to carry on their depredations; and of course they do so.

Is this a sign that the Germans are brutalized in their simplest human feelings, that no chord within them cries out at the sight of such deeds, that they have sunk into a fatal consciencelessness from which they will never never awake?

It seems to be so, and will certainly be so, if the German does not at last start up out of his stupor, if he does not protest wherever and whenever he can against this clique of criminal, if he shows nosympathy for these hundreds of thousands of victims.  He must evidence not only sympathy, no, much more, a sense of complicity in guilt.

This Printing Press was used to print thousands of leaflets, stunning in their ability to awaken the multitudes and …  detested by Hitler for obvious reasons.  The leaflets  were spread by hand by the students in the group.

One day, Sophie thought she had an opportunity to spread more leaflets as she was walking down a hall at the Munich University, where there was a railing where one could see the floor below.  She thought no no one was there.  She scattered a few leaflets over the railing.  A janitor saw her and called the SS.

She was arrested and taken to the SS station and peoples court all in one.  She was convicted of high treason and beheaded all on the same day. Hans Scholl was also found guilty of high treason and Christopher Probst.  They were all executed a few hours after the judgment by Johann Reichart in Stadelheim Prison.  Scholls last words were “Es lebe die freiheit”  ( Long live Freedom)

On the day that Germany was finally conquered, their leaflets were dropped by the Allied planes all over Germany.  

These leaflets are a treasure to read.   We need a Sophie Scholl!!

We need all her friends!  We thank you for trying, Scholl Siblings!

Thanks for the Inspiration.