Sophie Scholl
Sophie Scholl
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Sophie Scholl

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Sophie Scholl

Sophia Magdalena Scholl (9 May 1921 – 22 February 1943) was a German student and anti-Nazi political activist, active in the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany.

Raised in a politically engaged family, Scholl initially joined the Bund Deutscher Mädel, the female branch of the Hitler Youth, but later became critical of the Nazi regime. Influenced by philosophy, theology, and the writings of Theodor Haecker, she became involved in passive resistance efforts alongside her brother, Hans, and fellow students. The White Rose distributed leaflets calling for opposition to the Nazi state, citing ethical and philosophical arguments against its policies. In February 1943, after being caught distributing leaflets at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, she and her brother Hans were arrested by the Gestapo, interrogated, and convicted of high treason in a show trial presided over 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 following her death, numerous schools, streets, and memorials have been named in her and her brother's honor for their role in anti-Nazi resistance. Her story has been depicted in several films, books, and other media, including the Oscar nominated film Sophie Scholl – The Final Days.

Scholl was the daughter of Magdalena (née Müller) and Robert Scholl, a liberal politician and ardent Nazi critic, who was the mayor of her home town of Forchtenberg am Kocher in the Free People's State of Württemberg at the time of her birth. She was the fourth of six children:

She started school at the age of seven, learned easily, and had a carefree childhood. In 1930, the family moved to Ludwigsburg and then two years later to Ulm where her father had a business consulting office.

Scholl was brought up in the Lutheran church and remained a devout Christian the rest of her life. In 1942 she famously wrote, "I shall cling to the rope God has thrown me in Jesus Christ, even if my numb hands can no longer feel it."

In 1932, Scholl began attending a secondary school for girls. At the age of 12, she joined the female branch of the Hitler Youth, Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls), as did most of her classmates. Her initial enthusiasm gradually gave way to criticism. She was aware of the dissenting political views of her father, friends, and some teachers. Her brother Hans, who had at first participated enthusiastically in the Hitler Youth program, became entirely disillusioned with the Nazi Party. Political positions had become an essential criterion in her choice of friends. The arrest of her brothers and friends in 1937 for participating in the German Youth Movement left a strong impression on her.

An avid reader, she developed a growing interest in philosophy and theology. She had a talent for drawing and painting, and came into contact with a few so-called "degenerate" artists. All of the Scholl children had a deep interest in art, and befriended many artists of the time, particularly controversial ones who stood against National Socialism and explored such themes in their work. One such artist, Otl Aicher, helped Sophie learn to sketch and helped her revise her drawings. He later married her sister Inge.

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