The White Rose resistance movement remains one of the most well-known examples of German opposition to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. It is estimated that 800,000 Germans were arrested by the Nazis, and thousands were executed for resistance activities.
Hans Scholl was born on September 22, 1918, in Ingersheim, Crailsheim, in the German Empire. His parents were Robert and Magdalena Scholl. His father served as mayor of Ingersheim from 1917 to 1920 and then as mayor of Forchtenberg from 1920 to 1930.
Hans was the second eldest of six children. He and his siblings Inge, Sophie, Elisabeth, and Werner were raised in a Lutheran family where Christian values were important. In 1932, the family moved to the city of Ulm.
Although his father opposed the Nazi regime, Hans and Werner joined the Hitler Youth, while Inge, Sophie, and Elisabeth became members of the German League of Girls in 1933. Hans joined the Hitler Youth at age 14 and soon became a squad leader.
Hans underwent a remarkable change as he grew disappointed with the reality of living in Nazi Germany. Freedom became increasingly restricted, and people could no longer read what they wanted or sing certain songs. Then came the racial laws, and Jewish classmates had to leave school.
Hans soon became disillusioned with the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler. Sophie was very close to Hans, and she too became disillusioned with Hitler.
Hans and some of his friends decided to form their own youth organization based on the German youth movement. On weekends, they would go camping in the bitter cold. Sitting around the campfire, they would read aloud to each other or sing songs, carrying guitars, banjos, and balalaikas.
In 1937, Hans was arrested for continuing banned youth movement activities. He was also charged with homosexual behavior, which he confessed to, having had two separate sexual relationships. Sophie, Inge, and Werner Scholl were also arrested.
Because Sophie was only 16, she was released the same day. Inge and Werner were released after a week of confinement. Hans made a positive impact on the judge, who dismissed the choice to join the youth groups as the youthful exuberance and obstinate personality of a headstrong young man. The judge also dismissed the homosexual charges, calling his affairs a youthful failing.
In 1937, Hans joined the Reich Labor Service, a compulsory service for young Germans. He was then drafted into the German Army. Since he always loved horses, he was accepted into a cavalry unit and served in the army for two years.
In March 1939, Hans was discharged to attend medical school at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. At the university, he met teachers and students who held strong Christian beliefs and were also critical of the Nazi government.
At the beginning of World War II, in May 1940, Hans was recruited into medical service on the French front. In April 1941, he was able to continue his studies in the second student company of the army medical squadron in Munich, where he met Alexander and Christoph, with whom he developed a close friendship.
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched a surprise attack against the Soviet Union, code-named Operation Barbarossa. The battles on the Eastern Front marked a turning point in the history of World War II and eventually served as the main reason for the defeat of Nazi Germany and the Axis nations. The war on the Eastern Front became the largest military conflict in history, marked by horrific atrocities, the highest casualties, mass deportations, starvation, disease, and massacres.
In the spring of 1941, Hans was again enrolled in military service as a medic in the army. After serving on the Eastern Front, Hans and his friends learned about terrible mass killings in Poland and the Soviet Union. They felt they had to do something.
From June to July 1942, Hans wrote the first four leaflets for the White Rose. These leaflets used quotes from the Bible, famous thinkers such as Aristotle, and German poets. They wanted to reach educated Germans, hoping these people would agree with their message.
The leaflets were placed in telephone books in public phone booths, posted to professors and students, and taken by courier to other universities for distribution. From July 23 to October 30, 1942, Hans and Willi Graf were again assigned to medical service on the Eastern Front.
When they returned, Willi Graf became one of the core members of the White Rose. Hans's sister Sophie also joined the group by the end of 1942. Professor Kurt Huber became a main member. Hans, along with Alexander and with the support of Willi Graf, wrote slogans on Munich buildings such as "Freedom" and "Down with Hitler."
On February 18, 1943, Hans and Sophie arrived at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich with a suitcase full of leaflets. They dropped copies of the leaflets from the top floor into the main entrance hall. The university maintenance man, Jacob Schmid, saw them and reported them to the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police.
Hans and Sophie were arrested by the Gestapo. A draft of the seventh leaflet written by Christoph was found in Hans Scholl's possession. Hans tried to destroy the draft by tearing it apart and swallowing it. However, the Gestapo recovered enough of it to read the contents.
When pressed, Hans gave up the name of Christoph, and Christoph was arrested. Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were tried on charges of treason in the German People's Court by Judge Roland Freisler.
During interrogation, Hans tried to defend his sister. He claimed that he had thrown all the leaflets himself, but his testimony in custody proved him wrong. Hans also tried to hide the involvement of other members of the White Rose.
Judge Roland Freisler found them guilty and sentenced them to death on February 22, 1943. After the trial, Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were taken to prison. They were told they would be executed that same day.
Hans and Sophie were allowed to meet their parents. Their father said, "I'm proud of you both. You will go down in history."
Prison officials were impressed by the condemned prisoners' bravery and let them smoke cigarettes together before they were executed. Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were beheaded by guillotine in Munich prison. Hans shouted his last words, "Long live freedom." He was only 24 years old.