Sophie Scholl, The Young Woman Who Stood Up To Hitler With A White Rose

Difficulties carve out courageous people and the struggle for freedom is full of examples of this nature. So today we’ll tell you the story of a brave young woman: Sophie Scholl. To get to know her better, we’ll travel to Hitler’s Germany, where this girl chose to face fear rather than ignore the cruel and unjustified persecution that all citizens like her were suffering.

In February 1943, along with a group of young people who formed a resistance group called “The White Rose”, she was beheaded at the guillotine accused of treason. Interestingly, the instrument conceived in the French Revolution to destroy the enemies of freedom  ended the life of one of its greatest defenders.

Sophie Scholl’s Story

“What does my death matter, if through our example thousands of people will wake up and start acting ” , were Sophie’s last words before she died. She was only 21 years old.

Despite the control and repression with which the Nazi regime threatened anyone who opposed its way of thinking, in Germany small groups of resistance emerged. With few resources and no support at all, they faced those who tried to control their lives, their actions and especially their minds.

They decided that perhaps the regime could control justice, education, health or the army, but never their will. They weren’t crazy or maybe they were, but they were wonderful. They knew the price and risk they took if they were discovered: their own lives.

In 1937, when her brothers and friends were taken illegally to join the “Hitler Youth” troops, Sophie realized the macabre regime they were subjected to. His vocation was teaching and he entered the University of Munich to study biology and philosophy.

the white rose

Every resistance movement had a name by which its members were identified, and The White Rose was what our protagonist chose. After attending several ideological groups in college, she was attracted to this group that spread its message through flyers and graffiti on the walls.

This group was not limited to intellectual discussions, but they tried to say what they thought to a large part of Germany, which with its silence was complicit in the atrocities committed by Hitler’s party. People who, despite not being your target, decided to take a risk. A risk that could be avoided if they simply did nothing.

Thanks to her brother, who belonged to the group, Sophie started transporting flyers for “The White Rose”. A very risky job, because if they caught her with the propaganda material she would have no chance of escaping the charge of treason.

Sophie Scholl defended freedom until her last breath

In February 1943 Sophie decided to go up on the roof of the college to get some flyers that were hidden there. Nothing would have happened if one of the college janitors, who belonged to the Nazi party, had not seen and denounced her.

She was captured by the Gestapo and placed in a cell with someone else. The intention was to obtain information to dismantle the whole group. However, this person did not get any information from Sophie and, impressed by her strength, was convinced of her message.

Sophie and her companions were captured and they did not report anyone, despite the torture they were subjected to and the temptation of the advantages offered by the Nazis. Even today, A Rosa Branca represents the symbol of freedom and the Scholl brothers were honored bearing their name in schools, streets, parks and squares.