Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
Page 27
Christoph Probst, born Nov-ember 6, 1919, Murnau, executed February 22, 1943
Alexander Schmorell, born September 16, 1917, in Orenburg, Russia, executed July 13, 1943, Munich
Willi Graf, born January 2, 1918, Kuchenheim, executed October 12, 1943, Munich
Professor Kurt Huber, born October 24, 1893, Chur, executed July 13, Munich
Alexander Schmorell and Hans Scholl
Christoph Probst and Alexander Schmorell
July 23, 1942, at Munich’s East Station. L-R: Hubert Furtwängler, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Alexander Schmorell (far right)
Jürgen Wittenstein leaving for the Eastern front
Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell aboard the troop train enroute to the Eastern Front, July 1942
Hubert Furtwängler, Hans Scholl, Willi Graf and Alexander Schmorell at the Russian Front, summer, 1942
Farewell at Munich’s East Station before leaving for the Eastern Front, July 23, 1942. L–R: Hubert Furtwängler, Hans Scholl, Willi Graf (back to the camera), Sophie Scholl and Alexander Schmorell (far right)
Mugshots of Sophie Scholl taken at the time of her arrest by the Gestapo, February 18, 1943
Mugshots of Hans Scholl taken at the time of his arrest by the Gestapo, February 18, 1943
Mugshots of Christoph Probst taken at the time of his arrest by the Gestapo, February 18, 1943
Mugshots of Alexander Schmorell taken at the time of his arrest by the Gestapo, February 24, 1943
Mugshots of Professor Kurt Huber taken at the time of his arrest by the Gestapo, February 26, 1943
Mugshots of Willi Graf taken at the time of his arrest by the Gestapo, February 18, 1943
Room 253 of the Munich Court of Justice, where Hans and Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst were tried
The Gestapo Headquarters in Munich where members of the White Rose were interrogated
Roland Friesler, President of the People’s Court, 1942–45, “Hitler’s Hanging Judge”
The back page of Sophie’s indictment, where she had inscribed, “Freiheit”: “Freedom”
Fritz Harnagel’s telegram requesting pardon for Sophie’s execution, not knowing she’d been executed 5 days earlier
The guillotine used to execute members of the White Rose. Sophie Scholl was executed at 17:00 on February 22, 1943. When it was Hans’s turn, he shouted: “Long live freedom!”
Facsimile of the New York Times a1r8t,i1c9l4e3 of April 18, 1943
At the entrance to the University of Munich, metal leaflets are set into the ground as a memorial to the White Rose
1964 West German postage stamp commemorating Sophie Scholl
AUTHORS’ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THE HISTORICAL RECORD of the White Rose resistance has always demanded some degree of informed interpretation. It could not be otherwise: the White Rose operated under conditions of secrecy. But more significantly, there is nothing predictable about the fact of their resistance; in many ways they transcended their time, place, and social class. The process whereby they coalesced, moving together from “inner emigration” into active resistance, was a delicate one, even enigmatic; therein lies the challenge to the writer and historian.
Years of living in Germany helped both of us in our attempt to understand the personalities and events described here—but nothing could replace the careful historical research upon which this book is based. We interviewed surviving friends and family members of the White Rose, worked with primary written sources in the archives, including Gestapo interrogation records, studied the secondary literature, and attended official events commemorating their resistance. At times it has been necessary to sort through sometimes conflicting testimony and evaluate varying secondary interpretations, as well as to make our own decisions about emphasis and literary style; we have done our best to create what we feel is a responsible and credible account.
We would like to extend our gratitude to all those who were gracious enough to be interviewed, opening up a painful chapter in their lives—and not one without controversy—so that we might better understand the actions and motivations of those who resisted in a time when to do so required enormous courage. The insights of Dr. Birgit Weiss-Huber were especially important in making the White Rose members come alive before our eyes. We also thank Anneliese Knoop-Graf for providing us with photocopies of the original White Rose leaflets.
We would like to thank the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, and particularly Dr. Helmuth Auerbach of Munich’s Institut für Zeitgeschichte, for facilitating the use of special archival materials on the White Rose, and for taking time to discuss with us a subject that has long been of special interest to him. The Institut für Zeitgeschichte granted permission to the authors to use quoted material from the memoirs and firsthand testimony housed in the institute’s White Rose Collection, and most recently Frau Kaufmann and the Weisse-Rose-Stiftung for their cooperation in obtaining important materials.
We would like to thank Inge Aicher-Scholl and Harper & Row, for permission to quote from the letters and diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl; Anneliese Knoop-Graf and Dr. Klaus Vielhaber, for permission to quote from the diaries and letters of Willi Graf; Dr. Michael Probst, for permission to quote from the letters of Christoph Probst; Dr. Erich Schmorell, for permission to quote from the letters and diaries of Alex Schmorell; and Mrs. Clara Huber and Dr. Birgit Weiss-Huber, for permission to quote from Professor Kurt Huber’s farewell letter.
The accomplishments of many authors who have written previously on the White Rose, and on the Third Reich in general, were important to us, including the works of Hamilton T. Burden, Klaus Drobisch, Hubert Hanisch, Richard Hanser, Inge Jens, Günther Kirchberger, Anneliese Knoop-Graf, H. W. Koch, Mario Krebs, Melita Maschmann, Christian Petry, Inge Scholl, Michael Verhoeven, Hermann Vinke, and Klaus Vielhaber.
We also wish to thank Ingrid Schick and Arthur Thornhill, Jr., for their faith in the significance of this project, and Robert Berkvist and Ken Emerson of the New York Times for extending themselves. We are also grateful to Studs Terkel for his generosity in providing the foreword.
There are many friends, relatives, colleagues, and teachers to thank for their help, inspiration, and support, including Sheila Abrams, Ariela Baranov, Rabbi Moshe Birnbaum, Lenore Brooks, Nelson Chipchin, Horst Conrad, Dan and Nan, Arthur Flug, Rose Gatens, Lillian Gorfinkle, Nick Grillo, Eckard Holler, Ken Kleinberg, Hans Kohn, Robert Morgenthau, Eva Newborn, Ira Newborn, and Kym Newborn, especially; Susan Peirez, Walter Renn, Susan Rubinowitz, Barbara Saidel, and Liz Smith.
Charlotte Sky, Vic Skolnick, and Dylan Skolnick of Long Island's Cinema Arts Centre have supported this undertaking with generosity and conviction, recognizing in their own mission a kinship to the spirit of the White Rose. Ruth Silverman shares in that spirit as well; her personal devotion and expertise is a gift freely given and with grace. As for Karen Frankel, her support cannot be quantified. She uses her wisdom daily to save the world, again and again, one person at a time.
And our deepest gratitude goes to those closest to us. Annette Dumbach wishes to thank Julius and Tatiana Chipchin Epstein who made the sounds, smells and voices of Russia and the claims of pol-itics and history part of their daughter's birthright, and most of all, her husband, Otto Dumbach who shared his memories of growing up in a terrible time. Jud Newborn wishes to thank Solomon and Rita Newborn, for the gift of their faith and love, and for showing their son, with wisdom and compassion, how Jewish values are lived.
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