by Donald Hunt
When they arrived, there were about 50 children around Philip’s age. There was a playground with swings and slides. They were told Philip would sleep in a dorm of sorts with 20 other children and a dorm ‘mother’. When they left, Philip was busy playing and did not even notice their leaving. Gretchen could not hold her tears. Landis tried to comfort her saying Philip would be happy there. Silently he thought back to the Nazi rhetoric of a “pure Germany”…a super Aryan race.
The first few weekend visits Philip seemed very happy. He was happy to see them and gave them hugs as always. He was easily distracted by his playmates and they began to believe that this possibly was the best place for him. The Kollers met other parents who were having similar thoughts. But for an unknown reason, Landis got names and addresses of two of the other couples with children there. Then the call came, almost six months to the day of his enrollment at the home. They were told that Philip had taken suddenly ill and had died of pneumonia. He had been buried on the grounds. The following day they traveled to see his grave site. It was among three other graves, all unmarked, his the only ‘fresh’ grave. Even though he had been out of their home for six months, a vast emptiness began to come over Gretchen. She began to have guilt that she had abandoned him to strangers.
Over the next month, Landis reflected over and over on the word he had heard the previous year at a Nazi Party meeting. A visiting official had mentioned the problem of Untermenschen – subhumans. The referral at the time was to Slavic people who were Bolsheviks, enemies of the State. In a broader context, it might refer to Jews. Suddenly the Nazi agenda was becoming clear to him. Anyone who did not fit their view of the ‘Master Aryan Race’ was untermenchen - subhuman. This included Jews, Gypsies, and the mentally and physically handicapped.
Landis quickly sent letters to the two families they had met at the home. Both couples had been notified that their children had died after a brief illness. The Nazis were systematically murdering these children. Philip had been exterminated….one of many.
The abject evil of the Nazi Reich was now apparent to Landis. A feeling of despair overwhelmed him. How could he have missed what was happening? How could his countrymen be complicit in these crimes against humanity? At that moment he decided he would do all in his power to defeat Nazism and he would do it from within the Party. He would not tell Gretchen any details. He only told her he was now working to ‘free’ Germany. He would carry to his grave the murder of his son.
The resistance movement in the Saxony Province of Germany had been started by Dr. Karl Goerdeler, the mayor of Leipzig. He, like Landis Koller, had supported the Reich initially. But in 1936, he began to notice the brutality of the new regime, including the repression of the churches and especially the Jews. When the Nazi governor of Leipzig tore down the statue of Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn, Goerdeler resigned. In the year following, Goerdeler organized a network of prominent anti-Nazi men who, for multiple reasons, favored the overthrow of the Reich. They worked to this end by political means, but soon realized success could only be achieved through the military.
The first and possibly most important military official in the resistance movement was Colonel Hans Oster. He was a senior officer in the Abwer (German Military Intelligence Service). During the entire war until his execution in April, 1945, he fed important information to the Allies, provided warnings to individuals being sought by the Gestapo, and helped Jews escape Germany.
Perhaps the most prominent General to oppose Hitler was Ludwig Beck, retired Chief of the General Staff. He was a friend of Dr. Goerdeler and became the leader of the entire German resistance movement. In the next two years, the multiple conspirators agreed that the overthrow of the Reich could not be accomplished unless Hitler was killed. From 1941 moving forward, the efforts of those involved was to eliminate the Fuehrer. But multiple attempts on his life failed, all for different reasons. Nevertheless, they continued.
Sarah Engel had spoken with Landis about Heidi Brendler. She explained that Heidi was a friend of her brother Christian, and strongly anti-Nazi. Koller agreed to meet with Heidi only because he trusted Sarah. It was early December and anyone committed to the anti-Nazi movement would be a welcome addition for the work the following year.
Their meeting took place at a farmhouse about 20 kilometers from Leipzig. The women were picked up and escorted to the rendezvous place on a Friday evening. Sarah had not confided to Heidi that the rules of engagement placed her at risk of being eliminated if she was thought to be a Gestapo plant. It was not an issue so Sarah thought ‘why bother’.
Upon their arrival the driver escorted them into the old house. It was clean, but musty. A fire roared in the hearth and a pot of coffee was on the old wooden stove. The room was illuminated by several coal-oil lanterns. After about 30 minutes the front door opened and Landis Koller entered with another man he called Max. The women stood. He greeted Sarah with a hug and extended a hand to Heidi, who had noticed his limp. He took a cup of coffee and said nothing for about five minutes. The silence was awkward. Then he looked at Heidi, who was looking at the floor. She felt he was playing mind games with her or trying to intimidate her. Heidi raised her eyes to meet his.
His expression did not change. Then he spoke in a low voice, “Why are you here?”
Heidi felt confident and said quickly, “I hate the Nazis.”
“I can see that. Why would you risk death to help us?”
Heidi’s eyes flashed. “I am a Jew.”
* * *
On Christmas Eve a light snow was falling. Most of Germany had a rich tradition of Christmas celebration and worship of the birth of the Christ child, but in 1938, the Reich banned singing carols and the Nativity play in schools. Christmas had been replaced with the new term ‘Yuletide’. The Nazis believed that Christianity and National Socialism were irreconcilable. They wanted a completely secular society. The Catholic Church and many Protestant Churches resisted the pressure from the government, especially during Christmas.
Handel and Bach, the great composers of spiritual music, were both born in Germany the same year, 1695. For more than 200 years the world had celebrated Christmas through their music. Heidi and Sarah attended a candle-light Christmas Eve worship service. It was always a magical time for Sarah, and Heidi exclaimed the music was the most beautiful she had ever heard.
Christmas Day was a red-letter day for both women. Christian Engel made the trip from Berlin arriving about noon. He brought gifts and a plumb pudding. Heidi ran out to meet him in the snow throwing her arms around him. After their late afternoon meal Sarah decided to visit a friend from work to give the two sometime together. They had much ‘catching-up’ to do. Heidi decided not to mention joining the underground, and Christian did not mention the increased bombing by the R.A.F. and now the Americans. They took a walk in the snow.
“Tell me about Berlin and the hospital.” Christian shrugged.
“Work is work. We are seeing more cases from the front but nothing acute. Most are young men with extremities blown off or healing chest or abdominal wounds, or those missing half their face. Fifty percent of our beds are now rehab. Berlin is somber. The Nazis will not acknowledge publicly that they have been defeated in Russia. To continue the war is insane, but Hitler is insane. The war will be fought until the country is destroyed.”
Heidi looked up at him. “Amazing so few of us saw this coming. Our people were so focused on our economic recovery that we were blind as to how it was happening. I once attended a Nazi rally when I was an undergraduate. I was stirred by Hitler and his oratory. For a period of time even I believed the propaganda, but Hitler’s goal was a ‘master race’ with the conquered Europeans made slaves for the profit of Germany. And his Europe would be ‘Jew free’. So many in the academic community got out in time. And here I am hoping to just survive.”
They both were in their own private thoughts as they returned to the apartment. Once inside H
eidi took Christian’s hand and they sat side by side.
“Christian, my people are suffering unspeakable inhumanities and are dying by the hundreds of thousands. I have been in contact with people who have been to Poland. About one year ago the Nazis sequestered 400,000 Jews into a ghetto in Warsaw. The purpose was to work them to death. After a year only 100,000 had died, so the remaining 300,000 were “resettled” to Treblinka where they were gassed and their bodies burned. Regardless of the war, my life will never be the same. You know I love you, but now my life is not my own.”
As they sat on the sofa, she wrapped her arms around him and began to cry softly. Christian understood that he was losing the woman he loved, not to another man but to the idea that she must resist the evil of the Nazi Reich with all in her being.
The first weekend of the New Year, 1943, Heidi, Landis and Max traveled to Munich to meet with university students who had formed a resistance group. During their travel time Landis provided Heidi with an overview of the underground efforts in Saxony which were focused on the area between Leipzig and Dresden. Heidi shared that she wanted to use some of her savings to buy a truck that could be used in the anti-Nazi work. There were about 20 workers in Saxony, but there was no formal organization and no meetings per say. Even Landis knew the identity of only seven of the twenty. Secrecy was their talisman. Their mission was threefold: to distribute anti-Nazi material, to hide Jews from the Gestapo, and to rescue and hide downed Allied airman. The last aspect of their mission was especially critical, since a directive issued by Hitler in 1941. It stated that captured Allied airman were to be hanged. This directive was a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention which had been signed by the Germans.
On that evening, the three from Leipzig met with three students from Munich, including Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans and Christoph Probst, a married medical student with three children. Sophie was studying biology and philosophy. Hans was also in medical school with Christopher. Heidi took an instant liking to these brave young people. As they were getting better acquainted, Sophie articulated their mission goal most eloquently,
“The ‘Prince of Darkness’ has blinded the hearts and minds of people so they cannot see the truth. Our goal is to reveal truth to them.”
These three brave souls, along with a few others and philosophy Professor Kurt Huber, were preparing thousands of anti-Nazi leaflets to distribute at the University of Munich as well as universities in Nurnberg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Berlin. Their motivation was based on their Christian beliefs and a just cause to combat evil. Hans Scholl expanded on their plan.
“Our hope is that a true anti-Nazi movement will spring from the students. Many social movements have been student led. This could be one.”
“But you are risking your lives because you are being so open in your protest,” said Landis.
Sophie looked at Heidi then Landis and continued, “And Darkness covered the Earth! Then God brought forth Light into the world.”
“And you represent that Light,” Heidi asked.
“Exactly!” said Christopher.
The Leipzig group slept on the floor of Sophie’s flat. After a breakfast of coffee and muffins they bundled 2,000 leaflets to be distributed at the University of Leipzig. Heidi gave Sophie a long hug.
“We are kindred spirits. I admire so much what you are doing. God bless you.” On the drive back Heidi opened one of the leaflets and read it to the others……
It is certain that today every honest German is ashamed of his government. Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes – crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure – reach the light of day? If the German people are already so corrupted and spiritually crushed that they do not raise a hand, frivolously trusting in a questionable faith in lawful order in history; if they surrender man’s highest principle, that which raises him above all other of God’s creatures, his free will; if they abandon the will to take decisive action and turn the wheel of history and thus subject it to their own rational decision; if they are so devoid of individuality, have already gone so far along the road toward turning into a spiritless and cowardly mass – then, yes, they deserve their downfall…Offer passive resistance – resistance – wherever you may be, forestall the spread of this atheistic war machine before it is too late…DO NOT FORGET…that every people deserves the regime it is willing to endure.
These isolated ‘antagonists’ rode for the next hour in silence. Finally, Landis broke the silence.
“I’m fearful they will be caught. They are so bold…so out in the open.”
Sophie Scholl was the fourth of five children, born and raised in Forchenberg, southern Germany. She was a very bright student and read extensively. After finishing secondary school her love of children led her to become a kindergarten teacher. She was also developing a deep distrust of Nazi National Socialism. Working in the Reichsarbeitsdienst (National Labor Service) was a prerequisite to be admitted to University. She reluctantly joined the Nazi organization for the required six months and entered the University of Munich in May 1942 to study biology and philosophy.
Sophie was influenced by her older brother Hans and his friends. Two of these young men had been required to spend a semester break at the Eastern front. It was there they witnessed atrocities of the SS, who herded a group of Jewish families into a field and cut them down with machine gun fire. On their return they vowed to resist the Nazi Reich. Their small band was called “die Weibe Rose”. Hans and Alex Schmorell, both medical students, began composing leaflets for distribution, denouncing the Hitler Reich. Soon they were joined by two other students, Christoph Probst and Willi Graf. When Sophie learned of the group she joined as well.
Their common bond was their scathing criticism of German citizens who would not oppose the Nazis.
They were also drawn together by their shared love of music, literature and Christian worship. Hans had named the group the White Rose to reflect their purity and innocence in the face of evil.
The week after meeting with the workers from Leipzig, they turned out between 6,000 and 9,000 leaflets using a hand cranked duplicating machine. As they were placing the leaflets in bundles of five hundred, Hans said to the others, “It should be obvious that Germany has been defeated in Russia. Hitler continues to lead the German people into the abyss. We have lost freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. The people must rise up and resist this evil.”
On February 17, 1943, Sophie and Hans packed two suitcases with leaflets. Their plan was to distribute them between eight and nine a.m. the following day in the main lecture building. Students going to their 9:00 a.m. classes would pick them up to read. The following morning on their way to the University, Sophie turned to Hans. “Last night I had a dream that we got caught.”
“Well, I suppose if we believed in omens we would not go.”
“We have never seen Gestapo or SS at the University,” Sophie said. “Anyway, it was only a dream.”
The previous week, Hans, Alex Schmorell and Willi Graf had painted several buildings in the area with graffiti that said ‘Freedom’ and ‘Down with Hitler’. They had expected an increased presence of the Gestapo but had seen none while monitoring the situation.
The Scholls entered the building at 8:35 a.m. It was a three story structure with an enormous atrium in the center with broad marble stairways on either side of the atrium. The atrium was surrounded circumferentially with broad hallways that, from the ground, had the appearance of balconies. They quickly distributed the leaflets in the hallways of the second and third floors. They descended the stairs to the first floor when Sophie realized she had one bundle of leaflets left in her suitcase.
“I’m going back up to the top and throw these into the atrium.”
“Hurry! It’s f
ive minutes ‘til nine.”
Sophie ran up the two flights of stairs to the third floor balcony and opened her suitcase, then flung the last bundle of leaflets over the balcony. They floated down like giant snowflakes. One of the custodians noticed them and became angry since it made more work for him. He locked the large brass front doors and called the police. Sophie and Hans were anxious to see the reaction of the students and had not noticed the custodian. The Gestapo quickly sealed the exits from the building and arrested the Scholls. That same day, Joseph Goebbels gave a speech in the Sportspalast in Berlin urging the German people to embrace ‘Total War’. The speech was designed to counter the news of their defeat at Stalingrad.
Four days after their arrest the Scholls and their colleague Christoph Probst were taken to trial in the Volksgerichtshof – Peoples Court. The head of the court, Roland Freisler, was an ardent Nazi. After a two hour ‘trial’, with little fanfare, Freisler pronounced the three guilty of treason with punishment of death. Their sentences were to be carried out that day. As they were being led out of the court Hans looked at Freisler.
“You know as well as we do the war is lost. Why are you so cowardly that you won’t admit it?”
At 5:00 p.m. in Stadelheim Prison Sophie Scholl walked calmly with a matron guard from her cell on death row to the execution chamber. As she entered the chamber she looked at the executioner who was going to bind her hands.
“That will not be necessary,” she said. The matron guard looked at her.
“Do you have a final word for your mother and father?” “Ja! Die sonne scheint noch – yes, the sun still shines!”
Sophie knelt down and placed her head on the guillotine block. Then literally in a fraction of a second Sophie Scholl moved from her heroic life on earth into eternity. She was followed by her brother Hans and their colleague Christoph Probst.
Original Sketch of Sophie Scholl by Delia Hunt