Living History, Part Two

Although most Americans can list the horrors that occured during the Nazi era in Germany, few can name the small group that stood for political and religious freedom during that same era. "Die Geschiwster Scholl," or "The Scholl Siblings," stood up to Nazis and lost their lives because of it.

Sophie and Hans Scholl started a group called the White Rose. Composed of a small group of core members, they printed anti-facist flyers and mailed them to thousands of people in various German cities, all at their own expense. When it came time to distribute the sixth flyer, Sophie and Hans decided to lay them around their university building in Munich during classes. 

While attempting to directly contact their politically active peers, Sophie pushed a stack of papers over the railing, sending flyers fluttering into the main hall of the university.

The action, which caught the attention of the university manager and lead to the end of the White Rose, is now a symbol of student resistance in Germany. And it took place in the main hall of the university I now attend.

Last week we watched Sophie Scholl: the last days, a moving film about her protest and sentencing at the hands of the Nazis. Wether it was the main hall of the university or the places the prisoners were shuttled to and from, these places permeate my own life in Munich.

Wether I'm passing through "Geschwister Scholl Platz" or passing by the cemetary where Sophie was buried, Munich and the University pay fitting tribute to these inspiring heros.