Learn All About Sophie Scholl and the Student-Led Resistance That Opposed Nazism

02/15/2022 in
Learn All About Sophie Scholl and the Student-Led Resistance That Opposed Nazism

February 22 marks one of the most notable, but lesser known, moments in the fight against the spread of Nazism in Germany: On that day in 1943, Sophie Scholl and other members of the student-led White Rose were executed for writing and distributing leaflets calling on Germans to oppose Nazi genocide and injustice. 

Scholl, her brother Hans and other students at the University of Munich had been arrested after a pro-Nazi janitor spotted their leaflets. Scholl was just 21 years old when she was tried in a mock trial, and executed by guillotine. 

The White Rose would go on to become a symbol of resistance against the Nazis, and Scholl herself would become a champion of the movement for acting out of courage of character in the face of spreading fascism. 

Learn all about Scholl, the White Rose and its members at a virtual event at 2 p.m. on February 22 from the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. The free event will include a conversation between between Wolfgang Huber, the son of White Rose member Kurt Huber and a professor emeritus at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstad, along with Frank McDonough, author of the book “Sophie Scholl: The Real Story of the Woman Who Defied Hitler,” and Nathan Stoltzfus, the Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels Professor of Holocaust Studies at Florida State University. The talk will be moderated by Lori Weintrob, professor of history at Wagner College and founding director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center. 

The event will also include a virtual screening of the Oscar-nominated film “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days.” 

Scholl herself never backed down in her final days, saying after her sham trial: “I am, now as before, of the opinion that I did the best that I could do for my nation. I therefore do not regret my conduct and will bear the consequences that result from my conduct.” Reserve a ticket here.

Tags: Museum of Jewish Heritage

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