Nazis Slaughtered My Brother and Sister

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541753/Nazis-slaughtered-brother-sister-guillotine-German-woman-93-tells-siblings-defied-Hitler-death-treason-1943.html


Nazis slaughtered my brother and sister with a guillotine: German woman, 93, tells how her siblings defied Hitler and were put to death for treason in 1943


Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested by Gestapo for writing pamphlets
Their works decried Nazi war crimes and revealed Stalingrad defeat
Seven decades on, their surviving sister Elisabeth tells her story
It comes after the guillotine that killed them was discovered in a museum


It was a cold winter's day in 1943 when three students threw a pamphlet into the stairwell at Munich's Ludwig Maximillian university, the last of six they had distributed decrying Nazism.

The young activists wanted to call attention to the crimes being committed in Russia in their name - the mass shootings of Jews, the burning of villages, the barbarity of the war Hitler proclaimed to be 'without rules' in his bid to crush the Slavic 'subhumans.'

And their writings recounted the heavily suppressed story of how the Wehrmacht had been stunningly defeated at Stalingrad a month earlier - a battle which proved the turning point of the war.

But, unbeknownst to them, a janitor at the university spotted their surreptitious leaflet drop and reported them to the Gestapo, the Hitler regime's feared secret police.

Twenty-four hours later, they were under arrest and, within days Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans, 24, and their friend Christoph Probst, also 24, were all beheaded for treason.

Now, 71 years later, the guillotine used to carry out the gruesome sentence has been found gathering dust in the basement of a Munich museum, triggering a debate in Germany about whether it should go on show, or remain locked out of sight forever.

For one elderly woman in particular it has pulled into sharp focus all the pain, anguish and terror she experienced over seven decades ago when her younger sister and elder brother went bravely to their deaths.

Elisabeth Hartnagel-Scholl is the last surviving sibling of Hans and Sophie Scholl, two of the young martyrs who dared to challenge the world's most sinister tyranny and paid the ultimate price in doing so.

Now a 93-year-old widow, she lives alone in Stuttgart, but she clearly remembers the day that she discovered her brother and sister had died beneath the flashing blade of the guillotine.

'I picked up a newspaper in a cafe where I was seated waiting for a bus,' said Elisabeth. 'And I noticed the headline on the front page. It told me that my brother and sister had been beheaded the previous day for treason.

'Christoph Probst, their friend, had also been executed.

'I wished there and then that I was insane so I did not have to comprehend this. I was just four days away from my own 23rd birthday and I felt that my entire world had been destroyed.'

         
Co-conspirators in the White Rose resistance group, Sophie, Hans and Christoph died because they distributed leaflets which chronicled Nazi crimes in Russia and the stunning defeat of the Germany Sixth Army at Stalingrad the previous month - the turning point of the Second World War.

Fed with information from the battlefront in the Soviet Union by Sophie's boyfriend, career officer Fritz Hartnagel who she hoped to marry, the trio who had started off in Nazi Germany as firm supporters of the regime ended up despising it.

The leaflet they threw into the stairwell of the Ludwig Maximillian University was the last of six decrying Nazism.

They were seen by the janitor, reported to the Gestapo, arrested within 24 hours, held for four days, tried by a rabid Nazi judge and executed the same day.

The leaflet they threw into the stairwell of the Ludwig Maximillian University was the last of six decrying Nazism.

They were seen by the janitor, reported to the Gestapo, arrested within 24 hours, held for four days, tried by a rabid Nazi judge and executed the same day.

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It was ironic that the Scholls should die at the hands of the regime. When the Nazis began their climb to power Hans and Sophie, remembers Elisabeth, were as enthusiastic as everyone else in the 'New Germany' about the movement which promised to restore the nation to greatness.

'They joined the Hitler Youth,' she remembers, although for girls like Sophie it was the female wing called the German Girls League. In 1935, she was promoted to Squad Leader. 'They liked the feeling of belonging, but our father disapproved. We just dismissed it: he's too old for this stuff, he doesn't understand.

'My father had a pacifist conviction and he championed that. That certainly played a role in our education. But we were all excited in the Hitler youth in Ulm, sometimes even with the Nazi leadership.

'We weren't fascinated by Hitler. It was a non-political thing for us - we girls hung out together, took trips, did tests of courage or arranged evenings at home.

'Sophie and my mother, both of them had a soft heart and very thick skin. My mother hated the Nazis, but neverthless she sewed pants for the Jungvolk, the really young section of the Hitler Youth for kids between 10 and 14. She was very pious. She was the one constant factor in the family.

'Sophie was a very lively girl. She was only reserved when she was among strangers or people she thought were superficial.'


Slowly, recalls Elisabeth, the scales began to fall from the eyes of the Scholl siblings about the true nature of the government that ruled Germany.

'There was no break, no one-thing that made them see the Nazis for what they were. There were many mosaics that made Hans and Sophie enemies of Hitler and the Third Reich. It just grew to be so,' she said.

'First, we saw that one could no longer read what one wanted to, or sing certain songs. Then came the racial legislation. Jewish classmates had to leave school. And in 1937 the Gestapo arrested my sister Inge and my brothers Hans and Werner because they continued their Youth League work even in the Hitler Youth.'

This organisation was a pro-Catholic group predating the Hitler Youth which the Nazis despised.

She said she and her brothers and sisters - Sophie, Inge, Hans and Werner - were all close because they were all born to parents Robert and Magdalena within a few years. 'We were always playmates together,' she said. 'We had a largely happy childhood.

'As time went on Sophie became increasingly disillusioned with the Nazis. On the day before England declared war in 1939 I went with her for a walk along the Danube and I remember I said: "Hopefully there will be no war".

'And she said: "Yes, I hope there will be. Hopefully someone will stand up to Hitler." In this she was more decisive than Hans.'

Her boyfriend Fritz's patriotism turned sour on the eastern front. He was also a survivor of the hell of Stalingrad and, unbeknown at the time to Elisabeth, was providing information from 1942 onwards to Sophie and her White Rose comrades about the terrible things being done in Germany's name.

Elisabeth went on: 'In the letters home to Sophie he wrote about how horrified he was at the shooting of Jews. Then there was the architect Manfred Eickemeyer who provided Hans with use of studio in Munich while he was in Poland. Eickmeyer told him about the executions of Jews and the Polish intelligentsia. I knew that from both Hans and Sophie.'

It was in 1942 that the White Rose distributed the first leaflets decrying the war and the regime. 'I can recall only from my memory,' said Elisabeth, 'that we learned in the spring of 1942 of the arrest and execution of ten or twelve Communists in Pforzheim And my brother said: "It is time that in the name of civic and Christian courage something must be done."

'My parents and we sisters, we knew nothing of their activities. Apparently there was an agreement with other members of the circle that the families should be kept out of their activities. But I remember once going for a walk with Sophie in the English Garden in Munich when she pulled out a pencil.

'"We must write something on a wall," she said. I told her that this was insanely dangerous. That she would lose her head if she was caught. But it was getting dark and Sophie said: 'The night is our friend..."

'The next morning I walked with Hans to university and saw the word "Freedom" written on the wall. Some other students were hurling insults like "pigdog" against whoever wrote it.

'Hans said: "Come on, we do not want to attract attention."

'Sophie knew the risks. My husband, who at that time was with Sophie, often told me about a conversation in May 1942. Sophie asked him for a thousand marks but didn't want to give him the reason for wanting it. He knew no details, but knew that she had something illegal planned and warned her that resistance could cost both head and neck. Her response: "I'm aware of that."'

In fact Sophie wanted the money to buy an illegal printing press to publish the leaflets denouncing the state.

The fatal tome she and Hans threw down the stairwell of the university contained information from Fritz. It read: 'Shaken, our nation faces the downfall of the men of Stalingrad. The brilliant strategy of the world war corporal has rushed into irresponsible death and destruction three hundred thirty thousand German men. Fuehrer, we thank you!' It was February 18, 1943. Four days later she, Hans and Christoph were beheaded, the other members of the White Rose would soon follow them to death.

At her trial before the rabidly Nazi Judge Roland Freisler, Sophie, when asked why she had done it, said: 'Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just don't dare to express themselves as we did. You know the war is lost. Why don't you have the courage to face it?'

In the middle of the trial, Robert and Magdalene Scholl tried to enter the courtroom. Magdalene said to the guard: 'But I'm the mother of two of the accused.' The guard responded: 'You should have brought them up better.'

Sophie and Hans were allowed one last visit with their parents before they were beheaded. Sophie later cried in her cell, but she remained composed for her mother and father and said she was going to her death with no regrets.

   

A day later Elisabeth stood at the graveside of her siblings with Gestapo men all around watching. A small congregation of mourners paid tribute to the 'traitors.' Traute Lafrenz, the girlfriend of Hans Scholl, stood near Elisabeth.

A few days later they were taken into protective custody by the Gestapo. For Elisabeth, this meant a bare cell with just a jug of water, a Bible and a cellar of salt.

She was held for two months under wretched conditions, freed only when she contracted a kidney and bladder infection.

'We were outcasts,' Elisabeth recalled. 'Many of my father's clients - he was a tax accountant - wanted to have nothing more to do with the family. It was always "nothing personal - just because of the business."

'Passers-by took to the other side of the road. Once a foreign woman stood at the door of my apartment and said: "I just wanted to see what the sister of those two who were beheaded looks like."

Fritz had already visited the family in prison. Now, he helped Elisabeth to get a job and, to fill the void left by the loss of Sophie, they began a romance that would lead to a long marriage and four sons.

He too endured the insults of strangers when they saw his black armband he wore in mourning for Sophie and Hans. One time a stranger said to him: 'No wonder we are losing the war when an officer dares to wear an armband like that.'

Elisabeth is the last remaining of her siblings. Her brother Werner vanished on the eastern front where he was deployed as an army medic, her sister Inge died in 1998. While Elisabeth has profound respect and love for Hans and Sophie, she has always maintained that the White Rose was not just about them.

'I just always found it a I was always a bit exaggerated and also a little unfair to always just talk about them,' she said. 'Professor Kurt Huber, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, Christoph Probst, and others were also taken. I was not a member of the White Rose but several times I have been among the circle of friends which formed it.   Everyone was equal within it.'

During the brief trial before she was beheaded Sophie shared a cell with a political prisoner called Else Gebel.

She claimed that, on the eve of her death, Sophie said to her: 'It is such a splendid sunny day, and I have to go. But how many have to die on the battlefield in these days, how many young, promising lives? What does my death matter if by our acts thousands are warned and alerted? Among the student body there will certainly be a revolt.'

No student revolt did take place but she earned her place in history. Books and films about her and the White Rose abound, streets, shopping centres and schools abound in Germany bearing her name.

One historian said: 'Germans followed Hitler blindly to destruction. It took a wisdom and a strength far beyond their years to stand up to the colossal evil of Nazism and die unflinchingly when it struck back.'

Immortalised: Julia Jentsch pictured as Sophie Scholl, with Fabian Hinrichs as Hans Scholl, in a scene from the German film based on their lives. They are now hailed as heroes in the country

The White Rose

Sophie and Hans Scholl grew up in an somewhat unorthodox German family. Their family was religious, but had an ardent love
for discussion; they were free growing up to form and express even unpopular opinions. They also grew up with a firm sense of
responsibility for their fellowman, and a deep commitment to a faith that could see them through death. Brilliant young
people, they each headed eventually for the University of Munich, Hans first to Medical School [interrupted by a stint in the
German armed forces] and Sophie, later, still undecided in her major, but having some experience in education, with a love
for philosophy, music and the humanities. Both had a keen sense of politics: not only national politics but also of the
politics of human understanding. Even as young people they wrote extensively, keeping journals and diaries, and they were
exposed to many scholars, artists and musicians of the day, who despite the darkening skies of the Third Reich, held to their
views and art, even when banned or censored.
As Hitler took office and consolidated the power of the presidency and the chancellory, brisk winds blew through the academic
institutions of the time. University of Munich was one of the premier universities of Germany and it was no exception. In
1933 many Jewish scholars and professors were removed from their positions for having what was considered by the Reich to be
'degenerate' ideas, particularly Bolshevism. Bolshevism was the name given to the early formations of the Communist party and
ideals; it was more idealist. While it was a hated philosophy among the National Socialists the term was often misapplied and
became a 'catch-all' phrase to indicate any political or national group that was the object of prejudice. The Jews were among
those who were consistently referred to by Hitler and Goebbels as Bolsheviks, regardless of their stance. It was into this
politically-charged arena that Sophie and Hans Scholl entered their University years.

The Bishop, Euthanasia & a First Pamphlet
As Sophie and Hans went to Church one Sunday, they heard Bishop Galen speak of the emerging Euthanasia polices of the 3rd
Reich. Hitler was with and without parental/familial permission, ending the lives of the mentally retarded and mentally
'infirm' pharmacologically. It was in line with his Eugenics plan: Hitler as most of the Nazi hierarchy felt that the
mentally-ill and developmentally delayed would contribute negatively to the 'bloodlines' of Europe. He also felt they were a
burden on the state and should therefore be 'euthanized'.
Sophie and her family were horrified. She listened attentively to the Bishop's sermon, decrying the cruelty of such action;
and the inhumane attitudes of the regime. Impressed deeply, she got permission to reprint the sermon in pamphlet form. She
and other students handed out the pamphlet at the U of Munich, in opposition to the laws of the time. The Scholls and others
were deeply influence by a faculty member with similar outrage to Hitler's policies. The Scholls, Chris Probst, and Professor
Haber became the core of a non-violent resistance group on campus, comprised entirely of Germans. This Group was called, The
White Rose (weisserose), named after a Spanish novel (Rosa Blanco). The Group coordinated efforts on Campus for Civil Rights
and Opposition to Nazi policies. Among their efforts on campus were weekly discussion groups, painting 'freedom' on brick
walls at the entrance into campus, and distributing leaflets opposing the Reich on moral and political grounds, encouraging
students to think for themselves.
The Jews were also of central concern to the group. Many try to dismiss German domestic responsibility in the Genocide of the
Jews of Europe, claiming they did not know it was happening. Several of the Scholls' pamphlets describe the mass executions
and deportations to Death Camps. It is clear that the information was available, though forbidden by Law. Free Speech was
suspended in the Reich because it was felt to dampen the War Effort. Knowing the cost, (they made it clear in their writings)
they continued their efforts, hoping to influence German opinion and bravery against the Nazi Regime. The reason the
distribution of pamphlets was considered so treasonous is expressed below:

"Since Hitler's Moods were said to be extraordinarily dependent on the sympathy of the masses, a reversal of feeling among
the populace would have been a weapon of considerable force against him, one which would threaten his own self-confidence.
FOR THESE REASONS the leaflets of the White Rose, were held by the highest levels of the party to constitute one of the
greatest politcal "crimes" against the 3rd Reich". p.96 3

Good German Citizens
The Scholls, Probst and the others were not Jewish, Communist or violent dissenters. They were all German citizens, and the
Scholls had been leaders in the Nazi Youth Party (hitlerjugend). He had been a flagbearer at a Party Rally in Nuremberg, and
loved the Great German philosopher. Additionally, Hans had enlisted in the German Army: he fought for Germany. One day,
however, he saw a young Jewish woman, under forced labor, digging a trench. The whole of what the Regime was doing struck his
heart, he realized but for the grace of God, he could have been the one there, or his sister. He reached down to give her a
flower and some food but she resisted, unappreciative of Nazi hospitality. He knew she was destined for one of the Killing
Centers, or Concentration Camps, to an almost certain death. This event so struck his heart, that when he returned to Medical
School, he devoted his life to his views and faith.
Sophie also had been a leader of a Nazi Youth Group. It is important to understand that they loved the Germany that was their
Motherland: they wished only good for their countrymen. They had both received accolades and awards for their efforts as
stellar German Citizens: these were not rebels, or delinquents with a chip on their shoulder, they were fine young people,
pursuing an academic degree; who decided that even if their life was shorter than it might be it was still better to stand
for the truth.

Imprisonment, Martyrdom & Death
On one of their last days before imprisonment, Hans & Sophie mimeographed several hundred more pamphlets. They knew that
distribution was becoming more and more dangerous. In the early morning hours before classes began, the bulk of the leaflets
were passed out, and in a symbolic gesture, Hans dropped many from a balcony, which fell like the petals of the White Rose. A
building superintendent, Jakob Schmied, betrayed them: in that day, every one was an informer. Before 48 hours was over, the
members of the White Rose had been arrested and charged with Treason: punishable by death. They were imprisoned at Stadelheim
Prison and continued in prayer, knowing they were facing their death in their young 20s. On her way to sentencing before the
"Peoples' Court" and a judge known for his intolerance, Sophie's Mother turned to her and said, "You Know, Sophie, Jesus".
Sophie nodded in agreement. Sophie, Chris & Hans were sentenced to death by guillotine. Hitler had brought it back as a means
of execution because he found it threatening and foreboding and felt it would be a crime deterrent. Shortly after sentencing,
in an unjust trial, with a court-appointed Nazi attorney, the young people of the White Rose were executed. The sentencing
was brief, Dr. Freisler, presiding.
"The People's Court has found but one just punishment: Death." The two young people with a few others were executed following
their February 18, 1943 arrest. Their great crime of making the truth known resulted in a cruel and unjust death. Hans once
wrote a significant passage that sums up the motivation and heart of the young Scholls:

I lay no claim to age and experience but above and beyond the flickering blaze of my youthful soul, I sometimes detect the
eternal breath of Something Infinitely Great and Serene. God. Fate. ..."and is most clearly expressed by the quote by Rilke
that Hans kept in his pocket with a rosebud, "He that holds his peace is wise, but he that speaks, speaks not for his own
time."

The White Rose (a.k.a.: Die Weiße Rose)

Movie Description:
The beautiful Lena Stolze stars in this acclaimed feature based on the true story of five German students and their professor who formed a secret society dedicated to protesting the Nazi regime. Known collectively as the “White Rose”, the Munich-based group distributed anti-Hitler literature in a resistance effort which cost them their lives. Initially, the German government refused to allow the film to be shown abroad due to an epilogue which pointedly observed that the legal judgment condemning the White Rose society had never been rescinded. Ultimately, the political controversy surrounding Verhoeven's film directly caused the German government to officially invalidate the Nazi “People's Court” system that sentenced the group to death.





Summary:
The movie opens with Sophie Scholl arriving in Munich on a train, to attend the university with her brother. Upon arrival she meets Hans’ close knit group friends and they kindly throw her a birthday party. Although she enjoys her classes, her newfound friends, she is none the wiser about her brother’s peculiar activities until she stumbles upon this eye opening leaflet written by the clandestine group, the White Rose. Sophie agrees with the leaflet and hangs onto it, and is stunned when she discovers that her brother is one of the authors of it. Despite the group’s opposition to allow her to take part, she forces her way in and runs errands for them, soon becoming a full-fledged member. The movie closely follows the groups escapades, from stealing paper to buying an enormous amount of stamps (which was forbidden and suspicious in the days of Nazi Germany) to the Scholl’s father’s arrest for making a derogatory comment against Hitler.
When the men of the group are sent to the eastern front, they must temporarily suspend their leaflet distribution until they return. Hans and his friends witness the execution of Jewish prisoners and it inspires them to continue their mission no matter what. While Hans is in the east, Sophie works at an ammunition factory and while she is working, she watches with satisfaction and foreign prisoner sabotage her work.
When the students return for the winter semester, they are faced with new challenges. The acceptance of two new members, Professor Huber and Gisela Schertling. The professor makes an excellent contribution of writing his own leaflet, however, there is a confrontation when it is edited. As for Gisela, she listens to a mandatory speech (which the core members of the White Rose skip) of Gauleiter Geisler and when he insults the female students with degrading and lewd comments, a spontaneous protest erupts from the majority of the students there.
With this new development, along with the dismal surrender at Stalingrad, Hans and Sophie decide to make the daring move of distributing the sixth leaflet at the university itself, in broad daylight. Their decision seals their fate. Observed by a custodian, they are reported and arrested, and interrogated. Within five days, they are executed.

My Thoughts:
For when it was made, the White Rose is a good movie but it is also a product of its time. It’s a little cheesy at times, considering the music and some of the melodramatic acting. To me the only convincing actor of the film was Ulrich Turkur who portrayed Willi Graf. He plays a relatively small roll but he is a fine actor. Counting this role, he has acted in three other movies based in Nazi Germany: “Bonhoeffer,” “Amen,” and “Stauffenberg.” Lena Stolze, who portrayed Sophie, did an okay job at displaying Sophie’s youth and enthusiasm; she looked the age and she even looked like the Sophie herself. But at times the character came across as silly as a young teen when she was in fact in her twenties. She failed to capture Sophie’s depth and inner strength. I wish to high heavens that somebody would remake this movie. A few years ago, Angelica Houston was working to bring the story to the big screen once again, but unfortunately it has fallen by the way side. Christina Ricci was slated to star as Sophie, Albert Finney was to be Robert Mohr, and Liam Neeson had a role as well. I think with the release of “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days” over in Germany, Angelica Houston opted not to go through with it. However, I hope (and sometimes pray) that she might revive this project.

Sex/Nudity:
During an argument between Hans and Sophie, Hans is without a shirt and it appears he is about to take a bath. In a scene closer to the end of the movie, Sophie is struggling to get into her sweater just as Hans enters the room.
There are three objectionable scenes that stick out in my mind. The first scene involves Sophie and her boyfriend Fritz, who is on leave and visiting her. As they kiss and are on the verge of sex, Sophie’s blouse is off and her bra is on, he is kissing her upper body. A disagreement prevents them from going any further. The second scene is of Hans and his current girlfriend Traute. They are outside and it is implied they just had sex, she is upset with him and struggling to get into her bra, and her bare chest is partially in view. The third scene is not sexual or romantic. It is when Hans and his friends are on the eastern front; they observe a group of Jewish men who are nude and awaiting their execution. There is one last scene, that isn’t sexual but it appeared odd to me. Days before Hans and Sophie pass out the final leaflet, Sophie goes to Hans when he is in his bed and climbs in beside him, and places her head on his chest. I know it was meant to be innocent, but in this day and age it was strange. Of course it could be possible that over in Europe siblings are more affectionate.

Violence:
I don’t recall much violence, except for one part and no one is physically harmed. On one of their missions at night, the men of the group paint anti-Nazi and anti-Hitler slogans on walls and monuments. They are caught and to get away, one of the members knocks a can of paint onto the head of a Gestapo agent. Also, when protest erupts at the Gauleiter’s speech, the women are forcibly restrained and forbidden to leave. Angered by this action against the ladies, the men of the university burst through the doors and overtake the guards.

Language:
There is one use of the d-word and Sophie and her friend mention the s-word in singing a little ditty. The main language concern of this movie stems from the historic speech by Gauleiter Geisler. He not only states that women do not belong at the university, that they more useful birthing a son for Hitler and goes as far as offering one of his adjutants so that women could have an enjoyable experience.

Religion:
Most of the members of the White Rose were professing Christians, but for the most part of the movie this is downplayed. There is a mention of the famous sermon by Count von Galen. He was a bishop of Munster and was the only clergyman to vehemently and publicly oppose the Nazi regime. Though Hitler and the Nazis had hoped to have von Galen arrested and sent to prison, the bishop could not be touched due to the devotion of his followers. The Scholl’s collected his sermons and passed them out as well. The most obvious reference to faith was close to the end of the movie, before the execution, when Sophie is speaking to her mother. Her mother reminds her of Jesus and Sophie encourages her mother to remember Him too.





For Further References:

Movies:
Five Last Days (Fünf letzte Tage) (1982)- Details the last five days of Sophie Scholl’s life from the point of view of her cell mate, Else Gebel. This movie was actually made prior to “The White Rose” and by a different director. Unfortunately I have never watched it (it is difficult to find) but if you have a chance, I suggest you see it.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005)- In my personal opinion, this is the best movie ever made on Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. It follows the final days of Sophie Scholl’s life; the distribution of the leaflets at the university, arrest, interrogations, trial and ultimately her death. The director and scriptwriter delved into the personal lives of the White Rose members, the transcripts of the interrogations, letters, interviews, biographies, etc. The psychological and intellectual battles between Sophie and Gestapo agent Robert Mohr are superb. I command you to watch this; you’ll walk away a different person.

Books:
“The Rose of Treason,” by James DeVita- A play based on the White Rose group and their activities.

“Sophie Scholl and the White Rose,” by Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn- (originally titled, “Shattering the German Night”) a newly re-released biography on Sophie Scholl, her life and involvement with the White Rose.

“Ceremony of Innocence,” by James D. Forman- A bio-fiction on Hans Scholl, written in the 1970’s. Although it is entertaining, newly discovered facts on Hans and the White Rose makes this book dated.

“A Nobel Treason,” by Richard Hanser- A fantastic non-fiction book on the White Rose and the personal lives of those involved in the group. Much detail, I highly recommend it.

“Sophie Scholl: The Real Story Behind Germany’s Resistance Heroine,” by Frank McDonough- A new biography on Sophie Scholl, nicely written but I wish it were longer and that it went deeper on her personal life, and reasons for joining the White Rose.

“At the Heart of the White Rose,” by Hans and Sophie Scholl- The diaries and letters of Hans and Sophie Scholl. Although obviously pre-selected and edited, it delves into their hearts and minds and their motives of why the White Rose was formed.

“The White Rose,” by Inge Scholl (originally, “Students Against Tyranny”)- The original book to shed light on the resistance group, written by Hans and Sophie’s older sister, Inge. A must read for any White Rose enthusiast.

“The Short Life of Sophie Scholl,” by Hermann Vinke- A nice biography on Sophie, I wish I could complement it more but it has been awhile since I’ve read it.

“Ceremony of Innocence,” by James Forman

About the Author:
Finding any kind of information on James Forman is virtually impossible, however I did stumble upon a short list of books that he authored. Other than “Ceremony of Innocence,” Forman wrote “Code Name Valkyrie,” which is a fictional dramatization on Count von Stauffenberg’s July 20th assassination attempt on Hitler. Then there is “My Enemy, My Brother,” a story of a young Jewish man who survives the holocaust only to face opposition when he makes a new life Israel. All three books, including “Ceremony of Innocence” are geared toward the young adult audience.



Book Synopsis:“Ceremony of Innocence” is a fictional account of the life and last days of Hans Scholl, one of the members in the resistance group The White Rose, in the darkened world of the Third Reich. The first chapter opens with the arrest of Hans and his younger sister Sophie following the distribution of the sixth leaflet at the University of Munich. They are immediately taken into Gestapo custody and for four days, Hans is interrogated and on the fifth day, he along with his sister and Christoph Probst, they are executed. Flashbacks are interweaved throughout the story, revealing Hans’ transition from a Hitler supporter into an opponent of Hitler and the development of The White Rose.



My Thoughts:
As a White Rose enthusiast, I was surprised that a bio-fic on Hans Scholl existed. With Sophie being the only female in the core group, the majority of the spotlight is on her, so its refreshing to read something from Hans’ POV. With that being said, I was a little disappointed with “Ceremony of Innocence.” The book was written in the 1970’s prior to most of the biographies written on the Scholl siblings and the White Rose group and it does not include the newly released and detailed interrogation minutes. Therefore the interrogation of Hans in this book is fictional. Also, I found the portrayal of Hans wanting; from what I’ve read about him, he appears confident and strong. In “Ceremony of Innocence” he comes across weak and unimpressive. Sophie is out of character too. Instead of the strong, intelligent and playful young woman who comes alive on screen in “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days,” this Sophie is flirtatious and silly, and she plays the martyr willingly and almost looks forward to death. This contradicts the attitude of the real Sophie Scholl who loved and embraced life. Profanity is sprinkled through out the dialogue, nothing too offensive and nothing you won’t hear in a PG movie.
God is esteemed and not just a belief but a fact, especially with Sophie, the devout Christian of the novel. In this story Hans is having a crisis of faith. However, according to the sources I have read, Hans did not fall away from Christ. In fact one account claimed that he accepted Catholic baptism and converted to Catholicism before the execution.

I don’t regret reading “Ceremony of Innocence” but the reader must keep in mind that it is dated and that this book is fiction loosely based on fact.