Sophie can’t believe it. Tomorrow she’s finally going to university. Tomorrow, her new life will start.
She wants to learn biology and philosophy. Her big brother Hans is already there. In his apartment is a free room for her.
Hans picked her up at the train station. A young man is with him. “Alexander Schmorell.” Hans said, “My best friend. He’s Russian.”
Alexander laughed.
“A Russian?”
“My mother is Russian…”
“Then it’s definitely not easy for you at the moment…”
“How’s dad doing?” Hans asked.
“Great! Now he’s healthy again!” Sophie answered, while looking at Alexander. A few months ago, the Gestapo brought his father away. He said something about “this stupid war” in his office and his secretary told the police about it. Two weeks later, he returned home, tired and sick. Can she say all this to Alexander?
“Alexander knows everything.” Hans said.
“Everything? You know, now they’re waiting for the trial. Mom told him to be careful, but he’s still the same.”
“That’s also good.” Hans said. Hans nodded.
Then they went in the city.
Sophie is happy.
The apartment is nice, she likes Munich, and she can finally say everything to her brother and Alexander. But they celebrated first.
She put the cake on top of the table.
“Cake? I haven’t seen such a thing in months!” Alexander said.
It’s wartime. There’s not much in supply. It took a lot of time for mom to find some eggs in the kitchen.
Hans was making tea. After the meal, Hans took out his balalaika and played. Alexander danced russian dances.
And another friend of Hans came. Christoph Probst. But he couldn’t stay long.
“My wife is home alone with our child…” He said to Sophie.
“You’re…married?”
“Yup, he started early!” Hans laughed.
The other three sat late into the night together. They sang and danced.
And they also discussed. Shouldn’t man do anything against Hitler? But what?
“We’re not enough!” Hans said.
“I don’t think so.” Sophie said, “Many people are now against Hitler, but they don’t said it. They have fear. but when someone…” She didn’t go on.
“Are against Hitler? Like dad’s secretary?” Hans laughed.
“Yeah, mom’s friends, the priest, the…”
“Yes, and what? You see, it’s not so many, is it? And most priests find Hitler great!”
“We can write flyers!” Sophie said.
“No. For whom then?” Hans asked, “And that’s way too dangerous.”
They discussed for a long time. But they still didn’t know, what they could do.
Three days later, the lectures began.
“Go to Huber!” Hans had said to her. Huber teaches modern philosophy. The lecture hall is full.
Huber is a tall, thin man with short grey hair.
He didn’t say “Hail Hitler!” when he entered the hall.
“Sapere aude!” He started, “Have the courage to think independently. Have to bravery to know! Our philosopher from Konigsberg said that. Most have no interest in doing that. They are too lazy and too cowardly, Kant wrote. Because, whoever wants to independently think, must have no fear in mind. Then, he doesn’t think about fear.”
Sophie couldn’t believe it. Here, surrounded by countless Nazis, a professor said something like this?
The lecture was almost at an end, the door opened. A group of uniformed students came into the hall. They are from the Nazi student league. They sat in the last row.
Huber saw them. “Punctuality, sirs, is a prussian tradition. That definitely says something about our beloved leader.” Huber smiled. The Nazis were mad. The others laughed.
“And another thing, ladies and gentlemen. People told me, there’s still a copy of a work of Sigmund Freud in the library. Please be careful: don’t read it. It’s not good for your German spirit! And, next time we’ll talk about Spinoza. It’s the most important…”
“A Jew!” One of the Nazis screamed.
“Yeah.” Huber smiled.
“That can’t be!” Sophie said to Hans and Alexander at home.
“But it is, that’s Huber!”
“Are there anyone else that have interesting lectures like him?”
“Nope. Only Huber. The others think about nothing, say nothing, want nothing, or better: they only care about their jobs and their wage. The rector is a Nazi head to toe and always runs across campus in his uniform…did you see, how full his hall was?”
“Yes, but a group of Nazis were also there.”
“They always come. They want to terrify Huber. Of course they also want to denounce him. But Huber’s too smart…”
“Sapere aude!” Sophie said.
“Yeah, these guys definitely don’t understand it.”
Many students went to professor Huber. Sophie saw: they’re not alone. Sometimes she talks about the current political situation with other students, but she’s always very careful. She knows: the Gestapo is everywhere.