Hexo

Sophie picked up Hans and Alexander from the train station.

“Sophie!” Are they happy? They looked sad.

“We’re meeting this evening.” Hans said, “We have to make the next flyer!”

“Today?” Sophie asked. “You’re obviously tired…”

At home, he told her sister about what he had seen. About the pale and sick Jews in ghettos, about the execution of Russian soldiers, the Romens, also women and children.

Hans cried. “On one street, there were Jews working. Street work. Something for men. A little girl was there, she’s about the same age as you. Next to her stood a fat German soldier with a rifle, he only shouts: ‘Quicker! Get to work!’ I wanted to give my chocolate to the girl. She didn’t take it. She looked at me and didn’t take my chocolate. She was like you, do you understand? But she had a yellow star on her and was terribly thin…For her, I was a nazi, a murderer!”

“She definitely understood…”

“What did she understand? I’m one of them! For the rest of the world, I’m a Nazi, a killer! Just because I’m German.”

“You’re right. We have to produce new leaflets. This evening.”

Two days later, the next flyer was ready.

“One can’t argue with the Nazis. It is wrong to speak of a National Socialist worldview. Because they lie, they have always lied from the beginning. Hitler wrote it himself in his book ‘Mein Kampf’(I’ve never read any German worse than this): ‘If one wants to govern a nation, one has to tell lies to the people.’ And he did exactly that. And the intellectuals? They say absolutely nothing!

We’re just in front of the end. It’s time. We have to go back on track and form a rebellion, only then, can Germany be free again, and this war will finally end. A end with terror is better than terror without end.

From the beginning of the war, the Nazis killed more than 300000 Jews in Poland. You’re not interested in Jews? Then what’s with the Polen nobles that have been shot or left in concentration camps to die? Yes, all young man from Polen nobles, their age ranging from 15 to 20. And the girls all went to brothels. But you probably already know all that, or other crime commited by the Nazis. Why is the German nation so apathetic? It’s still soundly sleeping. Has it already turned so dumb and numb? Every one of us should feel ashamed, when it leaves the Nazis keep doing what they’ve done.”

When they’ve printed out a few hundreds of sheets, Alexander wanted to stop.

but Hans said: “We need more!”

“Why? What should we do with them?”

“We have to go to other cities and distribute them in other universities!”

“In other cities? Do you know how dangerous that is?”

“I’ll do it!” Sophie said. She grabbed the sheets and stuffed them in her bag.

“Those have to go to Hamburg.” Hans said, “”There, a friend of mine is waiting. They want to create a Hambur White Rose.”

“To Hamburg?” Alexander asked, “That’s too dangerous!”

He’s right. The Gestapo are everywhere. It’s dangerous.

“I’m a girl!” She said, “They’re not going to notice me! They’re only looking for soldiers that have run away!”

On the next day she’s already in the train. She already put the backpack somewhere else. Nobody’s going to see it, because the train’s very full. There were policemen everywhere. They asked questions like “Who are you?” and “Where are you going to?” and “What are you doing there?” But none of them saw the backpack.

Sophie met Heinz in Hamburg, a tall, blond German.

She had to laugh all the time when he spoke. She found his accent so strange.

But what he said wasn’t anything to laugh about. He wanted to start distributing flyers with his friends. A Hamburg White Rose!

Sophie is really happy about the trip.

Alexander and Hans too. They went to many cities.

“We’re getting stronger!”

But the next problem came.

They didn’t have any paper.

“And now?”

“They still have some in the university. The professors…”

“What, should we ask?”

“Huber.”

“Ah, he has a family. He’s definitely not going to risk anything.”

“I’m gonna try anyways.”

Alexander visited professor Huber in his house. He’s often there. Sometimes, he has lectures for some interested students.

Huber’s wife opened the door.

“Please come here!”

The professor was still speaking to his little daughter, then he finally had time for Alexander.

Alexander put the flyer on his desk.

“Yes, I read that.”

“We need paper, professor!”

At first, Huber said nothing.

Then: “I can’t do it, Mr Schmorell. That just doesn’t work out. You can leave now.”

“Professor, don’t you want to do something against the Nazis?”

Huber laughed. “With flyers? There’s no point in doing that! You’re risking your lives for absolutely nothing. There’s only one way: The army has to go against Hitler!”

“The army?” Alexander didn’t believe it.

“They’re commiting crime in the east, professor!”

“Our army? No, I don’t believe it either. Or it’s gonna come to an end.”

“Professor: you said to us, we should think independently.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Please!”

Silence.

“Ok then. The day after tomorrow, I’ll bring you a packet. But I want to get in on the next one.”

“Thank you, professor!”

Alexander knew: it’s not easy for a father to do what Huber wants to do now.

A couple of days, flyers can be seen in the lecture hall.

The students read them. Sophie too. Then, some put them in their bags, most leave them on the table. It is clear that they have fear. But who could’ve written such a thing? Where can these leaflets possibly come from?

A nation like the German can let themselves be ruled by a group of criminals? Don’t any true Germans have shame? Is the German nation so corrupted that it’s doing nothing? Do we actually have freedom? Are the Germans already without independence, so many without strength and spirit? Then, its journey has come to an end. Goethe said, the Germans are a tragic nation, like the Jews and the Greeks. But today, the Germans are just like sheep, they don’t think individually anymore, but rather let things happen to themselves. But it’s not like that: they finally understood who Hitler is and what he’s anticipating, but it’s too late. Everyone has fear. They know: when they say something, they could end up in prison, or they’ll have to die. Should this go on? Do we want to merely wait and watch, as our young men die in Russia, as our cities are destroyed by bombs?

‘And the beautiful word of freedom

is spoken quietly into the wind

until one fine day

we stand at our temple

rejoicing because we are free again!

Free! Free!’

(Goethe)

Please pass this leaflet on!

After the lecture, Sophie ran quickly back home.

She had to say it to Hans.

There is already a group of students, who no longer have fear. They wrote the leaflet, without doubt. Or professors? No, probably not.

“Hans!” No answer. Where could he have gone to?

Sophie went in his room.

She sat in front of his desk.

Should she return to campus? She still had lectures. But she’s too excited.

There, she read the book, that was laying on the table.

It wasn’t anything about medicine. It was Goethe’s work.

Sophie read out: “And the beautiful word of freedom…”

That’s the same as the text on the flyer!

That…can that be? Did he already know the poem? No, the leaflet was new. Then…Hans wrote it! And he didn’t say a word to her! Of course not: she’s still his little sister!

Sophie waited for him.

In the afternoon, Hans returned home.

She was still sitting in front of his desk.

“Sophie?” he asked.

“I’m in!”

“What? Where?”

“I’m in on the next flyer!”

“That…that’s not gonna work. It’s too dangerous!”

“So you think, our women should just stay in the kitchen? Only men can fight! Do you think so?” She went a bit louder. “We’re all in this war, Hans!”

This evening, she came along into the apartment, where Hans met his friends.

Christoph and Alexander were also there.

“I already thought you’d come.” Alexander laughed.

“That’s nothing to laugh about!” Hans is a bit nervous. “It’s dangerous, I…”

“Do you have a name for the group?” Sophie asked.

“It must be something beautiful!” Christoph said. “Something like…”

“Red roses, red lips, red wine?” Alexander asked.

“Ah! Leave it!”

“He’s right.” Sophie said. “Rose is nice. It’s pretty, everyone likes it, but it can prick. It doesn’t need to be red. Red is the color of blood. We’re living in a world of blood. The war…”

“The White Rose?” Hans asked.

“Yes! The White Rose!” Alexander and Christoph said together.

“And the next leaflet comes from the White Rose!”

But the next leaflet had to wait.

Next day, a letter came.

Hans laughed.

Sophie read it.

“The German Wehrmacht!”

“Do you have to…?”

“Yes, fight! In Russia. But…” He looked at his sister. “But only in the lazaretto. And only six months. I already did that for one time in France. In no time I’ll be back and continue studying. So don’t you worry!” He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

The whole Student Corp, that’s the name for it now: also medical students from other grades have to serve for half a year at the front.

Sophie accompanied Hans, Alexander and Christoph to the train station.

Now, she’s all alone in this big city.

Her mother is also alone. Sophie often visited her.

Father went through the trial and had to stay in prison for four months.

But whether in Ulm or in Munich: the war is coming closer.

In the evenings, there are often bomb alarms and she has to go in the bunker under her house. In the streets, Sophie often saw bombed houses and crying people.

And food was running out.

Can this war last on?

The letters from Hans are very short. He has fear.

But the few words he wrote were already scary enough.

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.

After the high school graduation exam, Sophie is going to university. But first, she must do mandatory labor for six months. All young Germans must go there. They must help in the countryside or the building of infastructures. The young men are already arriving at the frontlines, where they will do military work.

The disciplines are strict. Everyone gets a uniform and a bed in a big hall. They are not allowed to bring books. Every morning, there is a roll call and in the evening a teacher will come, who teaches them the philosophy of life.

Sophie’s group is working in the countryside. The work is tough.

“Think about your fathers and brothers out there on the frontlines! Every German woman must do what she can! You are working for our nation!” Sophie must recite the propaganda of the Nazis several times every day. She doesn’t like to chat with other girls. They don’t understand her.

One morning, when they were making their beds, the other girls were quicker.

Gerda was standing next to her.

“Sophie! Are you still not done? We have to…”

She saw the book that Sophie was holding.

“What do you have there? A book?” She spoke on, but much quieter, “That’s forbidden! What is it then? A romance novel? Can you…”

Sophie didn’t let her rag on.

“No,” She said, “It’s Augustin. Confessions.”

“Augu…what? Isn’t that a saint? You’re definitely a weirdo!”

Sophie just put the book back under the mattress.

Gerda already ran to the breakfast room. “Do you know what she’s reading?” Sophie heard others ask. “The sacred Augustin!” Now everyone is laughing.

“Do you want to become a nun?”

“Or a saint?”

Sophie didn’t answer.

Six months are long, when one feels so alone, but just isn’t.

The girls only have a little free time on weekends.

Others go dancing. Sophie doesn’t, she prefers a walk and some reading.

And this Saturday is the same.

“Sophie, we’re going to the village, to dance! Are you coming along? There are handsome men there!”

“No, I’m tired, I’m staying here!”

“How you like it then!” the others were looking at her. “If you want to be left alone!”

Then they went. Sophie still heard them laughing out loud.

Five minutes later, she’s also ready.

Today when she was working, she saw a small orchestra near here.

She’ll go there.

A small baroque orchestra, standing between two tall trees.

The door is open. Sophie heard an organ playing.

She went in, then up.

In front of the organ sat an old man.

He saw her comming, he looked interested in the book, which she was holding in her hand.

“Augustinus.”, he said and smiled, “without states, there will be no law.”

“And without law no states.” She quoted.

The old man smiled. They understood each other. In this fearful time, it can often happen quickly.

“Can you play?” He asked her.

“Piano, yeah. Am I allowed to try?”

“Yes, but I have to go now. You can play. You can come here every evening if you want to. Goodbye.”

“Thank you! Goodbye.”

Sophie sat in front of the organ and tried to play. It was going great.

She sat there for a long time and played. It still went great. Even after months of hard work, Sophie’s fingers were still sharp.

From then on, every free evening she had, she went here and played.

Slowly, her performance improved.

And then, there were only a few weeks left.

But a couple of days, the girls had to attend yet another roll call in the evening.

The commander stood in front of them.

“German girls! Germany needs you! Our men are battling at the front! And you should also play your part. German men and women, together till the end of the war! After the labor, you’ll serve half a year of auxiliary service! You’ll be filled with joy when you help our men during the battles! Our company is going to the east! Hail Hitler!”

“Hail Hitler!” The girls answered.

Then they went into the sleeping hall.

“Another six months!” Some girls were crying. They wanted to go back home.

Others didn’t find it so tragic.

“My boyfriend is in Russia, at the front!” One said, “And he’s not crying. How long he’s going to stay there, nobody knows! And maybe he’s never coming back…”

Others said: “For the commander! For Germany!”

Sophie kept quiet. She couldn’t cry either.

Another six months. But she knew: she’ll manage it.

Sophie still meets with other girls from BDM, just like how Hans still attends Hitler Youth. But now, she doesn’t believe that the Nazis could turn Germany better and stronger.

Hans usually goes hiking with his older boy group. They wear Hitler Youth’s uniform, but soon everything is back to how it was. They sing what they want to and say what they think.

“But the old boy groups are forbidden! Don’t you have any fear?” Sophie asked him a few days later.

“Ah, don’t worry too much! We’re all in Hitler Youth. They won’t say anything about that.”

But he made a terrible mistake. One morning, at six o’clock, three men were standing in front of the door. “Gestapo!” They explained quickly and came into the house.

“Does Hans Scholl live here?” Mother didn’t answer. But Hans heard the men and came out of his room. “That’s me. What’s the matter?”

“Hail Hitler! We have to take you!”

“But…Why?”

The men didn’t answer. “Don’t fuss. Go, go, change and go with us!” Five minutes later they drove away with Hans.

Sophie is speechless. Mother is crying. Father is making a call.

“What? A big operation?…Ah, understood. Thank you.”

“A big operation against the old boy groups. They arrested young men all across Germany. Not so bad, I think.”

But Hans was imprisoned for a long time. Six months. Sophie wasn’t allowed to visit him. “That’s not for you, little baby”, her mother told her. She was allowed to see her son once a week.

When Hans came home, he no longer went to Hitler Youth. And he seldom went wandering with his friends. And then it was only two or three together. “We have to be careful”, he said.

Sometimes flyers could be found in the postbox.

“Hitler is terrorizing our country!” or “The Nazis must go! They are ruining our country!” Father read these leaflets and threw them in the fireplace.

“Obviously we all know that..and?”

“Dad, what should we do?” Sophie asked.

“I don’t know”, is the answer.

In school they didn’t say what they thought anymore.

In history classes they learned why Germany is strong and why Jews are evil.

In German, that Jews are decadent authors.

In French, that Frenchmen have no culture whatsoever.

Now there is a new subject: philosophy of life. There, Sophie learned how to recognize Jews and that disabled people don’t deserve to live. Should she discuss those with her Nazi teacher? There’s no purpose. She didn’t say anything.

Mr Brenzel didn’t come back. Then war came. The number of men seen in the streets are always decreasing. The Germans invaded Poland, they marched across the streets of Paris and Kopenhagen. Many Germans find the victories of German troops amazing.

Sophie still didn’t say anything. She read a lot. Classics. They are not Nazi-related, but also not forbidden.

Church classics. Because the churches today were arranged by the Nazis. She loved Augustinus best.

One afternoon, mom had a visitor.

It’s an old friend of hers. She seldom comes, because she is working in another city, in a clinic for children with mental disorders.

Sophie likes her a lot. But today, she differed from the past.

The two women didn’t go on when Sophie entered the room. And today, mom didn’t want Sophie to sit next to her.

“Don’t you have to finish your homework, Sophie?” She asked.

“No, I already did them.”

“Then please go to the grocery shop. We need bread and milk!”

“I can do that later!”

“Sophie!”

“Ok. I’m going.”

But she stood behind the door. What are they doing?

“And you’ll think, the children…”She heard mom say.

“That’s for sure. They killed them with gas.”

Sophie heard mom’s friend cry.

“All dead. They just murdered them! This…”

Sophie already understood. She also heard about it in school.

“Mongoloid! Schizophrenia! Feeble-minded! They don’t have the right to live under the German ethnic! And when they have children, they must go!” Go?

A few days later, another flyer is in the postbox.

It’s different from the others. It’s a sermon.

Bernhard von Galen, the bishop of Münster, is saying something regarding to the action of Nazis. The actions against the disabled.

“For months, people were taking patients from us in buses. They never came back. After a bit, the family says that the patient is dead, suddenly died. This only means one thing: these patients, these young and olds were murdered! Can a christian accept these things? The government shouldn’t be allowed to do this kind of thing!”

“Doesn’t he have any fear?” Sophie asked.

“Of course, but he’s a bishop, Nazis can’t do a lot about that!”

“And why doesn’t other bishops say anything?”

“Not all of them are like the lion from Münster。”

“But he’s right: no christians can accept what the Nazis are doing.”

Mother is mad. She is standing in front of the main gate and shouted loud: “Sophie! Come to eat!”

Where is Sophie? “Mom!” Where did that come from? There! In the tree!

“Sophie!”

Two minutes later Sophie is standing in front of her.

“Act your age! You’re not a toddler anymore, Sophie! Others are already commenting on you. Always with the boys! And your hair!”

Sophie’s hair is like a boy. Long in the front and short in the back.

Mom is concerned. They live in Ulm. That’s a provincial city. There, people talk a lot.

And now, most girls have braids and wear long skirts.

Other than that, Sophie is just like the others. She also wants to join the organization for girls. the League of German Girls (BDM), there she can meet everyone: they sing and do sports, they go to the countryside and have fun together. Of course, it is a bit military, but Sophie likes it.

“In BDM?” Sophie’s father is not excited.

“Yeah, dad. You don’t understand it! You are too old and can’t understand us youth!”

“With the Nazis!”

“Yes, dad, a new Germany! And we can sing and march together. Of course we don’t want to stay in all the time!”

The father didn’t say anything else. His sons are already in the Hitler Youth (HJ). He couldn’t do anything about that. And it’s also better for them: whoever not in this organization, can’t go through school easily.

“All for the Pied Piper of Hamelin! He’s a criminal!”

“Ah! Dad!”

On the weekend, the girls go to the countryside. 27 singing girls are on their bicycles.

The pedestrians all stopped walking and observed them for a bit.

They rode on, and after a few hours they are tired.

But they’re in a good mood. The countryside is beautiful and they continued to sing.

Finally, they stopped in the afternoon and put the bikes under the trees.

They built their tents together.

Then they lit a fire in the middle. They sat around it and ate together.

Two of them brought their guitars.

Slowly, the sky turned dark. They sang german folksmusic together.

It’s already late when they returned into their tents.

And obviously,they didn’t want to sleep just yet.

“Was that not a fantastic day?” Gisela asked.

“Wonderful!” others called out.

“It’s so good now BDM is formed! Do you guys still remember, how boring the last few years were?”

“Yeah, we weren’t together. The Catholics go together and the Evangelists go together…But now, we form a community together.” said Gerda, the group’s guider, “Since Hitler’s in charge, we’re actually becoming a nation!”

But one of the girls didn’t understand it. “But all those with the Jews…Why does he hate them so much?” Anna asked.

“Ah,” Gerda answered, “but that doesn’t mean he’s evil. That’s also not really important. Think about the bright side!”

Sophie didn’t say anything. She enjoyed it in BDM. And she liked the new Germany a lot.

Her brother Hans joined the Hitler Youth along with his boy group.

It’s been quite a bit of time since they’ve wandered around and sang together. They love their country. They love the free nature. They like to run and swim in ice-cold rivers and lakes. It seemed only reasonable of them to support the new Germany. Hans is now the guider of the group.

Soon, they met with the first challenge. The boys always sang french and russian songs. At Hitler Youth they could only sing german ones. They didn’t understand why.

The group had a really beautiful flag, on which a dragon can be seen. They made it by themselves. Now they can’t take it with them anymore. “Hitler Youth has a flag!” a guide said to them, “One nation, one empire, one headman! And one flag!” The boys are sad. But they still remained in Hitler Youth.

Then Hans could go to Nuremberg as a representative of the Ulm Hitler Youth.

He is very proud.

In Nuremberg, a big party congress is held. People from all parts of germany come. There is a big parade. Hitler will make a speech.

The boys on his group saw him to the train station. Sophie also came. She is so proud of her brother.

On the evening of Sunday, Hans came back home. Sophie ran to him. He looked tired. The trip?

“Did you see the headman?”

“Yeah, I did…” But Hans didn’t seem excited.

“What happened then? Was it not fun?”

“I don’t know. Everything uniformed. Everyone marched. Everyone shouted:’Hail!’. I always thought, Germans ought to have given it their best, everyone should’ve shown their imagination and intelligence. But the Nazis only knew discipline and ‘Hail’! That can’t be the new Germany.”

“The Nazis?” Sophie didn’t understand him. He never said anything of that kind. Is Hans also one of the olds? She went to bed sadly.

After a few weeks, Sophie’s teacher suddenly disappeared. Mr Brenzel, the nicest in the school… “Is he ill?”

“SA took him.” a classmate said, “It was twelve to one. They all stood in front of his apartment and spat at him. Then they brought him into the car.”

Sophie ran to her teacher’s apartment. His mother opened the door. Her eyes were red.

“Ah, my child, he is now in a concentration camp. He always said that Hitler is a criminal and wanted war. Why didn’t he just keep his mouth shut?” She cried.

Sophie knew: her teacher didn’t like the Nazis. He had always said that in class. But he was a good man and always listened to the girls in BDM.

“Yes, but when can he come back? Can we maybe help him?” Sophie wanted to know that.

“You definitely don’t know what you’re saying. Concentration camp! I’m never gonna see him again!” Then she shut the door.

Sophie ran home. Her father is sitting in the kitchen.

“Mr Brenzel is in a concentration camp!” Sophie said.

Her father nodded. “He always said what he had thought.”

“But what’s a concentration camp, dad?”

“It’s like a prison. But the prisoners live in wooden shacks and must work. They only have a little to eat and there are only a few doctors. The people, whom Nazis didn’t like, will come there. Without any sort of trial. And how long they have to stay, nobody knows. Many never returned home.”

“But that…he only…”

“Said something wrong, yes. This is what happens in Germany now.”

In 1933, Hitler’s government took charge of Germany. Then was Sophie Scholl twelve years old.

He wanted to turn Germany strong again, he said so. The Germans should be proud again.

Sophie believed him.

The Germans lost a war in 1918 and therefore had to give up a lot of land and pay a huge sum of money to the reconstructions. They were only allowed to have a small army. The Germans lost their savings to the inflation from 1923 to 1925 and their jobs to the world economic crisis. People were suffering, they lived without money, without work, without hope. Then came Hitler.

Many think, now things are going to be better. Sophie too.

True, he’s a brutal man, and he hates communism, he hates homosexuality, he hates gipsies and most of all Jews. But maybe all this hate won’t really have an impact in the end? Politicians say a lot.

More then 40% of the German population voted for Hitler. Because he said: with me you could find jobs again, Germany could become strong again, we could retrieve the land we’ve lost to France and Poland.

Hitler didn’t need a lot of time: after just one year, he had the whole country under control. The terror system is starting to function. He leaves social democrats, communists, liberals and also many critical christians to die or get shot. He built concentration camps. Whoever complained of him, will end up in there. But Sophie doesn’t know anything about that.

Hitler rebuilt the whole country: many men are getting jobs. Saarland is coming back to Germany. Later Germany also retrieved the Sudetenland: a part of Czechoslovakia. In 1938, Austria became a part of Germany.

Very slowly Sophie understood, what Hitler meant. Imprisonment or death for opponents. German Jews were not allowed to work for German states: other Germans are taking over their spots. In the whole country, Hitler shot physically and mentally disabled people. He took the Jews’ apartments away and sent them first to ghettos, then to concentration camps and finally shot most of them. And he started the second world war in 1939.

What did Germans say? Did nobody protest? Many communism and social democratic groups are working underground. In the church there are a couple groups of opposition. Bishop Galen in Munich preach against the shooting of the diseased. But most of the church people choose to follow the Catholic Pope or their bishops: all of whom acquired freedom with Hitler. And most have fear. Fear of death. One wrong word, and the Gestapo will come.

What should the youth such as Sophie and her brother Hans do? Can they do anything?

They are trying.

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