White Rose Movement

If you have not heard of the White Rose, you are probably not German. The white rose movement was a pacific and intellectual movement of resistance in the Nazi- Germany.

They were a bunch of students and their philosophy professor that opposed Hitler’s regime through a very famous leaflet campaign: they prepared and distributed a manifesto on 6 leaflets calling to oppose the tyranny of the regime and prone tolerance.

They actually were from Munich, the Ludwig Maximilian University, and the two most famous members of the group were the sieblings Sophie and Hans Scholl. They now have a place in their name next to the university, so does the Professor Huber. In front of the LMU you can see the “memorial leaflets” in stone on the ground, remembering the actions and the bravery of the group. Their motto was liberty of action, of opinion and of expression:

Isn’t it true that every honest German is ashamed of his government these days? Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes - crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure - reach the light of day?
- From the first leaflet of the White Rose

The movement was active from 1942 to 1943. Unfortunately, they were caught while throwing leaflets through the university. Today is the “anniversary” of their trial and execution (they were found guilty of treason and immediately beheaded).

A copy of their last leaflet was smuggled to the allies who copied it and distributed it by plane all over Germany.


The White Rose movement and especially the Scholls are really beloved in Germany and one of the favourite WWII heroes of the Germans. As the Germans still have a lot of difficulties dealing with their past and all the guilt, the Scholls story, the whole White Rose philosophy and action, their courage and the denial of the self preservation to defend an ideal do sweeten the opinion the Germans have about themselves. It is something very very special in Germany and I think that anybody living in Munich should take the time to check out the Geschwister-scholl Platz.
You can also see within the university a "Denkmal" to the White Rose.

A lot of literature is available on the topic as well as movies like “Sophie Scholl, die letzten Tage” which I seriously recommend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Rose