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In 6 days we will have 78th anniversary of the death of Sophie Scholl. An anti-Nazi political activist, she was convicted of high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the LMU with her brother, Hans both executed by guillotine. /1
In 1942, pamphlets titled “The White Rose” suddenly appeared at the University of Munich. The leaflet contained an anonymous essay saying the Nazi system had slowly imprisoned the German people and was now destroying them. /2
It was time, the essay said, for Germans to rise up and resist the tyranny of their own government. At the bottom of the essay, the following request appeared: “Please make as many copies of this leaflet as you can and distribute them.” /3
They were caught by uni janitor named Jakob Schmid while distributing pamphlets in the Uni. He turned them over to the Gestapo. Within 4 days, they were brought to Roland Freisler (“hanging judge”, Hitler’s favorite) for a show trial, their parents weren’t allowed in the court /4
No witnesses were called, the proceedings consisted almost entirely of Roland Freisler’s denunciation and abuse, with half-hearted offerings from the court-appointed defense attorneys, “fiat justitia. Let justice be done.” he meant, Let the accused get what they deserve. /5
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.” /6
Robert Scholl forced his way into the courtroom and told the court that he was there to defend his children. He was seized and forcibly escorted outside. The entire courtroom heard him shout: “One day there will be another kind of justice! One day they will go down in history!”/7
Jakob Schmid got a cash reward and a promotion. University of Munich honored him. Students attended in hordes and cheered him. He thanked them (with a Nazi salute). /8
After the war, he was arrested and put on trial. His defense he only turned them because distributing pamphlets was against university policy not because of the content of the pamphlets. /9
Most Nazi did not man concentration camps, just people perfectly willing to go along with something awful as long as it doesn't affect them badly.
They didn't burn millions of people; they never killed anyone. But they probably politely clapped along and didn't say anything. /10
They didn't burn millions of people; they never killed anyone. But they probably politely clapped along and didn't say anything. /10
