SOPHIE SCHOLL

• Sophie's family, especially her father promoted anti-nazi ideals
• Her father said to her family:
• ”What I want for you is to live in uprightness and freedom of spirit, no matter how difficult that proves to be.”
• Shows some of the influence behind her actions and thinking
• Her father was imprisoned for making a critical comment about Hitler
• Her brother and friends were arrested for participating in the German Youth Movement

• Sophie suggests that the Germans will never win the war
• Sophie heard first hand accounts of the atrocities on the front, and is very opposed to them
• "forestall the spread of this atheistic war machine before it is too late, before the last cities, like Cologne, have been reduced to rubble, and before the nation’s last young man has given his blood on some battlefield"
• refers to their government as an "atheistic war machine" that strips soldiers and civilians of their morals
• will never be good in the end

COURSE THEMES

BACKGROUND INFO

CLAIM

DEMOCRATIZATION

• Hans and Sophie Scholl were members of a group called the White Rose, a Nazi Resistance group
• They wrote leaflets about the Reich, discussing the war, genocide, and freedom of the german people
• encouraging german
• They were caught handing the leaflets out, and Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst were caught, tried, and sentenced to death

In the six leaflets created and distributed by the White Rose, Sophie Scholl promoted democratic ideals, emphasized the interconnectedness of their nation, and decried the development of their country as a paith to failure.

• Sophie and the White Rose's pamphlets promoted democratic ideals
• In Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, the criminologist argued that some lives weren't "useful" and therefore should be terminated. Sophie argued that "All lives are precious".
• This promotes liberty, a huge value of democracy

Sophie and Hans heading to the studio to make their leaflets.

INTERCONNECTEDNESS

• Sophie argues with the interrogater, saying that the people would create more order than the Hitler.
• This shows her support of government by the people, another democratic idea

• Sophie's fiance, Fritz Hartnagel was fighting in Stalingrad, in Russia
• Sophie also wanted to show the effects on other countries
• Allies came over Germany in planes and dropped the leaflets over Germany
• the leaflets had caught the eye of other countries
• “Yes, I hope there will be [a war]. Hopefully someone will stand up to Hitler."
• Sophie said this as a young girl
• She obviously understands how if another country, an ally, declared war on Germany, it could put Hitler out of power
• In Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, she tells the court that soon, they will be in her seat, the seat of the criminal
• She knows in the future allies will come to their aid; and they will soon be known as criminals

MOTIVATIONS

The 1st leaflet states that:

"... every individual, conscious of his responsibility as a member of Christian and Western civilization, must defend himself as best he can at this late hour, he must work against the scourges of mankind, against fascism and any similar system of totalitarianism."

this quote even further emphasizes how Sophie and the White Rose think that the nation needs to come together.

• In an interview with Daily Mail, the surviving sibling of the Scholls says that Sophie was actually very excited about the "New Germany"

DEVELOPMENT

THE WAR

• Sophie suggests that the Germans will never win the war
• Sophie heard first hand accounts of the atrocities on the front, and is very opposed to them
• "forestall the spread of this atheistic war machine before it is too late, before the last cities, like Cologne, have been reduced to rubble, and before the nation’s last young man has given his blood on some battlefield"
• refers to their government as an "atheistic war machine" that strips soldiers and civilians of their morals
• will never be good in the end

THE WAR

• In the leaflets, Sophie speaks of how the country is developing the wrong way
• the way they are living won't lead to development in the future
• She discusses how although it may seem great now, Hitler is only leading them to failure by demoralizing the people of the country and stripping them of feelings.
• "We can't end the war, we can only prolong it."
• Only more damage and more issues will occur from Hitler's rule
• Their country won't prosper under Hitler
• This is why they should take a stand.

• She was even the squad leader of the "League of German Girls", an extension of Hitler's youth
• Things quickly changed as different factors started to impact her life

Sophie being arrested when she was caught distributing the leaflets.

Sophie in the last hours before her execution.

ART

FATHER'S OPPOSITION

WORK & LOVE LIFE

Religion

Sophie and Hans's Parents,

Robert and Magdalena Scholl

• She was banned from reading several books by jewish authors that she considered essential to understand German literature
• Was an artist, which the Nazis considered a degenerate talent
• These things continued to aggravate her

• Sophie's fiance. Fritz Hartnagel, was fighting on the Eastern Front, and reported back to her the attrocities and war crimes occuring
• She couldn't see her fiance before her death, and hadn't seen him for over a year

• Sophie grew up as a very religious protestant
• She often listened to Cardinals John Henry Newman's sermons, which discussed the "Theology of Conscience"
• Several times in Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, Sophie references her faith
• When the criminologist asked her why she risks so much for somethings that isn't certain, she tells him it's because of her conscience
• Later in the movie, she tells the judge that “I am, now as before, of the opinion that I did the best that I could do for my nation. I therefore do not regret my conduct and will bear the consequences that result from my conduct.”
• shows that she believes in the power of one's conscience

• Started to work as a Kindergarten teacher, but soon was called to work in a nursery for the war effort.

Pictured: Hans and Sophie Scholl with Christoph Probst

"Stand up for what you believe in even if you are standing alone"

CONCLUSION

CURRENT ISSUE: MALALA YOUSAFZAI

• Malala is a political activist from Mingora, Pakistan.
• She is the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace-Prize.
• Fought for women's education
• The Taliban gave her a death threat.
• On her way home from school, a gunman shot her in the head.

Despite the risks and consequences of her actions, Sophie Scholl wrote powerful leaflets that largely advocating for democratic rights, encouraged others to stand up for the development of their country, and stressed the interconnectedness between nations.

Malala and Sophie scholl

• both of them...
• Believed everyone was equal and no one should be deprived of basic rights.
• People need to stand togerther to make things better, and they encouraged others to do so.

• Miraculously, Malala survived this, and became a symbol of women's rights everywhere

She gave talks around the world promoting her beliefs

SOPHIE SCHOLL:

MALALA:

"What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just don't dare express themselves as we did."

"Stand up for what you believe in even if you are standing alone."

“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”