22 February 1943 – Sophie Magdalena Scholl

A pacifist German who hadn’t been sucked in by Nazi propaganda was executed on this day in 1943.

While a student at Munich University Sophie Magdalena Scholl and her brother Hans were active members of the White Rose group. It was a resistance movement that upheld a non-violent stance. Hans was one of three men who’d seen Jews being murderously shot into a pit. As a result they felt compelled to speak out against the inhumanity of the Nazis’ activities.

So they took to writing pamphlets, spreading the word to fellow students. At first Sophie was ignorant of her brother’s resistance activities – he was trying to protect her. But when she eventually got wind of his actions, she wholeheartedly joined without flinching. Together they distributed anti-war leaflets. And it was during these covert operations that they were captured.

House of cards

Sophie, her brother Hans and their friend Christoph Probst were accused of treason and found guilty. They were sentenced was death and it was carried out that very same day at Stadelheim Prison in Munich. Sophie’s last words before she lost her head were ‘the sun still shines’. She was just 22 when she was sent to the guillotine.

Her 24-year-old brother was equally heroic, saying ‘long live freedom’. However, despite their best attempts to carry the can and save him, their friend, Probst, was also executed that day, leaving behind his wife and three children.

This event marked the beginning of the end for fellow White Rose members, as they were shortly rounded up and executed too.

Also on this day

22 February 1910 – Joseph Wren

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