The White Rose: An Anniversary of Three Executions
In March 2001, Justice Clarence Thomas spoke at James Madison University. He said he was fascinated by the history of German resistors. Thomas’ concurrence in the McDonald gun rights case most certainly was informed by a deep appreciation of what recourse free men have when mayhem, evil, and oppression rule. Thomas’ tour de force describes the plight of recently freed slaves reliant on guns to protect their new freedoms. He recalled the Massacre of 1876:
There, a white citizen militia sought out and murdered a troop of black militiamen for no other reason than that they had dared to conduct a celebratory Fourth of July parade through their mostly black town.
The lessons of the White Rose are not confined to Nazi Germany. We are not many generations removed in this nation from oppression, and in other places, a single generation. Our Constitution was designed first to prevent oppression, but also to resist it.
The fourth White Rose leaflet spoke of a need for a continuous watch, because we will never reach the End of History:
Everywhere and at all times, the demons have waited in darkness for the hour in which mankind is weak; in which he voluntarily abandons the position in the world order that is based on freedom and comes from God; in which he yields to the force of the Evil One, disengaging himself from the powers of a higher order.
Implicit in this assessment is that the world cannot escape a struggle between moral polarities in foreign affairs.
Today’s anniversary offers a multitude of other lessons. For starters, the power of language, truth, and courage are potent weapons to defend liberty. The central recognition of human dignity drew them to the active opposition to Hitler. The power of anonymous political speech also cannot be overlooked. In civilization’s darkest hours, anonymous political speech serves as a check on tyranny as our own founders presumed the right to bear arms also does.
So today, one might consider three young lives cut short in Stadelheim Prison in Munich and the courage they had to attack one of the most evil regimes of the 20th century. The courage to act and risk everything is a prerequisite for liberty to flourish. Remembering that they were not endowed with any particular human trait we don’t ourselves possess makes their sacrifice all the more extraordinary.
into the mouth of the dragon.
Thank you for remembering them.
Thank you for teaching what they thought about evil.
They are in the Light of God Who Is Infinite Love.
We must honor them through our fight for Freedom.
If there was ever a time to remember and to reflect upon this footnote in history it is TODAY.
PPRs43
“If there was ever a time to remember and to reflect upon this footnote in history it is TODAY.” Thank you for your comment. Our country and the world is in turmoil. Countries are falling and in our streets there is protesting. I knew of The White Rose and vowed to remember those young people. Somehow down through the years I forgot to remember. Everyone should read this story and watch the movie about Sophie. In our our midst we all have Patriotic young people. They are your children and grandchildren. When these Patriotic young people decide to fight for their country will they be met with a guillotine.
Thank you Canada Free Press and J. Christian Adams
How frightened they must have been. It is faith like theirs and Pastor Bonhoeffer’s that helps many others find God.
Mr.Adams and Mr.Harris, please,
you should both read in this link what Bonhoeffer really thought about Jews (that they aren’t ready and that the “Jewish question” could only be solved by the Jews’ conversion to the Christian religion and by their recognition of Jesus as the Messiah). Then think about Bonhoeffer again. I’d call that an anti-Semite who nonetheless worked against Hitler. Besides it reminds me of the attitude a lot of Muslims have towards “unbelievers”, here especially Jews. I cry no tear for Bonhoeffer being a Protestant myself, btw. Try van Galen instead or Pater Rupert Mayer, a real Pater. Best wishes
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/bonhoeffer.html
what a moving piece. thank you for writing it.
Beautifully written. And it gives me the opportunity to plug a film about these brave young people called Sophie Scholl – The Final Days. It is absolutely riveting and is required viewing, IMHO.
“Sophie Scholl was handled so roughly during her interrogation by the Gestapo that she appeared in court with a broken leg….She hobbled on her crutches to the scaffold and died with sublime courage, as did her brother.”
William Shirer, “Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” page 1023
This is the first mention I’ve seen of her anywhere since reading Shirer however many years ago. Thank you.
Also remember an earlier Nazi resistor Helmuth Hübener, who was himself sentenced to death by guillotine for treason and consequently beheaded on the 27th of October 1942 at the tender age of 17.
What a moving article.
True heroes.
Don’t forget Helmuth Hubener, “the youngest opponent of the Third Reich to be sentened to death:”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_H%C3%BCbener
Thank you for writing this interesting and informative article, Mr. Adams. It’s a piece of history I never knew existed. It’s worth remembering.
And just think, when those on the left accuse conservatives of being like Hitler, they are implicitly accusing them of behavior like this and wantint to see their opponents executed in this manner. Disgusting.
Walter Eucken lived to save the world.
The language of the pamphlets is beautiful and poetic. Who today would resist tyranny with such words? Who today in the Western World would use good and evil, the Lord and Satan? Perhaps that is the reason why we are floundering. Not too long ago these thoughts were not considered strange nor those who expressed them fanatical. Such is the victory of the Marxist Worldwide Revolution that the only ones allowed to invoke a religious/spiritual catalyst are Muslim populations. That speaks volumes about our peril.
I believe there is a movie about Sophie Scholl. It’s on Netflix for sure. Was curious about it but will now watch it for sure.
I was at the 100th birthday anniversary for Dietrich Bonhoeffer which was held at Westminster Abbey in 2006. Powerfully moving for so many reasons.
Thanks for remembering this. There are two good movies (German with subtitles) about this group..The White Rose, and Sophie Scholl:the last days.
One resister who should be better remembered is Hans Oster, one of the first and most effective.
I would like to second, in the most vehement manner possible, grover’s comment @ # 12.
“…those who have nothing to fear in this world are well suited to oppose evil and injustice.”
Or, unfortunately, to be agents of evil and injustice, as were the religiously-motivated 9/11 hijackers.
The most tragic part of this story is that Sophie spoke of accepting her death with the confidence that she would inspire others to resist. In fact, after her death, her fellow students marched in support of . . . Hitler.
You mentioned the movie Valkyrie, which is focused on the Stauffenberg bomb plot. It would have been better if it had started in earlier historical time and shown other conspirators such as Oster and also better developed individual motivations. Also, the portrayal of Fellgiebel as a coward is historically false.
Still worth seeing, IMO. My review is here
http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6576.html
I too would highly recommend “Sophie Scholl – the Last Days” to anyone interested in the subject. The movie is supremely well-acted, riveting, and moving.
Thank you for remembering for us, who had not yet learned.
How prophetic history can be when reminded, How tragic it is to repeat history forgotten.
We The People need to speak up against out own marauding government before we too are branded “subversives.” if we aren’t already.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1155732/Valkyrie-stars-Tom-Cruise-plotter-tried-blow-Hitler-young-sister-brother-real-heroes-German-resistance.html
These brave young people, who died with such courage are so inspiring. The call to return to the Lord is as valid today, as it was then.
“…those who have nothing to fear in this world are well suited to oppose evil and injustice.”
Maybe we all learned a little sumpin about that black panther case.
“…those who have nothing to fear in this world are well suited to oppose evil and injustice.”
Well said, Mr. Adams. And very like St. John’s witness that the faithful overcame the dragon by, among other things, not loving their lives even to death. Maybe retelling their story will transmit some of their courage across the decades to us. Thanks.
thank you for sharing this story.
“All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men (including, of course, women) to do NOTHING.” (Edmund Burke)
True then, true now.
I show Sophie Scholl: The Last Days to my high school students every year. HIGHLY recommended.
I was an exchange student to Germany in the 1970s and lived on Geschwister Scholl Strasse (Siblings Scholl Street).
I like articles about historical heroes, and I had never heard of these people before. Thank you for posting it
“the demons have waited in darkness”
The UN, and it’s New Age religion at Lucis Trust has demons talking to them. You don’t believe me? The Lucis Trust is a Alice Bailey driven New Age religion HQ. Alice got her information from demons. Which she names as Accended Masters.
What is behind the UN’s supernatural hate for Israel? The same things that were behind Nazis, and moon god worshipers supernatural desire to murder millions of Jews.
They are of their Father, and their Father is Lucifer who lies, murders, and states he will be as G-d. Demons, the spirits of the dead Nephilim, or fallen Angles mislead this earth system, becasue they hate humans whom G-d gave grace to.
Powerful story and lesson for free men.
It’s “composed of,” not “comprised of.” It would be “…students comprised The White Rose…”
the nitwit grammar trolls are out again.
—Usage note
Comprise has had an interesting history of sense development. In addition to its original senses, dating from the 15th century, “to include” and “to consist of ” ( The United States of America comprises 50 states ), comprise has had since the late 18th century the meaning “to form or constitute” ( Fifty states comprise the United States of America ). Since the late 19th century it has also been used in passive constructions with a sense synonymous with that of one of its original meanings “to consist of, be composed of ”: The United States of America is comprised of 50 states. These later uses are often criticized, but they occur with increasing frequency even in formal speech and writing.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/comprise
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprised?show=0&t=1298421886
Christain Adams, there is so much history I don’t know however, thank you for your spiritual insight “THE WHITE ROSE” as a learning student.
Sadly, those calling attention to the fascism of our age end up maligned as racists at best, or at worst hauled before “Human Rights Commissions” and put on trial for “hate speech”, all with the gleeful collusion of liberals for whom Hitler is the ultimate boogeyman. Never again, my foot. As storm clouds of Islamofascism and Muslim fundamentalist jihadism overshadow the western world, appeasers are out in full force. Like the students of the White Rose, I am sure that these leftists want to see those criticizing Islam executed, but they will leave that dirty work to the Muslims who will gladly behead those that say anything bad about islam. Indeed, individuals like Geert Wilders who are shining a light in the darkness must have 24/7 armed guards. It leaves little hope for those with scant income to fight the lawfare and threats of the islamofascists.
All the remembrance of Hitler, the Holocaust and Nazi fascism is not worth a hill of beans if we are allowing a new expansionist Jew hating fascism gather steam while hiding behind multiculti PC blindness. When did the Muslim become an “oppressed person of color?” If Hitler were resurrected as a representative of “oppressed people of color,” he would be allowed to realize his ambitions and be indulged by leftists in all his endeavors.
Buddy Larsen…thanks for the link to the Daily Mail article; that was interesting.
I think it is erroneous in one important respect: it portrays The White Rose as committed entirely to *nonviolent* resistance. I do not think this is correct: my sense from fairly extensive reading is that they would have been entirely prepared to use violent means against the Nazi regime when the time was right.
When France fell in 1940, Sophie Scholl expressed bitter disappointment and said that they (the French) should have **fought to the last round**, which doesn’t sound like something that would be said by an absolute pacifist.
@35 Dr. Moga –
Sorry, but endemic misuse of this particular word is my pet linguistic peeve, and the construction “comprised of” makes my skin crawl. You may well dismiss me as another “nitwit grammar troll” (as is your right) but “these later uses are often criticized” because they are the ugly stepchildren of pretentious journalistic hacks putting on airs. Their increasing frequency in formal usage is one more symptom of our decline.
The Union comprises fifty states. Period. I feel better now.
David/37; you’re welcome. The pjm post sent me chasing links trying to learn more –the 2009 Daily Mail link surfaced. Also found a strange very haunting photo of Sophie Scholl that was nowhere else in the 20 or so links i looked into. There was no commentary attached, so i dunno anything about the picture. But there is something about the expression that –well–you have to find your own words –i can’t find any.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7224/sophieschollwt5.jpg
No commentary is necessary. That beautiful photograph tells us everything we need to know. Thank you for sharing it.
BTW, am I the only one just now realizing who the author of the piece, Mr. Adams, is?
http://www.bing.com/search?q=j+christian+adams+testifies&form=IE8SRC&src=IE-SearchBox
The whistleblower on DOJ’s miscarriage of justice in the so-called “black panthers case”.
Yes, you are the only one just realizing that – and perhaps the only person using Bing!
I use bing as well as startpage, as I detest google, its’ creators’ politics and its fascistic work for the feds etc. So there…..Interesting about Adams though, I think I like the guy.
Oh! Such a miscarriage of justice could only happen in a far away country, and so many years ago. Our nation would never ever reach the point where it might be taken in by a smooth, megalomaniacal orator who was bent on fundamentally transforming our republic and our capitalist system.
God save our Republic.
You’re right, HYC/41. Could NEVER happen to us, here and now. And after what the White Rose Killer did to his Jewish fellow Europeans, Israel would NEVER be attacked by genocidal maniacs –why the very thought is just too crazy to even imagine.
>His mouth is the stinking maw of hell
Outstanding epithet, which can be applied to so many of our politicians today
Replace “mouth” with “teleprompter”.
Honor to them but let’s not forget that:
1) Schindler was a pariah in post-war Germany and as late as the sixties he was frequently harassed and called a traitor by his compatriots. In the end the had to emigrate.
2) Admiral Doenitz during his brief interim as head of state after Hitler’s death met strong resistance when he tried to dismantle the most glaring symbols of Nazism: in particular the abolition of the “Heil Hitler” salute was resisted by the officers of the Wehrmacht (that is Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine excluding the SS)
3) Many officers who were not strictly Nazis shared however most of its goals: from conquering foreign countries to strong antisemitism and even supported the final solution. Von Manstein was an example of those non-nazi officers who were hard to distinguish from nazi ones. Even between those who took part in “Operation Walkyr” (the attempt to assassinate Hitler and stage a coup) the “Nazi-light” officers were a majority: they tried to assassinate him because they thought he was an incompetent strategist (in fact more often than not he was right and the generals wrong) and that he was an obstacle to a separate peace with the allies (who, they expected wopld allow Germany to keep most of its ill-gotten gains) and not for moral reasons or because they were disgusted with Nazism
4) German authors from the 80s and 90s tell us that it was materially impossible that the Germans ignored the final solution. We also know that Hitler was popular until the very day of his suicide.
The people of the White Rose opposed for Nazism and did it for moral reasons not because Germany was losing. But they were an exception. A tiny exception.
Also, after the war Rudolf-Christoph_Freiherr_von_Gersdorff, who had tried to assassinate Hitler by self-detonating was prevented to join the Bundesweher because other generals didn’t want a “traitor” in their ranks.
Wow!! So many good comments. . . . When the time comes, how many of us will have the courage to resist, whether with passivity, or force, depending on the situation? I pray for my childrens’ safety, and for their courage, to do the right thing.I will do my best to give them an example.. . . . I am writing my Senators/ Reps to “Drill,baby, drill”. . . maybe if we all do this, something will start happening to get our oil flowing. . . why is it that none of the Repugs, even the new ones are doing anything, especially with all the trouble in the Mideast?Even Sarah Palin says nothing now. . . was it all political rhetoric? Thots, anyone?
Another group of people who should not be forgotten: the agents of the British secret organization called the Special Operations Executive. SOE agents–more than a few of them women–went into occupied Europe to assist with resistance activities and many, of course, did not return.
A post about one of these agents, Krystyna Skarbek, here…links to more information about SOE and its agents at the end of the post.
52 years I’ve walked this planet and for 35 of them I have professed faith in Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. I take pride in what little knowledge I have of the history of the last couple hundred years. The fact that I have never heard of this travesty of justice causes me great shame. The fact that a Hollywood movie that I watched with enthusiaism (due to my desire to learn of the history of the event) left out what was most likely the primary motivator for Stauffenberg’s action makes me angry. The fact that my brothers and sisters in the faith DID stand and suffer martyrdom at the hands of the enemy of all mankind makes me proud. The fact that the faith held by these people and myself is apparently the primary target of modern cultural/political/societal disdain to the point of outlawing the presentation of Scripture that does not meet the “politically correct” causes me to fear for the future of the nation of my birth which I love more than life.
People of faith, stand up and be recognized. Soon they’ll be rounding us up and keeping us from “infecting” the general population with our freedom of thought and love of life.
The liberty our ancestors fought and died for has become poisoned with the leftist/socialist agenda that holds nothing sacred but the power of the throne. The One true and eternal King of Kings who also died to give freedom and liberty lives today to empower His children to withstand the evil, and having done all to stand.
Tragic and inspiring post – I emailed it to my kids (homeschool) for discussion. I was quite taken aback by some of the comments however. Are people really still thinking that liberals are somehow behind the erosion of our liberties and the rise of the Patriot-Act State? Or that liberals are the secret agents of the new totalitarianism? Turn off the TV people… We’re in it a lot deeper than your petty political biases would lead you to believe.
It is not the true liberals, of whom are very few left in this country. It is the progressives, those who follow the Saul Alinsky model, in German we call them Chaotiker. Yes they are the new nazis or if you prefer totalitarians, be my guest.
And Soros gets a pass because he was 14? Polar opposities. Soros and Scholl. It’s disgusting to put their names together.
Anyone who wants to understand what happened in Germany would do well to read Sebastian Haffner’s memoir, “Defying Hitler.” The author grew up in Germany between the wars and was a very astute social observer. My review of this important book is here.
This was one of the most moving articles I’ve ever read in pjm. Please keep up the good work.
Wikipedia:
“In 2003, Germans were invited by ZDF Television to participate in a nation-wide competition to choose the top ten most important Germans of all time. Voters under the age of 40 helped catapult Sophie and her brother Hans Scholl into fourth place, winning over Bach, Goethe, Gutenberg, Bismarck, Willy Brandt and Albert Einstein. If the votes of young viewers alone had been counted, Sophie and Hans Scholl would have been ranked first.”
Wow! Thank you for the history and the history lesson Mr. Adams.
Rather than banter, one is encouraged to plagiarize, edit for this Republic’s recent history, and let fly into the windblown canyons of our cities and towns. Re-educate, realize and re-energize.
Our Republic and it’s Constitution need millions of minds in agreement and to call tyranny for what it is, evil, and surround DC and demand that Obama MUST GO. Those in power, use it against US.
Too many un prosecuted crimes are being committed against the Republic, the severa States and ‘We the People’.
There is something truly sick the Tea Party mob. To equate Obama to Hitler is just plain sick in the head. The rest of the western world just looks at sites like this and the vile bile that so many white Americans are possessed with and shake their heads in despair. This was simply a story about three young people who resisted a thug. It has nothing to do with America or Obama. But so many of you are filled such hate that your bile just vomits out at every opportunity. A truly disgusting thread filled with hate against your half your neighbors. What’s wrong with you people that you are so filled with hate that you can equate Obama and the political debate of the day with Hitler and Nazi Germany. Every other western country has national health insurance an government – conservative or liberal is going to dismantle their health insurance systems. But somehow – America is special and doesn’t need health insurance. Go on lose the plot now and attack me back.
Where was your crocodile-teary outrage, O “Sickened” socialist, when GW Bush was compared to Hitler? Why do you not display even a modicum of faux disgust with the Nazi symbolism in use today by the Communist-backed and mafia-supported labor and public sector unions in Madison, Wisconsin and across America?
Hie thee back under the rock that provides cover for your shameful, deliberately ignorant selfishness. Neither you nor anyone else is ever “entitled” to the fruits of another’s labor.
And for the historical record, President Walking Eagle is closer kin to Mussolini than to Hitler.
“Communist-backed…labor…?”
You are one deluded right-wing whack-job, lady!