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Hans SchollGerman student, founder of the student anti-fascist organization "White Rose"
Date of Birth: 22.09.1918
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Hans Scholl
Early LifeHans Fritz Scholl was born on September 22, 1918, in Ingersheim, which is now part of Crailsheim, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was the second of six children raised in a Lutheran family. His father, Robert Scholl, served as the mayor of Forchtenberg. Hans considered converting to Catholicism, but ultimately remained within the Lutheran faith. He had two surviving sisters, Inge and Elisabeth.
Resistance against Nazism
In 1933, Hans joined the Hitler Youth, a Nazi youth organization, but became disillusioned with its true purpose by 1937. He later enrolled at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich to study medicine. In the summer of 1942, Hans, along with his sister Sophie, and several other students, including Willi Graf, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, and Professor Kurt Huber, formed the resistance group known as the "White Rose." The group aimed to oppose the Nazi regime and believed in a united Europe based on tolerance and justice.
The White Rose Movement
The White Rose distributed pamphlets among university students, as well as doctors, scientists, and pub owners across Germany, spreading information about the atrocities committed by the Nazis. They printed approximately 6,000 to 9,000 copies of their fifth leaflet, titled "Appeal to All Germans!" in January 1943. Hans Scholl authored this leaflet, which criticized Hitler and called for resistance against the dictatorship. The leaflets were intended for distribution in several cities, including Stuttgart, Cologne, Vienna, Freiburg, Chemnitz, Hamburg, Innsbruck, and Berlin.
Arrest and Execution
On February 18, 1943, Hans and Sophie were caught distributing the sixth leaflet at their university by a Gestapo-appointed janitor. They were arrested alongside Christoph Probst and were sentenced to death by guillotine on February 22. Johann Reichhart, the executioner, carried out the sentence that same day. Before his death, Hans Scholl shouted, "Long live freedom!"
Legacy
In 1961, Germany issued a stamp featuring Hans and Sophie Scholl, and their actions are still remembered by the German people. The main square in front of the main building of the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich is named after Hans and Sophie Scholl. Additionally, the streets in the university's student village are named after the members of the White Rose movement. Students continue to honor the courage of this small group, and efforts have been made to rename the university as the "University of Hans and Sophie Scholl." In 1980, a literary prize was established in their honor, recognizing moral, intellectual, and aesthetic courage.
