Sunday, February 22, 2009

Please pause a minute and learn about the Scholls

Sophia Magdalena Scholl (May 9, 1921 – February 22, 1943) was active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans. As a result, they were both executed by guillotine. (from Wikipedia)

It makes me cry every time I think of them and today is the anniversary of their deaths. They were allowed to write letters to their parents just before they were killed and those letters have been put into a stone remembrance in the Hofgarten in Munich. It's very moving to stand there and consider their incredible bravery and how they were killed for it. Please read more from the account in her name link above. Read it for them. For their parents. For all the Germans who did speak out. It's at Netflix here. You won't be sorry, I promise. Have Kleenex nearby.

Here's a short video on the film.

z

27 comments:

Always On Watch said...

I've just added the film to my queue at NetFlix.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Beverly said...

Now I know I need to sign up with Netflix. I had heard of The White Rose, but I don't know her story. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention.

sue said...

It is tragic, but we need to hear stories like theirs.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Z,
Great post. I talk about this group whenever I teach WWII. It's important that students not be under the popular impression that everyone in a country at war was OK with it.

In America to stand on a corner and protest doesn't take an abundance of courage. To do so in the situation that the White Rose members found themselves takes an amount of courage very few of us possess.

This little slices of history are the most interesting by far.

Z said...

Thanks ,everyone.
I hate to sound like such a sop, telling you I cry when I think of these kids, but if somebody asked me what thing I admire the most in anyone, I'd say GREAT COURAGE...
It just knocks me out and I am not surprised all of you are as impressed by these amazing kids.

Yes, L&0, it's a story we don't usually hear in school....I've been to book publishihg parties where books 2" thick on nothing BUT "Der Wiederstand" (Resistance) in Germany were featured..So many were in the resistance in one way or the other..young, old, female, male...we don't know about them.

Did you know that in France,not far from Normany, where our dear boys are buried, there is a German cemetery the French gave to the Germans for their dead there?
Ours is miles of perfect lawn as far as the eye can see with white crosses or Stars of David, and beautiful reflecting pools, sculptures and ocean vistas that would knock you out....The German one is significantly smaller and darker (22,000 buried there)....smaller expanses of lawn with dark, wooden-like carved grave markers and red roses growing all under very large shady trees...
At its entrance is written something like:

"Here lie the German soldiers of WWII, many of whom did not pick the fight or the cause." That touches me, too...for them.

Keep teaching it, Law & Order. The whole truth.

Yehudi said...

Very touching. There are countless accounts of righteous gentiles who gave their lives for a greater good. May their memory be blessed.

Anonymous said...

They were brave people indeed. G-d bless and keep them! Nanette's grandmother told us what happened to the parents of one of her friends who spoke out in the church. They disappeared. Maybe to the camps?

Z, I have come into the possession of a WONDERFUL 10 minute primer on the American form of government! It says in 10 short minutes what some government textbooks manage to mangle in 300 pages! Enjoy!

or at least the form of government that the Founders tried to leave us with is republicanism (small "r"). Ideally this is a rule of LAW and not men.

The rule of men is more commonly known as mob rule, or democracy. This form of government fits very well with the use of government FORCE in the planning of "communities." Leftists tend to speak of "communities" while conservative/libertarians like myself and others prefer to protect the rights of INDIVIDUALS against the mob and the state.

A wonderful poster from two days ago left this 10 minute video that's contrary to what kids learn in government schools, but it IS the truth. Enjoy!

The American Form of Government

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxdQjOq1U9A

Morgan

Z said...

Yehudi, 'countless' is the word, indeed!

Morgan, it's fabulous.

L&0, have you seen that video? FANTASTIC..we are a REPUBLIC...good for students!!

highboy said...

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Good post.

Chuck said...

Thanks for the history lesson Z. I hear of people like this and marvel at the sacrifice they are willing to make for their beliefs.

Finally, we need to study history now more than ever. We are living in a time when the old saw about "those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it" is very relevant.

Anonymous said...

Z, I'm glad that you liked it! I meant to paste the link only, but carelessly got a good part of the FPM post too! Sorry.

Morgan

Z said...

Morgan, NO problem! Appreciated the link!

Highboy, thanks! When are you going to take comments at your site!??xx

Chuck: I've been thinking about the Boston Tea Party, the Revolution...been thinking those are things which our having forgotten our history might prompt again, God forbid.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Z,
Thanks I'll take a look at it. I'm always looking for good information. There definitely are unique features to a republican form of government as specifically called for in our constitution.

Incidentally, John Press sent me his book and I'm reading and commenting with him. I begain reading yesterday and I'm about a third of the way through. It's definitely and interesting take on culture. Very informative. Thanks for posting on it.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Z,
I liked the video. It did a good job of explaining the differences in the types of governments. I especially like that it makes the point about the mistaken comparison of fascism with the right. It is really a totalitarian government like its brethren on the left.

Citing John Locke in the Declaration of Independence Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin included the phrase "alter or abolish" as a remedy to a government that doesn't meet it one responsibility; to protect the rights of the people.

Jan said...

Z..I don't recall ever hearing anything about these courageous people!

Thank you for posting this..it made me cry, too.

Doesn't it make you cry when you think about the direction our nation is taking, too?

May God keep us all in His care.

Anonymous said...

Z, this is an important post. Most Americans didn't or don't know there was a resistance.

This story is a sobering lesson of how tyrants live in fear themselves, and cannot tolerate dissent of any kind.

That passing out leaflets should cost these brave young people their lives, shows the vulnerability of such a government.

People must protest in great numbers, and follow the lead of the few. Waiting and hoping, is fruitless and an invitation to the gradual descent into this kind of brutal reaction to those who dissent.

These young people were heroes. It's too bad it's taken so long for the story of their heroism to surface in a way more people will learn of it.

You do a service Z, in sharing this on your blog. Let's hope others will read it and post it as well.

Pris

Anonymous said...

Pris wrote:
"These young people were heroes. It's too bad it's taken so long for the story of their heroism to surface in a way more people will learn of it."

I agree. Good Germans stood up and were counted, and unfortunately they became "Jews" at that point. The family trees of BOTH of my dad's parents were FULL of people who "died in Treblinka" or Dachau or Auschwitz or... Along with them went Priests, Poles, Gysies, Pacifists, Russians, trade unionists, Homosexuals, etc.

The most troubling part is the parallels to today. Scroll up and watch the 10 minute video that I linked about American Government. It's VERY interesting and will shed some light on what's happening today.

Morgan

Anonymous said...

Hi Morgan, yes, the video is interesting, and puts things into the proper perspective.

Pris

Brooke said...

It's in the queue.

Thanks for the education!

Anonymous said...

Most excellent find,. Morgan.

I keep trying to tell people, we were not meant to be a true democracy, in that mob rule is pure democracy.

I know it is what the left shoots for.


The words are simple in : The American's Creed.
..." A democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union,one and inseperable; established upon those principles of freedom,equality and justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes."


Words to live by.

WVDOTTR

Z said...

I'm very happy some of you have signed up for this on NEFLIX. You won't be sorry. Courage beyond belief.

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Pastor Niemoller's words should NEVER be forgotten.

And they are applicable to OUR country TODAY.

BZ

Z said...

That's right, BZ.

Pastor N's grandson is a jazz sax player in Berlin who has made 19 CD's with a pianist friend of ours.......great guy and MEAN sax player.
When I found out who his grandfather was, I couldn't believe it.

Anonymous said...

I have been watches these You Tube videos about the Scholls, and came across the Hitler videos. Some of them I could not understand since there were no subtitles. Against my better judgment, I read the comments on the Hitler Videos. I was appalled not only to find comments from people making excuses for Hitler (He must have been disturbed. People don't do horrible things for no reason. He did some horrible things but he was a great speaker...etc.) but I also found comments from people praising him (He was a great man. He was right about the Jews. England should have fought on Germany's side). But the worst part is that these horrible comments were getting "thumbs up" rankings from the other posters.

Here is just one of the videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vASc4JizNOg

I'm absolutely appalled. Could it be when people realize their chic idols like Che Guvera were actually like Hitler, instead of coming to the realization that Che was bad, they assume Hitler must have been good?

I almost find those who "see the good" in Hitler while acknowledging he did some bad things as worse than those messed up people who think Hitler was right. Analyzing the reasons behind bad behavior, accomplishes nothing, and only serves to legitimize the bad behavior. I swear I'm living in the Twilight Zone and too many people have gone absolutely insane. Seriously, I thought Hitler was beyond the pale.

Z said...

Angie, I don't know what you're talking about in regard to this post or my site, but nobody admires a shred of anything about hitler here, TRUST me. I hope you didn't misread something...sorry, if something was misleading!
This post is about young kids killed for standing UP to him.
Thanks for coming by, and for the information...i'm a little stunned at what you've said because it's hard to believe that exists ANYWHERE, but thank you.

Anonymous said...

Sorry if I was unclear. These pro-Hitler comments don't exist here, but on You Tube. There is a place for comments on each video, and while watching these video's about the Scholls, I started to come across some videos of Hitler, and it was with these Hitler videos that I found these horrible comments. That is why I included the You Tube link. I was so upset that I probably didn't communicate clearly.

Z said...

Hi, Angie, thanks for being here!

No, I think it was me. You described the situation well but I just wanted to MAKE SURE you hadn't felt somebody here had said anything like the loons!

Hope to see you again..