“No man ever made bigger mistake than he who could do only a little and did nothing.” Edmund Burke wrote those words in the 18th century; 200 years later, Sophie Scholl took them to heart.
Because March is Women’s History Month, there is no better time to take a moment and discuss the life of Sophie Scholl and the impact she had during her short time on the earth. She stood up for what she believed in, and she paid the ultimate price for speaking out against the atrocities of Nazi Germany.
Miss Scholl was born in Forchtenberg, Germany on May 9, 1921. Her father was mayor of the town and a critic of the Nazi regime. In 1932, her family moved to Ulm, where her father had a consulting business. It was there that she enrolled in a secondary school for girls and, like most every girl in that era, joined the League of German Girls, the “female division” of Hitler Youth. Her enthusiasm, however, was quickly consumed by her criticism and distrust of the Nazi government.
After a brief stint as a kindergarten teacher and fulfilling a six-month requirement in the National Labor Service, she enrolled in the University of Munich in 1942. Her older brother, Hans, was already enrolled there, and introduced Sophie to his friends. They enlightened her with many subjects including art, music, philosophy, and theology. Above all, however, all were opposed to the Nazis and the war.
Around the time that Sophie enrolled at the university, Hans, along with Christoph Probst and others formed the non-violent resistance group, the White Rose. The purpose of the group was to secretly distribute leaflets encouraging German citizens to passively resist the Nazis.
On February 18, 1943 the group distributed its sixth leaflet at the university. A member of the Nazi Party saw them throwing the leaflets into the courtyard from above, however, and Sophie, Hans, and Probst were arrested.
The mockery of a trial took place in Hitler’s notorious “People’s Court,” a court that had very broad jurisdiction over all “political offenses.” As was all too common in Hitler’s reign, the three defendants stood no chance of mounting a defense, and all were sentenced to death.
On February 22, at only 21 years old, Sophie Scholl was strapped to the guillotine and executed. Her legacy, however, has lived on in the form of numerous honors, books, and films.
There are many others throughout history just like Sophie Scholl who stood up in the face of terroristic regimes and spoke out against what they knew was wrong. What sets Scholl apart, however, is her youth and bravery, and the courage to resist one of the most oppressive and frightful governments in history. Her story is an inspiration to all who see something wrong with the world and seek change, whether it is on a grand scale or a small scale.
Just as Edmund Burke’s quote has lived on, so will the final words of Sophie Scholl, uttered seconds before her execution: "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause? Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go. But what does my death matter, if through us thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"
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