When people talk about notable heroes, they usually mention Princess Diana, Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, Stephen Hawking, Winston Churchill, Marie Curie, the list goes on and on. But, there are also many unrecognised and almost inconspicuous people throughout the course of history who have done just as much, if not more, than these celebrated figures. An example of a lesser known notable person is Sophie Scholl, a young lady who, during World War II, spoke out against racial injustice, discrimination, and prejudice, and, ultimately, paid the highest price; death by execution. Sophie Scholl has inspired so many people to speak out, voice their opinions, and fight for justice, even if no one supports their ideas. As she once said, “Stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone.” This quote shows us that no matter what other people think, we must fight against dictatorship, oppression and inequality, and use our voices and actions to make the world a better place. It all starts with us, the new generation, so, we must follow in the footsteps of Sophie and stand together in solidarity to campaign for peace and equity in this world.
Sophie Scholl’s dynamic, but relaxed began on the 9th of May, 1921, in a small town called Forchtenberg, in Germany. She was born into a relatively comfortable family; her father was a tax advisor and the Burgermeister of Forchtenberg am Kocher, in Baden Württemberg. Sophie’s family consisted of 6 children; Inge (born 1917), Hans (born 1918), Elisabeth (born 1920), Sophie (born 1921), Werner (born 1922) and Thilde (born 1925), and her parents; Robert Scholl and Magdalena Scholl (previously Müller). Magdalena, a very relaxed and composed woman, was often described as the ‘calming influence’ on the family, in contrast to Robert, who was very strong-willed, powerful, and confident. In 1933, Adolf Hitler and his Nazis rose to power in Germany, which led to the invasion much of Europe’s land, the brainwashing of people (which led them to believe that Aryans were the master race and that other races were inferior, or sub-human) and death of millions of poor, innocent citizens. Despite this sudden change in government, 12-year-old Sophie wasn’t greatly affected, as her family were Lutheran Christian. Scholl’s early life was very carefree and easygoing due to this; she didn’t need to wear a yellow star, or constantly hide from the Nazis for fear of being sent away to a concentration camp.
Although Sophie’s family weren’t directly targeted by the Nazis, her parents (Robert and Magdalena Scholl) were very critical about Hitler and his regime that was rapidly rising. Robert told his children that Adolf Hitler was “leading Germany down a road of destruction”. Despite the fact that a lot of criticism about the Führer (Adolf Hitler) came from her parents, Sophie and her brother, Hans’ enthusiasm about this dictatorship were really high. The belief that Hitler would make Germany great again was planted into their brains, and so they were eager to support him. Sophie joined the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls) and the promotion of squad leader came soon after that. But, after learning more about the Nazi ideology, and seeing that her two friends weren’t allowed to join the Bund Deutscher Mädel just because they were Jewish, Scholl began to doubt herself and wonder whether Hitler was a good influence on Germany after all…
Sophie’s great love of reading, theology, philosophy, and learning in general, led her to study biology and philosophy at the University of Munich in 1942. A month after starting university, Sophie found a pamphlet under her desk in the lecture hall. It read, “Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day, the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes – crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure – reach the light of day?” Bewildered, 20-year-old Sophie went to tell Hans (her older brother) about this shocking ordeal. He wasn’t home, so Sophie went in, and found papers sprawled on the floor. This led to the discovery of a book by a German poet named Friedrich Schiller. The exact quote from the pamphlet was underlined in the book! Suspicion arose within Scholl as she waited for her brother to come home.
Sophie Scholl’s approach and opinion on specific types of people was very unique. She received a good education, and, due to that, had the ability to think logically and critically about different matters. She criticised people who sat there and did nothing and urged German citizens to take a stand. As Sophie said, “The real damage [in this war] is done by those millions [of people] who want to ‘survive.’ … Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves … Those who don’t like to make … enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small… If you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they [the people who don’t do anything] die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does… ” As we can see from that very extensive, but philosophical and deep quote, Sophie knew that no matter how we go about living our lives, we will all die someday, so why not fight while we still can? She thought that the people who didn’t speak out were the people who were the most guilty. She was a very courageous and strong woman, who liked to do things her own way. Although that unique approach to life and her criticism were not received well by the general public, Scholl didn’t mind, because she knew that, in her heart, she was doing the right thing. She was not afraid of standing up and fighting against the Nazis, even if the majority of the German public were too afraid. Sophie Scholl truly did “… choose [her] own way to burn.”