Werner Scholl

Werner Scholl (1922–1944) was the younger brother of Hans and Sophie Scholl, known for their resistance to Nazism as part of the White Rose.

Life

Like his siblings, Werner joined the Hitler Youth when Hitler came to power.[1] In 1936, Werner, Sophie, and their sister Inge were arrested by the Gestapo.[2] After being held for a few weeks, Werner was released, but the imprisonment left a mark on him.[3]

In the Summer of 1939, Werner became the first member of the Scholl family to openly resist the Nazi regime. He resigned from the Hitler Youth, a decision that barred him from being able to take the Arbitur (The test to be able to enter a University).[1] Werner also climbed on top of the statue of Justice at the Courtroom in Ulm to blindfold the Lady of Justice with a swastika flag.[3]

The Russian Front

In 1942, Werner was sent out to the Russian front, where, by chance, he was stationed near Hans. The two were able to see each other fairly often.[4]

White Rose Trial

In February 1943, Werner was given leave to go home to Ulm. When he came home, he found out that Sophie and Hans had been captured by the Gestapo. Along with his parents, Werner travelled to Munich for the trial on 22 February, storming into the courtroom just as Roland Freisler was about to give the verdict.[5] After a brief stand-off, the Scholl parents were removed from the room. Because Werner had an army uniform on, he was able to blend in with the crowd and be there when the judge announced the guilty verdict. As those in the courtroom got up to leave, Werner was able to see Hans and Sophie one last time and take their hands. Hans said to him, “Stay strong. Make no concessions!”[3] Later that day, his parents were able to see Hans and Sophie again, but Werner was not. Werner and his parents then left Munich, distraught but hopeful that they could petition for clemency. They were unaware that Sophie and Hans had already been executed at 5 pm.[2]

Soon after, the entire Scholl family was arrested, with the exception of Werner, who had gone back to the Russian front soon after Hans and Sophie’s execution. The family members were arrested because of Sippenhaft, the assumption of shared family guilt. Sippenhaft was a major deterrent for anyone considering resisting the Nazi Regime; if they were captured, not only would they suffer, but their family would too.[6]

Death

In June 1944, the Scholl family received word that Werner was classified as missing in action. His body was never found, so it is assumed that he died on the Soviet front. He would have been 22.[1]

References
  1. Stern, Fritz; Hanser, Richard (1979). "A Noble Treason: The Revolt of the Munich Students against Hitler". Foreign Affairs. 58 (2): 426. doi:10.2307/20040455. ISSN 0015-7120. JSTOR 20040455.
  2. 1917-1998., Scholl, Inge (2011). The White Rose : Munich, 1942-1943. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-7272-1. OCLC 767498250.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. Verfasser., Shrimpton, Paul (16 February 2018). Conscience before Conformity : Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose resistance in Nazi Germany. ISBN 978-0-85244-843-4. OCLC 1057793085.
  4. Verfasser, Scholl, Hans 1918-1943 (1987). At the heart of the White Rose letters and diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl. ISBN 0-06-015705-4. OCLC 724683233.
  5. Encyclopedia of German resistance to the Nazi movement. Wolfgang Benz, Walter H. Pehle, Mazal Holocaust Collection. New York: Continuum. 1997. ISBN 0-8264-0945-8. OCLC 34745997.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Freedman, Russell (2016). We will not be silent : the White Rose student resistance movement that defied Adolf Hitler. Clarion Books. Boston. ISBN 978-0-544-22379-0. OCLC 922639609.
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