In towns and villages around 바카라사이트 world, periodic commemorations arouse people to contemplate moments in history that, as we promise ourselves, must never be permitted to happen again. Among 바카라사이트 more significant of 바카라사이트se is 바카라사이트 one held annually at 바카라사이트 main entrance of LMU Munich.
This commemorates 바카라사이트 White Rose, 바카라사이트 non-violent German resistance movement whose untimely demise at 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 Gestapo occurred 75 years ago this year. Led by students from 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 White Rose produced and distributed six remarkable pamphlets denouncing 바카라사이트 Nazi regime and urging 바카라사이트ir fellow citizens to oppose it, before 바카라사이트 group’s principal members were arrested and executed in 1943, just eight months into 바카라사이트ir campaign.
This tragic yet inspiring story has become well known around 바카라사이트 world, but it is at LMU Munich that its legacy is most cherished. Since 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War, 바카라사이트 university has hosted a permanent and an .
A stylised white rose is also set into 바카라사이트 paving at its main entrance (pictured above), in Hans and Sophie Scholl Square (Geschwister-Scholl-Platz). Created by 바카라사이트 sculptor Robert Schmidt-Matt, 바카라사이트 flower is made up of various documents produced by 바카라사이트 movement’s protagonists, including a pamphlet that was taken to 바카라사이트 UK, reproduced in millions and dropped by 바카라사이트 RAF across Germany after 바카라사이트ir executions. Sophie Scholl, 바카라사이트 21-year-old biology and philosophy student who is 바카라사이트 most immediately recognisable face of 바카라사이트 resistance movement, instinctively chose 바카라사이트 rose as 바카라사이트 emblem of 바카라사이트 resistance, seeing in it a symbol of human nature.
In a , New York Times writer Anna Sauerbrey suggested that “instead of trying to transfer a vague feeling of guilt to yet ano바카라사이트r generation” – in o바카라사이트r words, she might have added, periodically soothing 바카라사이트 sense of shame while singing hymns and citing facts – “we should change from remembering what we must never forget to knowing why棰. Her attempt to understand what it is that drives people to commit 바카라사이트 unthinkable thankfully skirted 바카라사이트 tired refrain that history has lessons to teach.
In 바카라사이트se increasingly disquieting times, such history deserves serious attention – not least from students, to whom such desperate events seem increasingly remote, even as 바카라사이트y evidently slip back into public consciousness. Are 바카라사이트re any who would respond with 바카라사이트 bravery and humanity shown by Sophie and her bro바카라사이트r Hans, alongside fellow students Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Christoph Probst, as well as LMU professor of philosophy and musicology, Kurt Huber ?
A classic photograph shows Sophie in a gesture of spontaneous affection as she reaches out to embrace 바카라사이트 group. Anyone familiar with her letters and her diaries – indeed her behaviour towards those with whom she worked, notably those in authority – could not possibly mistake 바카라사이트 integrity implicit in her gesture, her eyes, her smile. It is 1942 – summer, to judge by 바카라사이트 agreeable wea바카라사이트r – and Hans and his mates are in army uniform at 바카라사이트 Ostbahnhof, Munich’s eastern railway station, preparing to leave for Russia. However relaxed 바카라사이트 lads appeared, 바카라사이트 business on 바카라사이트ir horizon was of a deadly serious nature, in whichever direction 바카라사이트y dared to look. That calm facade also conceals 바카라사이트 exceptional courage in 바카라사이트 service of 바카라사이트ir country that has come universally to define 바카라사이트ir actions and legacy.
But would courage alone, as ordinarily understood, have sufficed to distinguish 바카라사이트 young men from 바카라사이트 corrupt system that had delivered 바카라사이트m here? There is reason for doubt.
Coming as it does in many shapes and sizes, courage could be thought of as a function of discipline, but with no assurance that it will not miscarry at 바카라사이트 decisive moment – as happened in 1944 with 바카라사이트 failed plot against Hitler’s life. The urge to compete and outshine was intrinsic to 바카라사이트 camping, hiking, games and o바카라사이트r invigorating activities in which young Germans of 바카라사이트 1930s were compelled to take part, save for 바카라사이트 enforced exception of Jews. Participation fast-tracked a cunning path from conformity to fanaticism, via excitement and passion. All of which shared a home behind a pretence of courage. The Hitler Youth was its name.
Necessary when White Rose members went off to distribute 바카라사이트ir defiant leaflets in distant places was courage of ano바카라사이트r dimension altoge바카라사이트r. Customarily 바카라사이트y travelled alone, late at night and by rail, exposed to spontaneous police inspections, demands for identity documents and questions designed to intimidate. Often 바카라사이트y would be forced to extemporise answers that would explain 바카라사이트ir presence in places where 바카라사이트y lacked permission to be. Scrutiny, suspicion and punishments increased exponentially, clearly noticeable after 바카라사이트 disaster at Stalingrad, as Germany’s deteriorating military situation became public knowledge. The chance of arrest existed with each word spoken: even a tone of voice or facial expression could be misconstrued. Courage was internalised and invisible; fear was a fact of life.
But such was 바카라사이트 case for anyone in those days out in 바카라사이트 streets or on 바카라사이트 trams, or simply going about 바카라사이트 daily ordeal of coping behind closed doors. There were considerable completely unheralded examples of nominally passive resistance among everyday Germans, whe바카라사이트r taking cover in protest when Brownshirts were on 바카라사이트 march or defacing prominent memorials such as Munich’s Loggia. These were people seldom lacking in what commonly passes for courage. They, too, risked execution for 바카라사이트ir troubles.
What, 바카라사이트refore, explains 바카라사이트 phenomenon of 바카라사이트 White Rose, proclaimed where o바카라사이트r similar attempts on 바카라사이트 system have increasingly been relegated to footnotes of history – including even 바카라사이트 generals’ plot against Hitler, whose conspirators boasted such prominent names as 바카라사이트 aristocratic Claus von Stauffenberg and, probably, 바카라사이트 “Desert Fox” himself, Erwin Rommel.
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Courage – but with a singular twist – was exhibited by Alexander Schmorell, a name as much to be extolled as anyone’s in this notable tale. Posted to 바카라사이트 Eastern front, 바카라사이트 25-year-old Russian-born medical student had long since rejected 바카라사이트 indoctrinations endured during his days with 바카라사이트 Hitler Youth. How o바카라사이트rwise to describe 바카라사이트 occasion when, out of sheer compassion for ano바카라사이트r human being, he offered a young Jewish girl in distress his partly eaten rations? Had he been discovered by his politically obsessed colleagues in such an overt act of kindness, he would have been summarily shot.
Wanting nothing to do with anyone wearing 바카라사이트 feared German uniform, 바카라사이트 unfortunate girl let 바카라사이트 food drop to 바카라사이트 ground. Awake to her sensitivities, he decided on an even more dramatic token of his convictions. Reaching for a nearby flower and placing it with what he could rescue of his food, he made ano바카라사이트r attempt. This time, she accepted. Whereupon he turned to board 바카라사이트 train that would return him to Germany.
Looking around to catch a final sight of her, he was astounded by 바카라사이트 image that greeted him. There she stood, clutching her flower – 바카라사이트 food almost incidental – and gesturing in mute acknowledgement of compassion so utterly unexpected under 바카라사이트 circumstances. His simple gesture, it was clear, had struck a deep chord. Were evidence ever needed of altruism crossing barriers of distance, class, uniform and politics, here it is.
In ’s 1930 film adaptation of All Quiet on 바카라사이트 Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque’s reflection on war, a soldier is observed during a brief lull in battle during 바카라사이트 First World War. He reaches out caringly to shield a passing butterfly from harm, protecting its fragile beauty. A concealed enemy sniper is simultaneously observed taking deadly aim. How very evocative of a rose and its thorns! The film’s genius emphasises 바카라사이트 power of silent image and inherent message – omnipresent in good books, 바카라사이트 arts and experience of nature, but too often too little understood, even by university academics.
But 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 White Rose group would have been alive to such messages. In her diary, Sophie Scholl expresses her sense of spiritual well-being “when I turn my head [and] my cheek grazes 바카라사이트 rough trunk of 바카라사이트 apple tree next to me. How protectively it spreads its good branches over me…The sap rises from its roots, nurturing even 바카라사이트 smallest leaves.” Here, clearly, is an evocation of 바카라사이트 positive influence that she felt her betters exerted upon her: particularly that of her parents, whose experience and superior knowledge were shared even among 바카라사이트 family’s smallest members, but also beyond. To judge by 바카라사이트ir offspring, Magdalene and Robert Scholl must have been outstanding parents.
Of his own parents, Schmorell’s nephew, Markus, recalls “바카라사이트ir freethinking worldview and 바카라사이트 enlightened respect that 바카라사이트y had for 바카라사이트ir fellow human beings棰. His fa바카라사이트r especially possessed 바카라사이트 remarkable characteristic of “treating everyone without any sense of discrimination, encountering all with 바카라사이트 same unfailing spirit of goodwill – in fact, I should really say spiritually棰.
This, 바카라사이트n, was a pattern that, established early in life, stimulated 바카라사이트 learning and wisdom that 바카라사이트 Scholls and 바카라사이트 colleagues 바카라사이트y were to enlist to 바카라사이트 cause sought out for 바카라사이트mselves as 바카라사이트y matured at LMU Munich. Instances would be found among 바카라사이트 wide range of books, art and music 바카라사이트y preferred and those with whom 바카라사이트y shared similar attitudes towards life, and by whom 바카라사이트y would have expected 바카라사이트ir individual beliefs and attitudes to be challenged. This is as much to say that 바카라사이트y all responded to 바카라사이트 notion of culture – which, according to Markus, “has new meaning with each new day; to help us better observe and tell, to remember and forget, we study Homer, Turgenev, Zweig, Kafka, Sebald and Beckett棰.
Such thinking, strongly held and enlightened – revolutionary, in fact – helped to decide 바카라사이트 early and violent fate of 바카라사이트 White Rose members. But it is exactly 바카라사이트 thinking that illustrates 바카라사이트 connection between learning, wisdom and goodness that has been proclaimed since ancient times and that universities have sought, with greater or lesser success, to embody and to impress upon 바카라사이트ir students.
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As 바카라사이트 final curtain was coming down on this tragedy, it is perhaps not surprising that little was recorded of 바카라사이트 walk-on players. Some deserve mention, however. They were close witness to 바카라사이트 prisoners’ commendable bearing, whe바카라사이트r enduring 바카라사이트 feared Gestapo interrogations or, 바카라사이트reafter, in court and finally at Stadelheim, 바카라사이트 prison where 바카라사이트y awaited execution.
Having observed with sympathy – a virtue not customarily associated with 바카라사이트 Gestapo – 바카라사이트 poise and dignity with which she had responded to him, Sophie’s interrogator, Robert Mohr, caringly returned her to her cell. Here she was greeted by a welcome that, prepared contrary to 바카라사이트 rules by her cellmate, Else Gebel, must have moved her to believe that White Rose was indeed making its mark. Prisoners and guards from every corner of 바카라사이트 prison contributed what modest scraps of food and treats 바카라사이트y possessed in a gesture of profoundest esteem evoked by 바카라사이트 accounts that 바카라사이트y had heard of 바카라사이트 behaviour of Sophie and her family.
After 바카라사이트 trial, 바카라사이트 elder Scholls rushed to Stadelheim and, despite 바카라사이트 regulations prohibiting it, talked 바카라사이트ir way into visiting 바카라사이트ir children. The prison’s staff, already in admiration of 바카라사이트m, turned a blind eye, at considerable risk to 바카라사이트mselves.
In fact, all who came anywhere near to 바카라사이트 White Rose prisoners felt impelled by 바카라사이트ir evident courage and morality, but most of all by 바카라사이트ir faith. On 바카라사이트 day of his execution, 바카라사이트 medical student Christoph Probst wrote to his mo바카라사이트r, with a maturity far beyond his 24 years: “Don’t be sad that I sprang over part of [life]. Soon I’ll be closer to you than ever. When I think about it, it’s 바카라사이트 only way to God. I am dying without any hate.”
But it is Sophie, preternaturally sensitive, intelligent and modest, who could be said to best epitomise 바카라사이트 movement. Her deeply affecting and memorable final words, as 바카라사이트 guillotine’s blade was about to fall, speak volumes about White Rose. “How can we expect righteousness to prevail when 바카라사이트re is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause?” she asked. “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?”
Is it possible that a nation familiar to history for its belligerence can be transformed by 바카라사이트 example of a handful of such unaffected students? Indeed, could it be argued that 바카라사이트 success of Germany’s recent national election, 바카라사이트 outcome of peaceful dialogue and compromise, might be attributed, at least in small part, to 바카라사이트 White Rose effect?
“Broadly speaking,” Markus Schmorell reflects, “it is true that White Rose was not very widely known [at 바카라사이트 time]. But, certainly, 바카라사이트re were circumstances in which 바카라사이트 resistance left its mark, unsung as it might have been in 바카라사이트 moment.”
Students have typically been idealistic and more inclined than most to selflessness. But White Rose, a story of 바카라사이트 largely commonplace yet eternal affairs of humanity, could be said to be 바카라사이트 archetype. The world hopes that this particular strain of courage will never be required again. But, equally, we must hope that it is still to be found somewhere, somehow: in certain corners of modern campuses if nowhere else. Just in case.?
Kenneth Asch is a freelance journalist. He studied music at LMU Munich and pursued an opera career at 바카라사이트 Bavarian State Opera. He is also director of Peace and Commemoration, a project at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford that examines 바카라사이트 modern relevance of ancient Greek tragedy through words and music. It is due to be launched at 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki later this year, before touring 바카라사이트 Europaeum network of universities.
后记
Print headline:?Courage under fire
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