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    At the Heart of the White Rose

    Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl


    Edited by Inge Jens, translated by J. Maxwell Brownjohn

    4.33 Stars on Goodreads Read Reviews

    What made college students risk their lives to resist Hitler? Personal letters and diaries provide an intimate view into the hearts and minds of a brother and sister who became martyrs in the anti-Nazi resistance during World War II.


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    About The Book

    Idealistic, serious, and sensible, Hans and Sophie Scholl joined the Hitler Youth with youthful and romantic enthusiasm. But as Hitler’s grip throttled Germany and Nazi atrocities mounted, Hans and Sophie emerged from their adolescence with the conviction that at all costs they must raise their voices against the murderous Nazi regime.

    In May of 1942, with Germany still winning the war, an improbable little band of students at Munich University began distributing the leaflets of the White Rose. In the very city where the Nazis got their start, they demanded resistance to Germany’s war efforts and confronted their readers with what they had learned of Hitler’s “final solution”: “Here we see the most terrible crime committed against the dignity of humankind, a crime that has no counterpart in human history.”

    These broadsides were secretly drafted and printed in a Munich basement by Hans Scholl, by now a young medical student and military conscript, and a handful of young co-conspirators that included his twenty-one-year-old sister Sophie. The leaflets placed the Scholls and their friends in mortal danger, and it wasn’t long before they were captured and executed.

    As their letters and diaries reveal, the Scholls were not primarily motivated by political beliefs, but rather came to their convictions through personal spiritual search that eventually led them to sacrifice their lives for what they believed was right. Interwoven with commentary on the progress of Hitler’s campaign, the letters and diary entries range from veiled messages about the course of a war they wanted their country to lose, to descriptions of hikes and skiing trips and meditations on Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Rilke, and Verlaine; from entreaties to their parents for books and sweets hard to get in wartime, to deeply humbled and troubled entreaties to God for an understanding of the presence of such great evil in the world. There are alarms when Hans is taken into military custody, when their father is jailed, and when their friends are wounded on the eastern front. But throughout – even to the end, when the Scholls’ sense of peril is most oppressive – there appear in their writings spontaneous outbursts of joy and gratitude for the gifts of nature, music, poetry, and art. In the midst of evil and degradation, theirs is a celebration of the spiritual and the humane.

    Illustrated with photographs of Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friends and co-conspirators.

    Read an excerpt from Hans Scholl Read an excerpt from Sophie Scholl

    About The Authors

    Hans Scholl

    Hans Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany. Read More

    Sophie Scholl

    Sophie Scholl was a German student and anti-Nazi political activist, active within the White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany. Read More

    Acclaim

    • A well-chosen selection of personal documents, this book illuminates the intellectual and emotional development of two students who were at the center of the idealistic but futile anti-Nazi conspiracy at Munich University in 1942-43... Children of a family of pacifist sentiment and cosmopolitan intellectual interests, Hans and Sophie Scholl were affected in their opposition to Nazism by a variety of influences ranging from those of Nietzsche, Rilke, and Stefan George to Catholic philosophers such as Augustine, Aquinas, and their personal mentor and friend, Carl Muth. Especially striking is the Scholls' growing attraction to Christian mysticism. ... Smooth translation; excellent explanatory notes and illustrations; fairly good index.

      Choice

    • The Scholls’ writings glow with all the idealism, naiveté, and self-importance of youth. . . . In the context of their authors’ martyrdom, they constitute a compelling, heart-wrenching testament to courage and goodness in the face of evil.

      Kirkus Reviews

    • Representing six years’ worth of diaries and letters, these well-edited extracts suggest how, over time, both brother and sister subconsciously prepared for the brave work they eventually undertook. It is simultaneously uplifting and agonizing to witness their gradual moral/philosophical development and their speedy capture and execution.

      Library Journal

    • For anyone still bewitched by World War II, these tormented, poetic letters and diaries make engrossing reading.

      Los Angeles Times

    • "This book conjures up an uncanny sense of the spiritual and physical world inhabited by young Germans during the war. It is both a major historical document and (I can think of no better way of putting it) a testimony to the human spirit."

      Paul Robinson

    • The details of daily living, as noted in these letters and diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl, take on heartrending significance in light of the tragic circumstances that eventually took the lives of the German brother and sister during World War II... With unaffected sincerity, the letters not only express their growing distrust of Hitler's increasing strength, but also shed light on their individual personalities from Sophie's naiveté and schoolgirl enthusiasms to Hans' dedication and deliberateness. In addition, the book lends considerable insight into the moral underpinnings of political resistance in Nazi Germany.

      Booklist

    • A well-chosen selection of personal documents, this book illuminates the intellectual and emotional development of two students who were at the center of the idealistic but futile anti-Nazi conspiracy at Munich University in 1942-43... Children of a family of pacifist sentiment and cosmopolitan intellectual interests, Hans and Sophie Scholl were affected in their opposition to Nazism by a variety of influences ranging from those of Nietzsche, Rilke, and Stefan George to Catholic philosophers such as Augustine, Aquinas, and their personal mentor and friend, Carl Muth. Especially striking is the Scholls' growing attraction to Christian mysticism. ... Smooth translation; excellent explanatory notes and illustrations; fairly good index.

      Choice

    • The Scholls’ writings glow with all the idealism, naiveté, and self-importance of youth. . . . In the context of their authors’ martyrdom, they constitute a compelling, heart-wrenching testament to courage and goodness in the face of evil.

      Kirkus Reviews

    • Representing six years’ worth of diaries and letters, these well-edited extracts suggest how, over time, both brother and sister subconsciously prepared for the brave work they eventually undertook. It is simultaneously uplifting and agonizing to witness their gradual moral/philosophical development and their speedy capture and execution.

      Library Journal

    • For anyone still bewitched by World War II, these tormented, poetic letters and diaries make engrossing reading.

      Los Angeles Times

    • "This book conjures up an uncanny sense of the spiritual and physical world inhabited by young Germans during the war. It is both a major historical document and (I can think of no better way of putting it) a testimony to the human spirit."

      Paul Robinson

    • The details of daily living, as noted in these letters and diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl, take on heartrending significance in light of the tragic circumstances that eventually took the lives of the German brother and sister during World War II... With unaffected sincerity, the letters not only express their growing distrust of Hitler's increasing strength, but also shed light on their individual personalities from Sophie's naiveté and schoolgirl enthusiasms to Hans' dedication and deliberateness. In addition, the book lends considerable insight into the moral underpinnings of political resistance in Nazi Germany.

      Booklist

    • A well-chosen selection of personal documents, this book illuminates the intellectual and emotional development of two students who were at the center of the idealistic but futile anti-Nazi conspiracy at Munich University in 1942-43... Children of a family of pacifist sentiment and cosmopolitan intellectual interests, Hans and Sophie Scholl were affected in their opposition to Nazism by a variety of influences ranging from those of Nietzsche, Rilke, and Stefan George to Catholic philosophers such as Augustine, Aquinas, and their personal mentor and friend, Carl Muth. Especially striking is the Scholls' growing attraction to Christian mysticism. ... Smooth translation; excellent explanatory notes and illustrations; fairly good index.

      Choice

    • The Scholls’ writings glow with all the idealism, naiveté, and self-importance of youth. . . . In the context of their authors’ martyrdom, they constitute a compelling, heart-wrenching testament to courage and goodness in the face of evil.

      Kirkus Reviews

    • Representing six years’ worth of diaries and letters, these well-edited extracts suggest how, over time, both brother and sister subconsciously prepared for the brave work they eventually undertook. It is simultaneously uplifting and agonizing to witness their gradual moral/philosophical development and their speedy capture and execution.

      Library Journal

    • For anyone still bewitched by World War II, these tormented, poetic letters and diaries make engrossing reading.

      Los Angeles Times

    PrevNext

    Reader Reviews Write a Review

    • At the Heart of the White Rose is a compilation of letters and diary entries shared between a brother and sister during the infamous reign of Adolf... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      At the Heart of the White Rose is a compilation of letters and diary entries shared between a brother and sister during the infamous reign of Adolf Hitler. Hans and Sophie Scholl, born in Germany, are young people on a mission. Together, they participate in a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany called the White Rose. These are two very intelligent people with hearts set on helping thwart the enemy. Through their efforts, they manage to form a vital resistance movement among their peers. Although they were both martyred for their efforts, they impacted many lives and will be remembered for their stand against horrendous evil.

    • The first half was a very slow read, but I devoured the second half in a few hours. These quotes from Sophie are incredibly poignant: "Isn’t it... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      The first half was a very slow read, but I devoured the second half in a few hours. These quotes from Sophie are incredibly poignant: "Isn’t it mysterious – and frightening, too, when one doesn’t know the reason – that everything should be so beautiful in spite of the terrible things that are happening? My sheer delight in all things beautiful has been invaded by a great unknown, an inkling of the creator whom his creatures glorify with their beauty. —That’s why man alone can be ugly, because he has the free will to disassociate himself from this song of praise. Nowadays one is often tempted to believe that he’ll drown the song with gunfire and curses and blasphemy. But it dawned on me last spring that he can’t, and I’ll try to take the winning side." "I’m still so remote from God that I don’t even sense his presence when I pray. Sometimes when I utter God’s name, in fact, I feel like sinking into a void. It isn’t a frightening or dizzy-making sensation, it’s nothing at all – and that’s far more terrible. But prayer is the only remedy for it, and however many little devils scurry around inside me, I shall cling to the rope God has thrown me in Jesus Christ, even if my numb hands can no long feel it."

    • Hans’s words are striking and impressive, anchored to an intellectual tradition, firm in conviction, articulate in expression. Yet it is Sophie... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      Hans’s words are striking and impressive, anchored to an intellectual tradition, firm in conviction, articulate in expression. Yet it is Sophie, wittier than Hans, plainer in appearance, highly artistic, deeply spiritual, and consumed by the beauty of nature despite the ugliness that intrudes upon her, who truly captivates the reader. As Richard Gilman observes in the Preface: ‘Although one’s admiration for Hans never falters, it’s Sophie who breaks your heart.’

    • The hours I spent alone with Hans and Sophie made me so very grateful that I read this collection. It is often painful to read, because we know how... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      The hours I spent alone with Hans and Sophie made me so very grateful that I read this collection. It is often painful to read, because we know how the story ends. But Hans and Sophie's twin stories are no less beautiful to experience through this collection of letters and random diary entries that cover several years leading up to their untimely deaths.

    • I’d never heard of Hans and Sophie Scholl or the White Rose before. In one way I’m glad to be just learning their story now against the backdrop of... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      I’d never heard of Hans and Sophie Scholl or the White Rose before. In one way I’m glad to be just learning their story now against the backdrop of our current political and cultural climate. May God raise up many more Hans and Sophie Scholls in our day. May we, like these young idealists, be willing to allow all our wish-dreams to be shattered by Jesus.

    • You have a new chance to read edited, revealing personal letters and diary entries from the Scholls that take you back inside a principled effort to...
    • At the Heart of the White Rose is a compilation of letters and diary entries shared between a brother and sister during the infamous reign of Adolf... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      At the Heart of the White Rose is a compilation of letters and diary entries shared between a brother and sister during the infamous reign of Adolf Hitler. Hans and Sophie Scholl, born in Germany, are young people on a mission. Together, they participate in a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany called the White Rose. These are two very intelligent people with hearts set on helping thwart the enemy. Through their efforts, they manage to form a vital resistance movement among their peers. Although they were both martyred for their efforts, they impacted many lives and will be remembered for their stand against horrendous evil.

    • The first half was a very slow read, but I devoured the second half in a few hours. These quotes from Sophie are incredibly poignant: "Isn’t it... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      The first half was a very slow read, but I devoured the second half in a few hours. These quotes from Sophie are incredibly poignant: "Isn’t it mysterious – and frightening, too, when one doesn’t know the reason – that everything should be so beautiful in spite of the terrible things that are happening? My sheer delight in all things beautiful has been invaded by a great unknown, an inkling of the creator whom his creatures glorify with their beauty. —That’s why man alone can be ugly, because he has the free will to disassociate himself from this song of praise. Nowadays one is often tempted to believe that he’ll drown the song with gunfire and curses and blasphemy. But it dawned on me last spring that he can’t, and I’ll try to take the winning side." "I’m still so remote from God that I don’t even sense his presence when I pray. Sometimes when I utter God’s name, in fact, I feel like sinking into a void. It isn’t a frightening or dizzy-making sensation, it’s nothing at all – and that’s far more terrible. But prayer is the only remedy for it, and however many little devils scurry around inside me, I shall cling to the rope God has thrown me in Jesus Christ, even if my numb hands can no long feel it."

    • Hans’s words are striking and impressive, anchored to an intellectual tradition, firm in conviction, articulate in expression. Yet it is Sophie... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      Hans’s words are striking and impressive, anchored to an intellectual tradition, firm in conviction, articulate in expression. Yet it is Sophie, wittier than Hans, plainer in appearance, highly artistic, deeply spiritual, and consumed by the beauty of nature despite the ugliness that intrudes upon her, who truly captivates the reader. As Richard Gilman observes in the Preface: ‘Although one’s admiration for Hans never falters, it’s Sophie who breaks your heart.’

    • The hours I spent alone with Hans and Sophie made me so very grateful that I read this collection. It is often painful to read, because we know how... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      The hours I spent alone with Hans and Sophie made me so very grateful that I read this collection. It is often painful to read, because we know how the story ends. But Hans and Sophie's twin stories are no less beautiful to experience through this collection of letters and random diary entries that cover several years leading up to their untimely deaths.

    • I’d never heard of Hans and Sophie Scholl or the White Rose before. In one way I’m glad to be just learning their story now against the backdrop of... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      I’d never heard of Hans and Sophie Scholl or the White Rose before. In one way I’m glad to be just learning their story now against the backdrop of our current political and cultural climate. May God raise up many more Hans and Sophie Scholls in our day. May we, like these young idealists, be willing to allow all our wish-dreams to be shattered by Jesus.

    • You have a new chance to read edited, revealing personal letters and diary entries from the Scholls that take you back inside a principled effort to...
    • At the Heart of the White Rose is a compilation of letters and diary entries shared between a brother and sister during the infamous reign of Adolf... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      At the Heart of the White Rose is a compilation of letters and diary entries shared between a brother and sister during the infamous reign of Adolf Hitler. Hans and Sophie Scholl, born in Germany, are young people on a mission. Together, they participate in a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany called the White Rose. These are two very intelligent people with hearts set on helping thwart the enemy. Through their efforts, they manage to form a vital resistance movement among their peers. Although they were both martyred for their efforts, they impacted many lives and will be remembered for their stand against horrendous evil.

    • The first half was a very slow read, but I devoured the second half in a few hours. These quotes from Sophie are incredibly poignant: "Isn’t it... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      The first half was a very slow read, but I devoured the second half in a few hours. These quotes from Sophie are incredibly poignant: "Isn’t it mysterious – and frightening, too, when one doesn’t know the reason – that everything should be so beautiful in spite of the terrible things that are happening? My sheer delight in all things beautiful has been invaded by a great unknown, an inkling of the creator whom his creatures glorify with their beauty. —That’s why man alone can be ugly, because he has the free will to disassociate himself from this song of praise. Nowadays one is often tempted to believe that he’ll drown the song with gunfire and curses and blasphemy. But it dawned on me last spring that he can’t, and I’ll try to take the winning side." "I’m still so remote from God that I don’t even sense his presence when I pray. Sometimes when I utter God’s name, in fact, I feel like sinking into a void. It isn’t a frightening or dizzy-making sensation, it’s nothing at all – and that’s far more terrible. But prayer is the only remedy for it, and however many little devils scurry around inside me, I shall cling to the rope God has thrown me in Jesus Christ, even if my numb hands can no long feel it."

    • Hans’s words are striking and impressive, anchored to an intellectual tradition, firm in conviction, articulate in expression. Yet it is Sophie... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      Hans’s words are striking and impressive, anchored to an intellectual tradition, firm in conviction, articulate in expression. Yet it is Sophie, wittier than Hans, plainer in appearance, highly artistic, deeply spiritual, and consumed by the beauty of nature despite the ugliness that intrudes upon her, who truly captivates the reader. As Richard Gilman observes in the Preface: ‘Although one’s admiration for Hans never falters, it’s Sophie who breaks your heart.’

    • The hours I spent alone with Hans and Sophie made me so very grateful that I read this collection. It is often painful to read, because we know how... Read More

      Review of At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

      The hours I spent alone with Hans and Sophie made me so very grateful that I read this collection. It is often painful to read, because we know how the story ends. But Hans and Sophie's twin stories are no less beautiful to experience through this collection of letters and random diary entries that cover several years leading up to their untimely deaths.

    PrevNext

    Write a Review

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