A friend twittera (1) recently recommended an excellent film to me: Sophie Scholl: The Last Days (two). What was my astonishment, when I saw before me a story about the Nazism and the Third Reich which I was completely unaware of. And that the subject is already hackneyed, right? It is not surprising my ignorance – nor yours –, taking into account that women tend to go more than unnoticed throughout history. Thus, starting from the fact that I had before my eyes a rebellious, brave woman and what ended assassinated for opposing the regime and defend their ideas in the most beautiful and peaceful, I did not hesitate one second. I had to investigate and tell you his story.
Therefore, I am going to introduce you to Sophie Scoll, a young woman who, enrolled in the Nazi youth from early childhood, kicked the Third Reich and rebelled against the system that Hitler had created. Are you ready to learn about the life of this intrepid woman and the story of “The White Rose”of which he was a part?
Sophie Scholl, member of the BDM, as a “good German”
Sophie Scholl was born in the early 1920s (3), into a German family, conservative and Lutheran, middle class (4). I was going to schoolHe got good grades had a pipe with her five siblings (5)… She enjoyed a normal childhood, like another little German girl. And, as was customary in Germany at the time, with just twelve years old he entered the BDM (6): the German Girls League. And first of all, she is so happy! (7).
Wait Anita, what is BDM? What invention is this? – You will ask yourself – I am delighted to explain them to you, that is why I am here.
As my grandmother used to say: the little tree grows from a very young age. And this is what Hitler and his henchmen must have thought. What better way to create a very Aryan and very Nazi nation than lecturing to the churumbeles from the cradle – or almost -. Thus, they created organizations, both male and femalefor this purpose, as a “Hitler Youth” (8). – No, I’m not going to make the joke easy, although I have it on the tip of my tongue –. In this way, the BDM, exclusively for girls (9). You know, the Nazis were “very orderly”: boys with boys, girls with girls. Let’s see if that was going to be a riot! The objective, obviously, was to put him in the chavalada even through the eyes nazi ideology (10).
The requirements to be admitted? Be German, Aryan and no hereditary diseases (eleven). Alas, these Nazis and their taste for “perfection”! And, as they were so solemn, they celebrated their admission ceremony (12), with an oath included:
«I promise to always do my duty in the Hitler Youth, in love and loyalty to our leader and our flag» (13).
They sucked the brain that was tasty, hey!
The BDM? A super “camp” chachi!
For Attract the boys into their ranks, the Nazis displayed a marketing campaign that was nice They were not going to come at you with messages of hate and supremacy. Let’s see if you think they were douchebag! A) Yes, offered some attractive leisure activities (14). Concentrate and you will hear the girls: Mom, mom! I want to go to the BDM that Hedda told me that they ski, dance, do theater, they sing around the fire…! Holy shit mom, sign me up! Or to parents: The tiring virgin is the girl! We are going to enroll her in the BDM, they go hiking, excursions, cook… They entertain us there, sure! At least, they tire us out, let’s see if she doesn’t give so much for sack.
Sure, these activities ranged from male to female Hitler Youth. Gender roles and stereotypes were put into practice from childhood. The activities of the BDM were focused on awakening “the grace” of the little girls, so that they in the future they would be mothers feten. So, the gym addressed to them was very feminine and very feminine. That the good weather was leaving and it was starting to cool down? – With the scratch that plagues Germany in winter, they were not going to take them out to play sports in the open air -. Well, they put them to sew or a knit. His labors of him, with a pair! So the Nazis would have well controlled the future women, stuck at home (fifteen).
Of course, both the little ones and the adolescents – well, the organization was divided by age (16) – were going well uniformed: little skirt navy blue, white shirt and handkerchief black around the neck In winter – because of the scratchiness – they were allowed to wear pants, also blue, jacket brown and a black beret (17). How cute they are – and what scaredso many clones mini-nazis together -!
Do you want to study girl? Great! But first, suck up a year serving the regime!
Three years after Sophie Scholl joined the BDM, the income was imposed What required (18). After finishing the stage of the BDM and make a mandatory benefit for one year to the National Labor Service – usually a job related to the fields or military service, like real Germans! –, young women could go to university (19). The alternative to provide said service, it was train in a kindergartensince Hitler he liked it instill love for children (20). ohFostering motherhood to sack, that it was necessary to give birth to pure Germans! At the end of this year, they could also continue their training as Nazis in other organizations (21). But most of them either went to college or got married (22).
German women giving the callus for the Third Reich
When the Second World Warthe BDM youngsters were called for provide different services, for the sake of rowing in favor of Nazi work. They helped German families who had lost everything during the bombings with clothes, collected paper that was later turned into fuel, helped out in hospitals and train stations, where they received wounded German soldiers, encouraged rear troops by singing… (2. 3). The older ones went to occupied Poland and were in charge of instructing the Polish girls, who had been chosen for their racial purity to live with German families. Goal? A “germanization” fully fledged, go (24).
At the end of the war, even a few BDM girls joined the National Front and helped defend Berlin against the Red Army (25). In 1944the BDM was the largest youth women’s organization in the worldwith 4.5 million members (26). Disbanded a year laterby order of the allies (27), when Nazism went to hell. But let’s go back to Sophie Scholl’s biography, because her adventures have only just begun.
Sophie Scholl did not want to “serve” that mob
The Shopie Scholl’s troubles with the Nazis started when she was 16 years oldby “bad companies” that the girl had. Their brother Hans and some friends were members of a communist youth organization (28). And, of course, the Gestapo he took her by the band for interrogate her. As a consequence, his reputation within the BDM was pretty screwed up and he lost the little stand of a leader she had (29). Three years later, he passed through the BDM and finished high school – the last school year it was Quite complicatedsince Sophie adopted a passive position before the imposition of the Nazi ideology – and since Sophie spent a lot of time sucking her blissful year rendering services to the Hitler regime, chose to train as a teacher kindergarten. But she hears they did not consent (30).
For this reason, he had to screw himself and head for the Black forestto carry out their auxiliary military service, for the National Labor Service (31). And this already touched the tripe … Sophie was full of Nazis! so he started reading a lota to paint – that he was given luxury – and to practice the passive resistancewhich did not stop putting her in scrubbed (32).
Finally heading to Munich, to the Uni!
A year later, when her obligation to the Third Reich had theoretically ended, Sophie Scholl enrolled at the University of Munichfor study philosophy and biology (33). At last! there it was already his brother Hanswith which he did pandi and enjoyed the intense cultural life of the city (34). How beautiful it was to live for the Scholl brothers! until he came summer and Sophie had to return to auxiliary military service by balls (35). Also, to add to the anger Sophie was already feeling, “Dad Scholl” arrested for criticizing Hitler and his brother and friends they had to go to serve on the Russian front (36).
But there was a third factor – the most important one – that ended light your revolutionary flame. During his first months at the university, the first pamphlets appeared of a resistance group against the Third Reich (37), called “The White Rose”… (38).
“We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The white rose will not leave you alone! Please read and distribute!” (40).
The White Rose: German university students against the Nazis?
The activists of The White Rose they were some college buddies (41), who intended passively confront the Hitler regimefighting the violence and criminality of the Nazis through the pamphlets they threw (42). The content of these betrayed them to the Gestapo, since it was not very difficult to guess that behind such fine prose there were some cultured and well educated youngsters (43). The first four pamphlets that they released had a highly intellectual contentfull of biblical and philosophical quotes (44). This was because they were heavily influenced by Catholic intellectuals (45). Until the beginning of the following year they were launching these pamphlets, first in munich and then too from other cities (46), inviting passive resistance. But they were coming up, and They set themselves the goal of overthrowing the Hitlerite government.. A mission Impossiblebecause there were four cats (47).
The sad reality was that the vast majority of university students were sympathetic to Nazism and those who had rebelled against the regime some time ago were already detained (48). For this reason, initially Gestapo he peeled it off quite the dance of papers that the activists of The White Rose. Why launch a repressive campaign against them? If they were four crazy! But precisely this apathy on the part of the logs made the members of The White Rose they trusted and underestimated them in a bad way (49). The pen got hot…
The Scholl brothers against Hitler
But who were these daredevils? Well, the founders of The White Rose were Hans Scholl and a friend of his (fifty). They were joined a couple more medical students (51) and a teacher (52). And, to complete the group, he joined them sophie schol (53).
sophie I had read the first brochure that they launched before her departure, and she was amazed. right away discovered that his brother was behindand heand begged to be part of the resistance group. so she too took part in the printing and distribution of the next three pamphlets, before leaving to serve, again, the Nazis (54). These six brave men led the resistance, and they…