In 1943 Allied aircraft swooped over Nazi Germany, raining tens of thousands of leaflets on people below. Written by anonymous Germans, the leaflets urged readers to renounce Hitler, to fight furiously for the future— and to never give up hope.
Pada tahun 1943, pesawat Sekutu mengudara di langit Nazi Jerman, menjatuhkan puluhan ribu selebaran ke orang-orang di bawahnya. Ditulis oleh warga Jerman anonim, selebaran itu mendorong pembaca agar menolak Hitler,
Their call to action rippled through homes and businesses— and news of their message even reached concentration camps and prisons. It was only after the war had ended that the authors’ identities, stories, and tragic fate would come to light.
berjuang demi masa depan— dan tak pernah menyerah. Seruan aksi mereka menyebar ke rumah-rumah dan bisnis— beritanya bahkan sampai ke kamp konsentrasi dan penjara. Setelah perang usai, barulah identitas, cerita, dan nasib tragis penulisnya terkuak.
When Hitler seized power 10 years earlier, Hans and Sophie Scholl were teenagers in the town of Forchtenberg. At that time, fear, propaganda, and surveillance kept all aspects of life for the Scholl family and millions of other Germans under Nazi control.
Ketika Hitler merebut kekuasaan 10 tahun sebelumnya, Hans dan Sophie Scholl masih remaja di kota Forchtenberg. Saat itu, ketakutan, propaganda, dan pengawasan membuat kehidupan keluarga Scholl dan jutaan warga Jerman lain berada di bawah kendali Nazi.
The government specifically targeted young people, setting up institutions to regulate their behavior and police their thoughts. As teenagers, Hans was a member of the Hitler Youth and Sophie joined The League of German Girls.
Pemerintah khususnya menargetkan anak muda, mendirikan institusi guna mengatur perilaku dan pikiran mereka. Sebagai remaja, Hans merupakan anggota dari Hitler Youth dan Sophie bergabung dengan The League of German Girls.
Hans rose through the ranks and oversaw the training and indoctrination of other young people. In 1936, he was chosen to carry the flag at a national rally. But when he witnessed the zeal of Nazi rhetoric, he began to question it for the first time.
Peringkat Hans melesat dan ia mengawasi pelatihan dan indoktrinasi remaja lain. Tahun 1936, dia terpilih membawa bendera di reli nasional. Namun, saat dia melihat semangat retorik Nazi, dia mulai menyangsikannya untuk pertama kali.
Meanwhile, Sophie was also starting to doubt the information she was being fed. Their parents Robert and Magdalena, who had feared they were losing their children to Nazi ideology, encouraged these misgivings. At home, Robert and Magdalena listened to foreign radio stations that the government first discouraged and later banned. While the government churned out national broadcasts which denied Nazi atrocities, the Scholls learned shocking truths.
Sementara itu, Sophie juga mulai meragukan informasi yang didapatnya. Orang tua mereka, Robert dan Magdalena, yang khawatir anak-anak mereka terpengaruh ideologi Nazi, memperkuat keraguan mereka. Di rumah, Robert dan Magdalena mendengarkan stasiun radio asing yang mulanya tidak dianjurkan kemudian dilarang oleh pemerintah. Saat pemerintah menggalakkan siaran nasional yang menyangkal kekejaman Nazi,
And yet, they were still subject to the rules of life in Hitler’s Germany. After the outbreak of war,
keluarga Scholl justru mendengar kebenaran. Namun, mereka masih berada di bawah aturan Hitler.
Sophie reluctantly worked for the national effort, and Hans had to take on army duties while attending medical school in Munich.
Setelah perang pecah, Sophie dengan enggan bekerja untuk upaya nasional, dan Hans mengemban tugas tentara sambil kuliah kedokteran di Munich.
That was where Hans met Christoph Probst, Willi Graf and Alexander Schmorell. Day by day, each grew more sickened by Nazi ideology. They longed to share their views. But how could they spread them, when it was impossible to know who to trust?
Di sanalah Hans bertemu Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, dan Alexander Schmorell. Hari demi hari, mereka semakin muak dengan ideologi Nazi. Mereka ingin berbagi wawasan. Namun, bagaimana caranya jika tak tahu siapa yang bisa dipercaya?
And so, the friends decided to rebel anonymously. They pooled their money and bought printing materials. An acquaintance let them use a cellar under his studio. In secret, they began drafting their message.
Maka, mereka memutuskan untuk memberontak secara anonim. Mereka mengumpulkan uang dan membeli bahan cetak. Seorang kenalan meminjamkan gudang di bawah studionya. Diam-diam, mereka mulai menyusun pesan mereka.
In June 1942, mysterious anti-Nazi leaflets began appearing all over Munich. They were signed: the White Rose.
Juni 1942, selebaran anti-Nazi misterius mulai bermunculan di Munich. Pesan itu ditandatangani oleh White Rose.
The first leaflet denounced Hitler and called for Germans to sabotage the war effort: “Adopt passive resistance… block the functioning of this atheistic war machine before it is too late, before the last city is a heap of rubble… before the last youth of our nation bleeds to death... Don’t forget that each people gets the government it deserves!” At a time when a sarcastic remark could constitute treason, this language was unprecedented. It was written mostly by Hans Scholl.
Selebaran pertama mencela Hitler dan mengajak warga Jerman agar menyabotase upaya perang: "Jalankan resistensi pasif... blokir fungsi mesin tempur atheis ini sebelum terlambat, sebelum kota terakhir menjadi reruntuhan... sebelum pemuda terakhir bangsa kita mati... Jangan lupa, setiap orang berhak atas pemerintah yang layak!” Di masa komentar sarkastik bisa dianggap pengkhianatan, tulisan semacam ini adalah yang pertama. Selebaran itu sebagian besar ditulis oleh Hans Scholl.
In 1942, Sophie came to Munich knowing nothing of her brother’s activities. She soon encountered the leaflets at school. But it was not until she discovered evidence in Han’s room that she realized who’d written them. Her shock soon gave way to resolve: she wanted in. For both siblings, it was time to escalate the fury that had been brewing for years.
Tahun 1942, Sophie yang tak tahu kegiatan sang kakak datang ke Munich. Dia pun mendapatkan selebaran itu di sekolah. Namun, setelah dia menemukan bukti di kamar Hans, barulah dia sadar siapa penulisnya. Rasa terkejutnya sekejap berganti: dia ingin bergabung. Bagi mereka, inilah saat menyebarkan kemarahan selama bertahun-tahun.
From June 1942 to February 1943, the group worked feverishly. While the Gestapo searched for leads, the White Rose were constantly on guard.
Dari Juni 1942 hingga Februari 1943, kelompok itu bekerja cepat. Saat Gestapo memburu petunjuk, White Rose selalu berjaga-jaga.
The war raged on. Regulations tightened, and Munich suffered air raids. But the White Rose ventured deeper into conspiracy. They graffitied buildings and braved trains swarming with Gestapo. In the winter of 1942, Hans made a treacherous journey to the Czechoslovakian border to meet anti-Nazi rebels.
Perang berlanjut. Peraturan diperketat, dan Munich mendapat serangan udara. Namun, White Rose terjun lebih dalam ke konspirasi. Mereka mencorat-coret dinding dan menaiki kereta penuh Gestapo. Di musim dingin tahun 1942, Hans melakukan perjalanan berbahaya ke perbatasan Cekoslowakia untuk bertemu pemberontak anti-Nazi.
On February 18, 1943, Sophie and Hans brought a suitcase of leaflets to their university. A custodian noticed what they were doing and reported them to the Gestapo.
Tanggal 18 Februari 1943, Sophie dan Hans membawa koper berisi selebaran ke kampus mereka. Seorang petugas memergoki mereka dan melapor ke Gestapo.
Both calmly denied any involvement— until the police gathered all the leaflets and placed them back in the empty case, where they fit perfectly. When Hans and Sophie confessed, they were immediately led to court and sentenced to death by guillotine. Despite a grueling interrogation, the two refused to betray their co-conspirators.
Keduanya dengan tenang menyangkal keterlibatan— sampai saat polisi mengembalikan semua selebaran ke koper kosong, yang ternyata ukurannya sesuai. Ketika Hans dan Sophie mengaku, mereka diadili dan dijatuhi hukuman mati dengan <i>guillotine</i>. Walau diinterogasi dengan keras, keduanya tak mengkhianati rekan konspirator mereka.
Before her execution, Sophie declared her fury at the state of her country. But she also spoke to a more hopeful future: “How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause? 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?”
Sebelum dieksekusi, Sophie menyerukan kemarahan atas kondisi negaranya. Namun, dia juga berbicara demi masa depan yang lebih baik: "Bagaimana kita mengharapkan keadilan jika tak ada orang yang rela berkoban untuk hal yang benar? Hari ini indah, dan aku harus pergi, tetapi apalah arti kematianku, jika lewat kami, ribuan orang akan bangkit dan bergerak melawan?"