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.
Godine 1943. saveznički avioni su nadletali nacističku Nemačku, obasipajući ljude desestinama hiljada letaka. Leci nepoznatih nemačkih autora podsticali su čitaoce da osude Hitlera, da se svim silama bore za budućnost - i da nikad ne izgube nadu.
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.
Njihov poziv na delanje prodirao je kroz domove i firme - a vesti o njihovim porukama su stizale čak i do koncentracionih logora i zatvora. Tek nakon završetka rata, identiteti, priče i tragična sudbina autora će da izađu na svetlo.
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.
Kada je Hitler došao na vlast deset godina ranije, Hans i Sofi Šol su bili tinejdžeri u gradu Forhtenbergu. U to vreme su strah, propaganda i nadzor držali sve aspekte života porodice Šol i miliona drugih Nemaca pod nacističkom kontrolom.
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.
Vlada je naročito ciljala mlade ljude, uspostavljajući insititucije radi regulacije i disciplinоvanja njihovog ponašanja i mišljenja. Kao tinejdžer, Hans je bio član Hitlerove omladine,
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.
a Sofi se pridružila Ligi nemačkih devojaka. Hans je napredovao u službi i nadgledao je obuku i indoktrinaciju drugih mladih ljudi. Godine 1936, odabran je da nosi zastavu tokom nacionalnog mitinga. Međutim, kad je posvedočio revnosti nacističke retorike,
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.
počeo je prvi put da je dovodi u pitanje. U međuvremenu je i Sofi počela da sumnja u informacije kojima su je kljukali. Njihovi roditelji, Robert i Magdalena, strahujući da im deca padaju pod kontrolu nacističke ideologije, ohrabrivali su ove slutnje. Kod kuće, Robert i Magdalena su slušali strane radijske stanice koje je vlada prvo neodobravala, a kasnije zabranila. Dok je vlada štancala nacionalne prenose koji su negirali nacistička zlodela,
And yet, they were still subject to the rules of life in Hitler’s Germany. After the outbreak of war, Sophie reluctantly worked for the national effort, and Hans had to take on army duties while attending medical school in Munich.
Šolovi su saznavali šokantne istine. Ipak, i dalje su bili podvrgnuti pravilima života u Hitlerovoj Nemačkoj. Nakon izbijanja rata, Sofi je nerado radila za nacionalne interese,
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?
a Hans je morao da preuzme vojne obaveze dok je pohađao medicinsku školu u Minhenu. Tu je Hans upoznao Kristofa Probsta, Vilija Grafa i Aleksandera Šmorela. Dan za danom, bilo im je sve više muka od nacističke ideologije. Čeznuli su da podele svoje stavove.
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.
Međutim, kako da ih šire kada je bilo nemoguće znati kome mogu da veruju? Zato su se prijatelji odlučili na anonimnu pobunu. Sakupili su svoj novac i kupili materijal za štampanje. Poznanik im je dozvolio da koriste podrum ispod njegovog studija.
In June 1942, mysterious anti-Nazi leaflets began appearing all over Munich. They were signed: the White Rose.
U tajnosti su počeli da osmišljavaju svoju poruku. Juna 1942. god, tajanstveni antinacistički leci su se pojavili širom Minhena.
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.
Imali su potpis: Bela ruža. Prvi letak je osuđivao Hitlera i pozivao je Nemce da sabotiraju ratne napore: „Usvojite pasivni otpor... zaustavite funkcionisanje ove ateističke ratne mašinerije pre nego što bude kasno, pre nego što i poslednji grad bude hrpa ruševina... pre nego što i poslednja mladost naše nacije nasmrt iskrvari... Ne zaboravite da svaki narod ima vladu koju zaslužuje!” U vremenu u kome je sarkastična opaska mogla da predstavlja izdaju, ovaj jezik je bio bez premca.
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.
Njegov tvorac je uglavnom bio Hans Šol. Godine 1942, Sofi je stigla u Minhen potpuno nesvesna bratovljevih aktivnosti. Uskoro je pronašla letke u školi. Međutim, tek kad je otkrila dokaze u Hansovoj sobi, shvatila je ko ih je napisao. Njena zapanjenost uskoro se preobratila u odlučnost: želela je da se pridruži.
From June 1942 to February 1943, the group worked feverishly. While the Gestapo searched for leads, the White Rose were constantly on guard.
I za brata i sestru, bilo je vreme da daju oduška besu koji je tinjao godinama. Od juna 1942. do februara 1943. godine, grupa je grozničavo radila. Dok je Gestapo tragao za tragovima,
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.
Bela ruža je stalno bila na oprezu. Rat je besneo. Zakoni su pooštreni i Minhen je bio bombardovan. Međutim, zavereništvo Bele ruže se produbljavalo. Ispisivali su grafite po zgradama i probijali se kroz vozove krcate Gestapom. U zimu 1942. godine, Hans je obavio izdajničko putovanje do čehoslovačke granice
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.
kako bi se sastao sa antinacističkim pobunjenicima. Na dan 18. februara 1943. godine, Sofi i Hans su doneli kofer pun letaka na njihov univerzitet.
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.
Domar je primetio šta su radili i prijavio ih je Gestapu. Oboje su mirno negirali umešanost - sve dok policija nije sakupila sve letke i smestila ih nazad u prazan kofer u koji su se savršeno uklopili. Kada su Hans i Sofi priznali, istog trena su izvedeni pred sud i osuđeni na smrt odsecanjem glave.
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?”
Uprkos iscrpljujućem ispitivanju, odbili su da izdaju sazaverenike. Pre pogubljenja, Sofi je obznanila svoj bes zbog stanja u njenoj zemlji. Međutim, takođe je govorila o boljoj budućnosti: „Kako možemo da očekujemo da pravednost pobedi kad gotovo da nikog nema ko je spreman da žrtvuje samog sebe zarad pravednog cilja? Tako lep i sunčan dan, a ja moram da idem, ali šta je moja smrt, ako kroz nas