In class, we've definitely seen many instances in which students have worked to speak their minds and protest against injustices. One of these instances, for example, includes the painting of the iconic Cannon replica at Tufts University - students at Tufts have painted their campus's cannon replica with words, colors, symbols, and messages in order to influence change in their university and speak their minds about current events. As university students, it is important to realize the power of our voice and the right we have to fight for what we think should be changed about our schools and our societies.
When looking at past instances of students rising up against injustice, one group has always stood out to me: Weiße Rose (English: White Rose). The White Rose was a group of students and young people in Munich, Germany during the Nazi regime who actively distributed pamphlets calling for citizens to oppose the Nazi regime. Between 1942 and 1943, the White Rose distributed a series of six pamphlets with essays discussing their ideas and calling for action. This, of course, was a very illegal practice at the time and could have resulted in very serious consequences to anyone who took part in these actions.
(Photo: One of the White Rose's leaflets. Source: padresteve.com)
On February 18th, 1943, two founders of the group, students and siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, brought a suitcase full of White Rose pamphlets and threw them into the common atrium of the University of Munich. Though the pamphlets were anonymously written, university staff spotted the siblings, and they were brought into custody. Hans and Sophie confessed in order to protect the other members of the White Rose from being condemned, and both were executed on February 22nd, 1943, the same day of their trial where they were found guilty.
When I first heard this story at the German Resistance Memorial Center, a museum in Berlin which is dedicated to illuminating those who rebelled against the Nazi regime, I was moved by the extent to which these students were willing to fight for freedom and their freedom of speech and expression. Knowing that Hans and Sophie Scholl were only 24 and 21, respectively, at the time of their trials, it really made me think about the power we have as young students to fight for a change. And although the White Rose isn't talked about in many introductory history courses, they are a popular resistance group from this time of suppression, and the fight they fought for freedom was definitely not in vain.
(Photo: Hans and Sophie Scholl with Cristoph Probst in 1942. Source: holocaustresearchproject.org)
I wanted to share this story because even almost a year after finding out about the White Rose, the story very much sticks with me. Feel free to leave your initial feelings about the White Rose below, and if you would like, comment about how you feel we have power as students and how we can be inspired by the determination of the students of the White Rose.
Sources: German Resistance Memorial Center; "White Rose" on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Rose)
I would highly recommend looking into their history further if you're at all interested!
I really enjoyed both stories; Tufts University and The White Rose. I think that both are great examples in their own right and prove to show just how far the acts of self expression and freedom of speech on campus has come. Looking at The White Rose, a college would NEVER be THAT extreme as to execute students. Granted this was in Germany and the time period does all the explaining needed. However, fast forward to having students paint and repaint a literal canon on campus. I can only imagine what would happen if The White Rose had painted a German canon on campus!
ReplyDeleteI have a different class that sometimes talks about activism and my professor has pointed out that for a person to protest for something they really need to be willing to die for it. She has talked about how every time she goes to a protest, she thinks about the possibility of dying at it. I can't imagine just throwing out fliers, like Hans and Sophie Scholl, and getting put on trial and executed for it. There are few things I feel willing to die for at this point in my life. The fact they were trying to inform people of how horrible the Nazi's were, when we learned about in class how other college students were getting swept up in the extreme Nazi Germany nationalism and pushing for mass book burning, is impressive. It really shows that these people had a head on their shoulders and knew not to get swept up in what every one else, including the country, was pushing toward. They knew rebelling and informing and asking others to oppose the Nazi regime was important. I don't know if they thought they would die for it, but it still takes a lot of strength to try to oppose such a national moving force in that time or any time.
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