Figure 1.--A youthful resister who has received some attention in recent years is student activist Sophie Scholl (1921-43). She was the daughter of the liberal politician Robert Scholl, an vehement NAZI critic. She was arrested for distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets at the University of Munich. This was one of the few ways young peeople could resist and very dangerous. She was tried and sentenced to death. Prison officials after the War in describing the scene, emphasized the courage with which she walked to her execution. Her last words were: "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to offer themselves up individually for a righteous cause? Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go."

We do not yet have much information on individual youths involved in the anti-NAZI resistance movement. we suspect that this was very difficult, given the enthusiasm with which many young people supported Hitler. There of course was a high degree of stahe management in public events. Given the enthusism we see in the photographic record as well as various written accounts, we think it is fairly safe to say that large numbers of young people ardently supported the Führer. And we see this even before the NAZIs seized power through to the very end. Hitler Youth boys were found to be fighting in the final months of the NAZI regime when older soldiers wanted nothing more than to surrender to the Americans and British rather than being being killed in a lost war or being taken captive by the Russians. But there were young people who resisted. It is interesting that these young people were dealt with within the judicial system and not simply committed to concentration camps. We are not sure why that was. Perhaps these are justtheonly ones we know about.

Hübener, Helmuth Günther Guddat (1925-42)

Helmuth Günther Guddat Hübener (1925–42) came from a Mormon (LDS) family. The Mormons were a small church, but included very few NAZIs. Helmuth grew up in Hamburg. was an enthusiatic Boy Scout until the group was banned and he was forced to join the Hitler Youth. As a boy he was deeply troubled by Kristalnacht. He was only 13 yearsold at the time, but horrified at what he saw. Unlike the britalization and killing of Jews in Poland, this was something that every German could see. He began questioning what he was being taught. He stopped participating in the Hitler Youth--a violtion of the required mandatory participation. Helmüth began listen to BBC radio broadcasts on his brothers radio, another violation of the law (summer 194). He learned more about how the Jews were treated. Together with three friends, he started making anti-Nazi pamphlets in an effort to inform people of what was happening in German occupied areas. He was quickly arrested for making and destributing anti-Nazi pamflets (February 5, 1942). He was one of the youngest opponents of the NAZI regimes to be tried by the Volksgerichtshof (People's Courts). These were special tribunals ordered by Hitler because the German courts had not yet been NAZIfied (1934). He was questioned, beaten and tortured before trial. Helmuth was found guilty and setenced to death (August 11). After the sentence was read, Helmuth turned and faced the judges, and said, "Now I must die, even though I have committed no crime. So now it's my turn, but your turn will come." He was only 17 years old. Two confederates received prison terms. Helmuth was beheaded by guillotine (October 27). He was 17 years old.

Scholl, Sophie (1921-43)

Another youthful resister was student activist Sophie Scholl (1921-43). She was the daughter of the liberal politician Robert Scholl, an vehement NAZI critic. She was arrested for distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets at the University of Munich. This was one of the few ways young people could resist and very dangerous. She was tried and sentenced to death. Prison officials after the War in describing the scene, emphasized the courage with which she walked to her execution. Her last words were: "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to offer themselves up individually for a righteous cause? Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go." (1943).

Created: 6:04 PM 7/28/2015
Last updated: 10:57 PM 4/2/2017