White Rose

GERMAN ANTI-NAZI GROUP

WRITTEN BY: 

• Michael Ray

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World War II: White RoseOverview of the White Rose.Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, MainzSee all videos for this article

White Rose, German anti-Nazi group formed in Munich in 1942. Unlike the conspirators of the July Plot (1944) or participants in such youth gangs as the Edelweiss Pirates, the members of the White Rose advocated nonviolent resistance as a means of opposing the Nazi regime.

White RoseHans and Sophie Scholl, c. 1940.Authenticated News/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Three of the group’s founding members—Hans Scholl, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell—were medical students at the University of Munich. While on the Eastern Front, the trio observed the