Newman Studies Journal

Contributing to the expanding body of literature on internal German resistance to Nazism, Paul Shrimpton's latest volume chronicles the inspiring tale of Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose resistance, a non-violent student movement against the Third Reich. For Shrimpton, previous scholarship on the White Rose has understated the religious inspiration and motivations of the protagonists, and he aims to bring this dimension into stronger focus. He argues for the particular influence of the Christian theology of Augustine, Pascal, Bernanos, and especially Newman on the White Rose students. To accomplish this sizable task, Shrimpton wisely attempts to return to the "original sources": the letters and diaries of both Hans and Sophie Scholl, as well as the White Rose leaflets themselves.

Shrimpton's very readable narrative opens with a study of Theodor Haecker, a translator of seven of Newman's works, and a deeply influential mentor to Hans and Sophie during their time in Munich. Chapter two then examines the Scholls's upbringing and time in Nazi youth organizations, where they developed a keen opposition to the National Socialist project. Chapter three traces the further development of the Scholls's interior and intellectual growth between 1939 and 1941, highlighting their ever-increasing acrimony towards the Reich and the war efforts. In chapter four, Shrimpton profiles the founding of the Windlicht magazine, a subversive periodical, composed mostly of articles, poems, and reflections antagonistic to the Nazi cultural program. Chapters five through seven focus on the writing, publishing, and distribution of the White Rose leaflets between the summer of 1942 and February of 1943. The leaflets became increasingly bold and were circulated through a continually more sophisticated and extensive distribution system. Chapter eight describes the arrest, trial and execution of the Scholls, along with their close collaborator Christoph Probst. The final two chapters examine the aftermath and legacy of the White Rose Movement, and Shrimpton successfully responds to various contemporary criticisms of the White Rose Movement. These criticisms are put forward by those thinking the White Rose students acted rashly, taking imprudent risks with their own lives, causing the arrests of their families and friends, and accomplishing very little real change. [End Page 124]

Shrimpton's narrative offers a complicated picture of both Hans and Sophie Scholl. Sophie's intimate diary entries and extensive correspondence with her boyfriend Fritz Harnagel, a Luftwaffe line officer, reveal a spiritually and emotionally sensitive young woman who was constantly wrestling with the deepest religious and moral questions. She felt compelled in conscience to speak out unabashedly against the regime. Hans is depicted as a rebellious and daring activist who faced deep personal turmoil, likely in part due to his substance abuse and sexuality. He had serious literary and philosophical interests and was ultimately responsible for drafting much of the language in the leaflets. Shrimpton draws out a profound spiritual sensitivity in both Hans and Sophie and evokes admiration for their heroism.

Shrimpton successfully shows the important religious dimension of the White Rose Movement, a dimension often overlooked by previous researchers. While Shrimpton clearly demonstrates that the students were exposed to Newman's work via Haecker and found it engaging and fruitful, it is not clear to what degree this exposure motivated their activities in the White Rose. Shrimpton's research unfortunately stops short of a full return to the original sources. He did not gain access to the entirety of the Scholl archive, rather making use of the 1987 compilation and translation of the Scholl letters and diaries.¹ Shrimpton's primary source is thus an edited selection of letters and diary entries in translation, which gives rise to various historiographical concerns. Shrimpton's aim of offering a fresh and unique narrative of the White Rose Movement would have been better served if he made use of the complete Scholl archive, reading it in the original German.

This...