The White Rose Movement Essay Example

After the Nazi-Regime, it was calculated that almost “6 million Jewish lives had been executed”(United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).These 6 million lives were robbed of the opportunity to have a future. Their lives were stolen from them as they were a part of one of the biggest genocides in modern history.  Hitler used his persuasive rhetoric and propaganda to brainwash innocent Germans and convince them to support and even commit heinous acts. However, unlike the people who followed Hitler  there were  people like Hans and Sophie Scholl, as well as Miep Gies, who believed in resisting the Nazis. The Scholl children  resisted the Nazi-Regime by creating the White Rose movement. The White Rose movement  distributed pamphlets that encouraged people to oppose the Nazi-Regime. Miep Gies also opposing the Nazi-Regime helped  many Jewish families. She provided food, shelter and stability to those who at the time were in need of protection. 

The lengths Hans and Sophie Scholl and other students took to undermine a strong yet wrong minded group of people, will always demonstrate the courage people can behold when in times of inequality. In an article, “The Secret Student Group That Stood Up to the Nazis”, the author, Erin Blakemore states that, “ The students got their hands on a manual printing press and began to write texts that encouraged readers to resist the Nazis. They urged readers to engage in passive resistance, reject Nazi philosophy, sabotage the war effort and break through their apathy” (Blakemore). The fact that the White Rose movement demonstrated a daring and  brave act against an entire nation of Nazis reveals how despite the immoral acts that were upon Jews, they were still strong minded  people who believed in standing for what was right. The White Rose was an example of  this act because it showed resilience and courage to stand up to a much more powerful group that poisoned young minds on false and injustice information. The White Rose Movement quickly spread over many cities, however since  “Anti-Nazi speech was carefully monitored and investigated by the Gestapo, the danger of a denunciation was ever-present”(Blakemore). The White Rose Movement unfortunately came to an end in 1943 but despite the way things ended for the White Rose movement the fact a couple of young adults went against a movement that was so powerful and had been in power of an entire nation. Demonstrates  how even in the most horrible situations there are honorable people who stand for the greater good. The White Rose Movement was a  powerful and innovative act in modern history and will always be a sign of resilience and bravery. However besides the students who resisted and advocated for equality and justice from the Nazis there were others who resisted the Nazis by showing empathy. 

Miep Gies, being one of those individual, defied the Nazi-Regime by helping to ensure the safety of many families, including the renowned  Franks. In an article, “Miep Gies”,  Anne explained her appreciation towards Miep. In her diary she wrote, “‘Miep is just like a pack mule, she fetches and carries so much. Almost every day she manages to get hold of some vegetables for us and brings everything in shopping bags on her bicycle’” (Miep Gies). Taken together, the fact that Miep not only helped provide shelter for the Franks but also provided food and stability, clearly demonstrates how even in the most immoral times they were good people like Miep Gies, who believed in doing the right thing even if it meant the cost of their lives. And despite the Frank family later on being captured, the lengths Miep Gies took to ensure the safety of the Frank family was overall a brave and valiant thing to do. Miep Gies however, did not only provide protection for the three  families in the annex but “[a]t the same time, Miep and Jan Gies were hiding someone in their own home from May 1943 onwards. Kuno van der Horst, a 23-year-old student, went into hiding with the Gies family because he had refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the Nazis” (Miep Gies).The fact that Miep Gies helped people hide in her own home, clearly reveals how even in the most desperate time  Miep Gies still showed a brave and kind heart to those who had to bear the immoral and heinous acts from the Nazi Regime.  

Overall, the fact that Hans and Sophie Scholl and Miep Gies were ordinary people who made extraordinary sacrifices to stand for what was right exemplifies how even in a time of dejection and tragedy people can always oppose that hatred and bring out the good. And likewise to the coronavirus pandemic, though there were many people who lost their lives, those lives will never be forgotten and will always represent strength and bravery. Either it be with viruses, racial discrimation or just blatant hatred, people can rise for the occasion and grow stronger like the Nazi-Regime.