It's February 22, sixty-nine years after Christoph Probst, Hans Scholl, and Sophie Scholl were convicted of treason in Germany's Volksgericht and promptly beheaded. While much about that day has been fairy-taled beyond recognition, one element of the legend has basis in fact.
Namely, as Hans Scholl was being led to his death, he shouted Long live freedom!
Now, he did not shout it loudly enough for the whole prison to hear. And he did not shout it after sharing a cigarette with Christl and Sophie. And he did not shout it after shedding a tear for an unnamed 'girlfriend' of any sort.
But his final words - appropriately enough - reminded the executioner, prison chaplain, and witnesses to his death that the friends of the White Rose were giving their lives for the notion that "freedom of the individual" was worth fighting for. Three leaflets had specifically mentioned their obsession with this personal freedom that had been taken from them by Hitler and his regime.
Showing posts with label white rose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label white rose. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Cornucopia of life
When considering the consequences of informed dissent and civil disobedience, we tend to focus on "Big Events" and the negative aspects of such actions. The beheadings. The imprisonments. The public ridicule. The loss of friends, the betrayal of family. The condemnation by a society unworthy of true patriotism and unfettered integrity.
And indeed, the sacrifice is great.
But it is only half the story, only one side of the coin.
When a person takes a difficult stand for what is right, for what is noble, he may lose friends, she may forfeit status in her community, he may feel isolated, she may wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to go along. Some who are driven by ethics and honesty may even lose their lives, money, and assets.
And indeed, the sacrifice is great.
But it is only half the story, only one side of the coin.
When a person takes a difficult stand for what is right, for what is noble, he may lose friends, she may forfeit status in her community, he may feel isolated, she may wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to go along. Some who are driven by ethics and honesty may even lose their lives, money, and assets.
Monday, May 3, 2010
"I am the son of Christoph Probst..."
The Legacy of the White Rose
In 1976 when my Aunt Angelika died, I read my father’s letters for the first time. They had been in the estate of his sister. My father’s letters to my mother had burned in Lermoos, and the letters with political content had been destroyed out of fear of imprisonment under kinship laws in 1943.
For the first time, my father became close to me. I appreciated him in his being, saw him live his short life. And now I recognized how many portrayals of the White Rose did him an injustice, yes, how
In 1976 when my Aunt Angelika died, I read my father’s letters for the first time. They had been in the estate of his sister. My father’s letters to my mother had burned in Lermoos, and the letters with political content had been destroyed out of fear of imprisonment under kinship laws in 1943.
For the first time, my father became close to me. I appreciated him in his being, saw him live his short life. And now I recognized how many portrayals of the White Rose did him an injustice, yes, how
Monday, March 29, 2010
Calling all students of Omer Bartov
Last week, the Shoah Foundation sponsored an "international academic forum" on the use of its visual history archive. As part of that conference, Dr. Omer Bartov (Brown University) lectured on reconstructing the Holocaust from below.
Since this topic shares the same foundation as our own work, I took good notes!
Bartov notes that generally, those who lived in Europe between 1933 and 1945 tend to be classified as victims, perpetrators, or bystanders. Black and white. Defined as one of the three, period.
He argues that "testimonies" ~ such as those found in the Shoah Foundation's video archives ~ must be integrated into Holocaust history with validity equalling that of more traditional, "historical"
Since this topic shares the same foundation as our own work, I took good notes!
Bartov notes that generally, those who lived in Europe between 1933 and 1945 tend to be classified as victims, perpetrators, or bystanders. Black and white. Defined as one of the three, period.
He argues that "testimonies" ~ such as those found in the Shoah Foundation's video archives ~ must be integrated into Holocaust history with validity equalling that of more traditional, "historical"
Monday, November 2, 2009
Truth Will Tell
Anyone who has followed our work for more than half a second knows that a major obstacle to truthful telling of White Rose history is, has been, and for the foreseeable future will continue to be Inge Aicher-Scholl and her heirs. In addition to Inge's still-mindboggling refusal to grant me an interview, the overwhelming majority (about 90%) of Scholl Archives are off limits for the next 20 - 25 years.
Inge and her heirs have controlled the White Rose story almost mercilessly for the past sixty-four years. They've browbeaten anyone who's deviated from her carefully crafted half-truths, including (but not limited to) Christian Petry, Vincent Probst and the Probst family, and even Fritz Hartnagel, Inge's own brother-in-law and Sophie Scholl's sometimes-boyfriend.
She controlled photographs, Borg*-ing copyrights from dozens of White Rose friends and associates with her "Copyright Geschwister Scholl Archiv" stamp - even when they had not granted her copyright permission. She refused her own family members (specifically, the Hartnagels)
Inge and her heirs have controlled the White Rose story almost mercilessly for the past sixty-four years. They've browbeaten anyone who's deviated from her carefully crafted half-truths, including (but not limited to) Christian Petry, Vincent Probst and the Probst family, and even Fritz Hartnagel, Inge's own brother-in-law and Sophie Scholl's sometimes-boyfriend.
She controlled photographs, Borg*-ing copyrights from dozens of White Rose friends and associates with her "Copyright Geschwister Scholl Archiv" stamp - even when they had not granted her copyright permission. She refused her own family members (specifically, the Hartnagels)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Susanne Zeller-Hirzel, the enigma
If you've read my White Rose histories, you know how much I enjoyed and appreciated Susanne Hirzel's memoir, Vom Ja Zum Nein [From Yes to No]. She's honest and up front about so many things. Her words ring true, because she only wrote about what she knew. She never insinuated herself into White Rose activities that were beyond the scope of her limited engagement.
And if you've read the updates to the academic version of those same histories, you know how problematic things became once her brother Hans Hirzel joined the Republikaner party, a far-right-wing, extremist political party in Germany. He eventually un-joined and returned to the CDU, a normal conservative affiliation.
And if you've read the updates to the academic version of those same histories, you know how problematic things became once her brother Hans Hirzel joined the Republikaner party, a far-right-wing, extremist political party in Germany. He eventually un-joined and returned to the CDU, a normal conservative affiliation.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
New White Rose "pop quiz"
I just spent a most enjoyable afternoon putting together a new "pop quiz" about the White Rose. There are no trick questions.
Give it a shot, and then let me know what you think! Click here to take the quiz.
Give it a shot, and then let me know what you think! Click here to take the quiz.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The "Love-Hate" part of our work
Today I stumbled across a Web site with attached forum that initially made me angry. I know the person behind it. Met her at the Orenburg conference in September 2007.
She's insecure, the kind of insecure that feels the need to elbow her way into the middle of every picture. The kind of insecure that babbles incessantly, so that people tend to run the other direction when they see her coming. The kind of insecure that isn't above rearranging the name tags on the tables so she can sit on the dais.
We were stuck on a train with her for twenty-two hours. Oy. No fun. All of the above, plus she wouldn't stop trying to prove her superiority. Finally had to ignore her, which was hard. She was in our "reserved" compartment, after all. Have I already said "Oy"?
She's insecure, the kind of insecure that feels the need to elbow her way into the middle of every picture. The kind of insecure that babbles incessantly, so that people tend to run the other direction when they see her coming. The kind of insecure that isn't above rearranging the name tags on the tables so she can sit on the dais.
We were stuck on a train with her for twenty-two hours. Oy. No fun. All of the above, plus she wouldn't stop trying to prove her superiority. Finally had to ignore her, which was hard. She was in our "reserved" compartment, after all. Have I already said "Oy"?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Logical Disconnects
Several years ago, a fellow who follows our work emailed me a link to a most bizarre Web site. There's a group of far, far right-wing extremists who decorate people who murder abortion doctors with a White Rose, in honor of Hans and Sophie Scholl. That's what their Web site proclaims, as unbelievable as it sounds.
I've often wondered if those ... people understand what White Rose stood for nearly seventy years ago. They haven't got a clue.
That makes about as much sense as the anti-Semitic Web site (which has since come down) that quoted Mordechai Anielewicz as a good thing. Somewhere, there's a logical disconnect.
In these days of Obama, when the KKK and John Birch Society are seeing their ranks swell with racists who are becoming ever more vocal with their hate speech, it's interesting to see what my daily Google alert for White Rose resistance brings me. Because a growing number of these haters bedeck themselves with the mantle and mantras of the White Rose. It would be funny were it not so sad.
Although the friends we call the White Rose were hardly of one mind in their politics and religious beliefs, and although a few - most notably Professor Kurt Huber - struggled with anti-Semitism till the very end, in general the students and adults we know as the White Rose advocated liberty and justice for all. They abhorred the murders of human beings for whatever reason. They promoted ideals that we associate with tolerance, compassion, and hearts that broke at the crimes their country perpetrated.
The far, far right wing wannabe politicos that wrap themselves in the words of the White Rose take those very words out of context. Instead of working for tikkun olam - repairing the world - they try to marginalize the Other. The very thing the White Rose worked to undo.
Alex Schmorell especially felt like an Other, neither Russian nor German. As did Christoph Probst, whose stepmother had been relegated to a no-class citizen, much as the KKK/JBS does to the Other in our country.
It is a terrible thing when we must rescue the good story of civil disobedience and informed dissent from the hands of those whose lives and words most imitate the oppressors during the dark days we call the Holocaust or Shoah. But rescue it we must.
Freedom and honor. Those concepts were abused for twelve horrible years seventy years ago. We must not allow them to be abused again.
I've often wondered if those ... people understand what White Rose stood for nearly seventy years ago. They haven't got a clue.
That makes about as much sense as the anti-Semitic Web site (which has since come down) that quoted Mordechai Anielewicz as a good thing. Somewhere, there's a logical disconnect.
In these days of Obama, when the KKK and John Birch Society are seeing their ranks swell with racists who are becoming ever more vocal with their hate speech, it's interesting to see what my daily Google alert for White Rose resistance brings me. Because a growing number of these haters bedeck themselves with the mantle and mantras of the White Rose. It would be funny were it not so sad.
Although the friends we call the White Rose were hardly of one mind in their politics and religious beliefs, and although a few - most notably Professor Kurt Huber - struggled with anti-Semitism till the very end, in general the students and adults we know as the White Rose advocated liberty and justice for all. They abhorred the murders of human beings for whatever reason. They promoted ideals that we associate with tolerance, compassion, and hearts that broke at the crimes their country perpetrated.
The far, far right wing wannabe politicos that wrap themselves in the words of the White Rose take those very words out of context. Instead of working for tikkun olam - repairing the world - they try to marginalize the Other. The very thing the White Rose worked to undo.
Alex Schmorell especially felt like an Other, neither Russian nor German. As did Christoph Probst, whose stepmother had been relegated to a no-class citizen, much as the KKK/JBS does to the Other in our country.
It is a terrible thing when we must rescue the good story of civil disobedience and informed dissent from the hands of those whose lives and words most imitate the oppressors during the dark days we call the Holocaust or Shoah. But rescue it we must.
Freedom and honor. Those concepts were abused for twelve horrible years seventy years ago. We must not allow them to be abused again.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Why my White Rose research began ~ July 1994
In July 1994, I was working away at my translation business when I stopped to really look at the week's photography of the German American Chamber of Commerce calendar. The photograph of Munich caught my eye first. That's the way the city looks when Foehn blows in, that southern, Italian wind that clears out cobwebs and lets you see the Alps from the city. A picture this clear can probably be taken only once every ten years.
But then, who were these people in the old snapshot? I had never heard of them before. "Must be Communists," I thought. Then the air conditioning went out, and a horrid landlord would not fix it for nearly a week. He drove me straight into the arms of the Houston Public Library.
I cried when I read those first few books by Hanser and Dumbach/Newborn. Spent a lot of time reading extant literature (all secondary sources), moved beyond words by a story of genuine martyrdom and sacrifice. I wrote the first draft of my nonfiction novel and decided I simply had to go to Germany to tie up the loose ends.
Sold my translation company in January 1995, and convinced my mom to travel with me as videographer, then headed out, thinking I would only need the three months we had scheduled to wrap it all up and get this thing out the door to a publisher. The Forsters had agreed to let us have their Ferienwohnung near Bad Toelz for the Munich portion of our stay, and they provided far more than that. They showed up with warm winter clothes, including wool coats, and maps.
Early March 1995, after attending the annual memorial service at the University of Munich on February 22, I received a letter from Inge Aicher-Scholl that I thought had surely ended my White Rose research. Her letter was essentially a Schreibverbot, in which she stated that she had written the only book that ever needed to be written about the White Rose, and that she was henceforth forbidding her publisher (S. Fischer Verlag), her agent, and her son (who had taken over the Scholl Archives) from speaking to me. I still do not know what I ever did to deserve such a letter before she had ever exchanged a single word with me. I had only written her, asking for an interview, and she had granted dozens of interviews before.
Being the honest, direct person that I am, I notified each subsequent person of Inge's letter. Instead of doors slamming in my face, they miraculously opened. People talked who had been silent before, and people who had talked said things they had suppressed for many years.
For it turns out that the White Rose story has been controlled by Inge for half a century. At the expense of the truth, and the friendships that made their resistance possible.
The truth is sometimes uglier than the legend that has grown up around the resistance movement. Haloes came crashing to the ground, as weaknesses were exposed and the thirty or so among these friends were shown to be regular people like the rest of us. The generic term of "Christian humanists" that this calendar chose is woefully inaccurate. Some were devout Christians, pained by the way their churches had deserted them. Others were not Christian at all, following anthroposophism or secular humanism as their guiding principles. Some became more religious, others less, as 1933 faded into 1943.
Some, specifically Hans Scholl, demonstrated gross negligence and irresponsibility in their behavior, causing more harm to be inflicted on the friends than was necessary. And others, like Susanne Hirzel, overcame fear of being caught, doing some small thing or another that contributed to the whole.
The true story, the whole story, still makes me cry. But it also makes me angry, makes me laugh, makes me question, makes me want to sing and rage at the same time. If my readers do the same in at least half the measure as I, then I will have succeeded.
But then, who were these people in the old snapshot? I had never heard of them before. "Must be Communists," I thought. Then the air conditioning went out, and a horrid landlord would not fix it for nearly a week. He drove me straight into the arms of the Houston Public Library.
I cried when I read those first few books by Hanser and Dumbach/Newborn. Spent a lot of time reading extant literature (all secondary sources), moved beyond words by a story of genuine martyrdom and sacrifice. I wrote the first draft of my nonfiction novel and decided I simply had to go to Germany to tie up the loose ends.
Sold my translation company in January 1995, and convinced my mom to travel with me as videographer, then headed out, thinking I would only need the three months we had scheduled to wrap it all up and get this thing out the door to a publisher. The Forsters had agreed to let us have their Ferienwohnung near Bad Toelz for the Munich portion of our stay, and they provided far more than that. They showed up with warm winter clothes, including wool coats, and maps.
Early March 1995, after attending the annual memorial service at the University of Munich on February 22, I received a letter from Inge Aicher-Scholl that I thought had surely ended my White Rose research. Her letter was essentially a Schreibverbot, in which she stated that she had written the only book that ever needed to be written about the White Rose, and that she was henceforth forbidding her publisher (S. Fischer Verlag), her agent, and her son (who had taken over the Scholl Archives) from speaking to me. I still do not know what I ever did to deserve such a letter before she had ever exchanged a single word with me. I had only written her, asking for an interview, and she had granted dozens of interviews before.
Being the honest, direct person that I am, I notified each subsequent person of Inge's letter. Instead of doors slamming in my face, they miraculously opened. People talked who had been silent before, and people who had talked said things they had suppressed for many years.
For it turns out that the White Rose story has been controlled by Inge for half a century. At the expense of the truth, and the friendships that made their resistance possible.
The truth is sometimes uglier than the legend that has grown up around the resistance movement. Haloes came crashing to the ground, as weaknesses were exposed and the thirty or so among these friends were shown to be regular people like the rest of us. The generic term of "Christian humanists" that this calendar chose is woefully inaccurate. Some were devout Christians, pained by the way their churches had deserted them. Others were not Christian at all, following anthroposophism or secular humanism as their guiding principles. Some became more religious, others less, as 1933 faded into 1943.
Some, specifically Hans Scholl, demonstrated gross negligence and irresponsibility in their behavior, causing more harm to be inflicted on the friends than was necessary. And others, like Susanne Hirzel, overcame fear of being caught, doing some small thing or another that contributed to the whole.
The true story, the whole story, still makes me cry. But it also makes me angry, makes me laugh, makes me question, makes me want to sing and rage at the same time. If my readers do the same in at least half the measure as I, then I will have succeeded.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
History: January through December 2008
May 21, 2008
Getting out our quarterly newsletter is always a bear of a project. The old maxim "Spend money to save time, spend time to save money" definitely applies to our operations at present. What takes half a day for better-funded organizations requires a good week for us, a week that ends with aching hands and backs, and plenty of paper cuts.
Not complaining, not really. It's just that "the newsletter" is so fresh on my mind, since it finally was marked off my to-do list yesterday.
I was surprised at how polarizing this particular issue of our newsletter turned out to be. (Check it out for yourself.) I did not see anything extraordinary about it, anything that would be deemed too radical. But evidently, the themes of informed dissent and civil disobedience do not sit well in red states.
The thing that really leaves me dumbfounded, however: Schools that are all ga-ga over the White Rose, sponsor White Rose events, name buildings or conferences for the White Rose (or usually only Hans and Sophie Scholl - these schools rarely delve any deeper into the story than that), and in general profess to admire what these students did in 1943. And yet some of these same schools, colleges, universities, shrink back at the notions of civil disobedience and informed dissent!
What can they possibly be thinking? How could the revolution perpetrated by the White Rose, or for that matter, the American Revolution of 1776, be any more just or justifiable than standing up and shouting a very loud NO when our government infringes on the rights of our citizens in 2008? There's such a huge logical disconnect in these schools - and a particular one in Pennsylvania comes to mind immediately - and they themselves are blind to it.
It is important to conscientiously consider what we believe and why, and to make rational, coherent decisions based on those beliefs.
In other words, you can't deify the White Rose on the one hand, and villify Cindy Sheehan on the other. What we believe demands consistency.
May 8, 2008
It snowed here in Utah on May 1. Not a light dusting, but real snow. On May 1! Which reminded me that in Munich, during that fateful year (1942) when White Rose work got underway, it snowed in Munich on May 1.
But . . . it is once and for all spring in Utah! And things look brighter, more hopeful. We live far above the valley floor, so it's taken longer. Down in Salt Lake City, trees have leafed out, the forsythia have nearly lost their yellow glow, and lawns have greened to perfection. While up here on Traverse Mountain, our apple trees at long last hint at green to come, and white blossoms promise to explode in a day or two.
Spring has made us wait for its delights. At times, the waiting seemed interminable, as if winter had become a permanent fixture, and we would never be rid of the cold.
The long days working on the 2007 update, with chill seeping in through storm windows, took a lot out of me. For one thing, except for the "Christl and Alex" part of the update, the subject matter was darker than usual. There's a reason people have blocked archives and censored documents. They've had things to hide, things that directly affect the White Rose story, things that help us understand background and motivation.
With that lethal combination of dark story and dark winter days (in April!), it was harder than most people realize to force myself to keep working on the update. Several times I simply had to walk away for 48 hours, catch my breath, and concentrate on something else. And this was only the update for Volume One! I'm only now beginning to work on the Volume Two update. At least, at least, it's sunny outdoors.
As difficult as that writing exercise was, I feel it makes an unbelievably important contribution to White Rose scholarship. Our new knowledge raises more questions, but those questions are healthy and useful. If nothing else, the update forces us to acknowledge how absolutely central and critical Christoph Probst and Alexander Schmorell were to White Rose resistance.
That will become even clearer in the Volume Two update. I hope with all my heart that people finally start listening to truth, that instead of relegating the most thoughtful and clear-thinking people (like Christl and Alex) to the sidelines, they will begin to assume their rightful place center stage.
These musings have been fermenting since writing the post below (April 10). In the interim, I have met some extraordinary people right here in Utah. German-Jewish Holocaust survivors who managed to escape in 1937 / 1938 with their lives and little else, people who lost parents and other family members who could not emigrate. They have touched me with their warmth and affection, with their willingness to talk about their lives in 1930s Germany, and with their willingness to hear me babble on about the White Rose.
These dear people remind me why we do what we do. Our "histories" strive to put German resistance in the context of that era's current events. What these noble people undertook did not take place in a vacuum. They witnessed the humiliation of Jewish neighbors, they lived next door to Jewish families, they heard the announcement of the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 firsthand. And for some of these students and the adults who learned from them, those events provided the catalyst for their protests.
We've got to see the faces of the greater community ~ not merely the familiar photographs of these White Rose students, but the society they lived in. Those other faces are important too, if we will understand what drove them to sacrifice their lives for freedom and justice.
Back to work! With the music of children playing, riding bicycles, walking home from school in the background. It is SPRING in Utah!
April 10, 2008
(Originally posted on Facebook as note entitled "Beautiful Deceptions")
I am finally closing in on the last of our 2007 White Rose update. It was a project I had looked forward to, because the update would allow our readers to know more about Christoph Probst, one of the noblest of all those associated with White Rose resistance.
Even the parts about the enigmatic Hirzel family were highly anticipated before I began writing. If nothing else, the Hirzels provide an amazing snapshot of a conflicted family, one that had a conscience, one that loved Germany, one that wanted to do something morally just, but in the end, a family that wrongly thought everything should be left up to God. As if God had parted the Red Sea, defeated Haman, and every single other “miracle” without human involvement.
But as I have plowed through the new Scholl material - some of it given to me through a “back door” (materials Inge Scholl had and would not share), some of it included in the fairly recent Thomas Hartnagel book - I have been sickened anew by the “beautiful deceptions” that Inge Scholl and her family have perpetrated on the world. With help from people like Marc Rothemund, Fred Breinersdorfer, Michael Verhoeven, and others like them.
There are three main complaints against the Scholls.
First, it was one of the most self-centered families connected in any way with the White Rose. Especially Hans, Inge, and the father Robert, but even Sophie, seemed to think the world revolved around them, that they deserved only the best and the brightest. In their mind, it was not a matter of “wanting” pretty baubles. They thought they “needed” them. Even as Sophie treated Fritz Hartnagel like dirt, she continued to write him and ask him to buy her wool or candy or coffee. No wonder Inge Scholl had censored these letters. Surprising that the Scholl nephew would publish them.
Second, where the Hirzels were merely wishy-washy, thinking if they prayed hard enough, Hitler would be run out of town, Robert Scholl was comfortable on both sides of the fence. If he was talking to a Communist, he was for a planned economy. If he was around people like Otl Aicher who nursed strong democratic thoughts, he talked freedom and “down with Hitler.” If he was around his Nazi friends, then Sieg Heil, full steam ahead. It is most telling that his closest friend - and this is according to Inge Scholl herself - was Friedrich Mussgay, head of the Stuttgart Gestapo and an original member and leader of the SS-Einsatzgruppen. You can even view Mussgay's “Nazi” business card online. Google is a wonderful tool. (Inge happily did not anticipate it!)
This same attitude is mirrored most strongly in Hans and Inge Scholl. Inge, of course, never renounced the Nazi racial ideology and anti-Semitism she taught as Ringfuehrerin in Ulm. She merely pretended it had never happened. But Hans too seemed comfortable around Nazi friends and his White Rose pals. It makes no sense.
The third and most damning thing, the thing that is making me want to either quit White Rose work completely, or at the very least take a bath in clorox, is the way the Scholls have covered their anti-Semitism to this very day. Thomas Hartnagel published all but 80 of the Sophie/Fritz letters. The gaps in those eighty primarily come from two critical dates:
*Kristallnacht, when the Scholls were the only “Aryans” in a Jewish apartment building previously owned by Jakob Guggenheim. There's a two-month gap in ALL Scholl correspondence from November 9 through the end of December. Only one or two sentences from extant letters appear in footnotes - so we know the letters exist, and we can assume they don't have anything positive to say about Jewish neighbors, else Inge would have been all over them like white on rice.
*Their move from that “Jewish” apartment building to the great apartment on Muensterplatz that had previously been inhabited by a Jewish family, run out of Ulm after Kristallnacht. Again, we know letters exist because of footnotes, but they are not published. Since the Scholls moved from a small apartment to a very, very large one, it is safe to assume that there's a lot about that transaction we are not supposed to know.
What makes this feeling of “dirtiness” so hard to bear is that I feel so helpless in getting out the REAL White Rose story. People who toe the Scholl line get all the money from the German government - and believe me, we are not talking pennies from heaven, we are talking millions of dollars. So they are being rewarded for perpetuating a lie, and with all that money they can afford to keep spreading the lie as if it were gospel.
Meanwhile, we struggle along, trying to get people to listen. But no one wants to believe that the sugary-sweet story is anything but the truth.
I do not know what to do.
Getting out our quarterly newsletter is always a bear of a project. The old maxim "Spend money to save time, spend time to save money" definitely applies to our operations at present. What takes half a day for better-funded organizations requires a good week for us, a week that ends with aching hands and backs, and plenty of paper cuts.
Not complaining, not really. It's just that "the newsletter" is so fresh on my mind, since it finally was marked off my to-do list yesterday.
I was surprised at how polarizing this particular issue of our newsletter turned out to be. (Check it out for yourself.) I did not see anything extraordinary about it, anything that would be deemed too radical. But evidently, the themes of informed dissent and civil disobedience do not sit well in red states.
The thing that really leaves me dumbfounded, however: Schools that are all ga-ga over the White Rose, sponsor White Rose events, name buildings or conferences for the White Rose (or usually only Hans and Sophie Scholl - these schools rarely delve any deeper into the story than that), and in general profess to admire what these students did in 1943. And yet some of these same schools, colleges, universities, shrink back at the notions of civil disobedience and informed dissent!
What can they possibly be thinking? How could the revolution perpetrated by the White Rose, or for that matter, the American Revolution of 1776, be any more just or justifiable than standing up and shouting a very loud NO when our government infringes on the rights of our citizens in 2008? There's such a huge logical disconnect in these schools - and a particular one in Pennsylvania comes to mind immediately - and they themselves are blind to it.
It is important to conscientiously consider what we believe and why, and to make rational, coherent decisions based on those beliefs.
In other words, you can't deify the White Rose on the one hand, and villify Cindy Sheehan on the other. What we believe demands consistency.
May 8, 2008
It snowed here in Utah on May 1. Not a light dusting, but real snow. On May 1! Which reminded me that in Munich, during that fateful year (1942) when White Rose work got underway, it snowed in Munich on May 1.
But . . . it is once and for all spring in Utah! And things look brighter, more hopeful. We live far above the valley floor, so it's taken longer. Down in Salt Lake City, trees have leafed out, the forsythia have nearly lost their yellow glow, and lawns have greened to perfection. While up here on Traverse Mountain, our apple trees at long last hint at green to come, and white blossoms promise to explode in a day or two.
Spring has made us wait for its delights. At times, the waiting seemed interminable, as if winter had become a permanent fixture, and we would never be rid of the cold.
The long days working on the 2007 update, with chill seeping in through storm windows, took a lot out of me. For one thing, except for the "Christl and Alex" part of the update, the subject matter was darker than usual. There's a reason people have blocked archives and censored documents. They've had things to hide, things that directly affect the White Rose story, things that help us understand background and motivation.
With that lethal combination of dark story and dark winter days (in April!), it was harder than most people realize to force myself to keep working on the update. Several times I simply had to walk away for 48 hours, catch my breath, and concentrate on something else. And this was only the update for Volume One! I'm only now beginning to work on the Volume Two update. At least, at least, it's sunny outdoors.
As difficult as that writing exercise was, I feel it makes an unbelievably important contribution to White Rose scholarship. Our new knowledge raises more questions, but those questions are healthy and useful. If nothing else, the update forces us to acknowledge how absolutely central and critical Christoph Probst and Alexander Schmorell were to White Rose resistance.
That will become even clearer in the Volume Two update. I hope with all my heart that people finally start listening to truth, that instead of relegating the most thoughtful and clear-thinking people (like Christl and Alex) to the sidelines, they will begin to assume their rightful place center stage.
These musings have been fermenting since writing the post below (April 10). In the interim, I have met some extraordinary people right here in Utah. German-Jewish Holocaust survivors who managed to escape in 1937 / 1938 with their lives and little else, people who lost parents and other family members who could not emigrate. They have touched me with their warmth and affection, with their willingness to talk about their lives in 1930s Germany, and with their willingness to hear me babble on about the White Rose.
These dear people remind me why we do what we do. Our "histories" strive to put German resistance in the context of that era's current events. What these noble people undertook did not take place in a vacuum. They witnessed the humiliation of Jewish neighbors, they lived next door to Jewish families, they heard the announcement of the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 firsthand. And for some of these students and the adults who learned from them, those events provided the catalyst for their protests.
We've got to see the faces of the greater community ~ not merely the familiar photographs of these White Rose students, but the society they lived in. Those other faces are important too, if we will understand what drove them to sacrifice their lives for freedom and justice.
Back to work! With the music of children playing, riding bicycles, walking home from school in the background. It is SPRING in Utah!
April 10, 2008
(Originally posted on Facebook as note entitled "Beautiful Deceptions")
I am finally closing in on the last of our 2007 White Rose update. It was a project I had looked forward to, because the update would allow our readers to know more about Christoph Probst, one of the noblest of all those associated with White Rose resistance.
Even the parts about the enigmatic Hirzel family were highly anticipated before I began writing. If nothing else, the Hirzels provide an amazing snapshot of a conflicted family, one that had a conscience, one that loved Germany, one that wanted to do something morally just, but in the end, a family that wrongly thought everything should be left up to God. As if God had parted the Red Sea, defeated Haman, and every single other “miracle” without human involvement.
But as I have plowed through the new Scholl material - some of it given to me through a “back door” (materials Inge Scholl had and would not share), some of it included in the fairly recent Thomas Hartnagel book - I have been sickened anew by the “beautiful deceptions” that Inge Scholl and her family have perpetrated on the world. With help from people like Marc Rothemund, Fred Breinersdorfer, Michael Verhoeven, and others like them.
There are three main complaints against the Scholls.
First, it was one of the most self-centered families connected in any way with the White Rose. Especially Hans, Inge, and the father Robert, but even Sophie, seemed to think the world revolved around them, that they deserved only the best and the brightest. In their mind, it was not a matter of “wanting” pretty baubles. They thought they “needed” them. Even as Sophie treated Fritz Hartnagel like dirt, she continued to write him and ask him to buy her wool or candy or coffee. No wonder Inge Scholl had censored these letters. Surprising that the Scholl nephew would publish them.
Second, where the Hirzels were merely wishy-washy, thinking if they prayed hard enough, Hitler would be run out of town, Robert Scholl was comfortable on both sides of the fence. If he was talking to a Communist, he was for a planned economy. If he was around people like Otl Aicher who nursed strong democratic thoughts, he talked freedom and “down with Hitler.” If he was around his Nazi friends, then Sieg Heil, full steam ahead. It is most telling that his closest friend - and this is according to Inge Scholl herself - was Friedrich Mussgay, head of the Stuttgart Gestapo and an original member and leader of the SS-Einsatzgruppen. You can even view Mussgay's “Nazi” business card online. Google is a wonderful tool. (Inge happily did not anticipate it!)
This same attitude is mirrored most strongly in Hans and Inge Scholl. Inge, of course, never renounced the Nazi racial ideology and anti-Semitism she taught as Ringfuehrerin in Ulm. She merely pretended it had never happened. But Hans too seemed comfortable around Nazi friends and his White Rose pals. It makes no sense.
The third and most damning thing, the thing that is making me want to either quit White Rose work completely, or at the very least take a bath in clorox, is the way the Scholls have covered their anti-Semitism to this very day. Thomas Hartnagel published all but 80 of the Sophie/Fritz letters. The gaps in those eighty primarily come from two critical dates:
*Kristallnacht, when the Scholls were the only “Aryans” in a Jewish apartment building previously owned by Jakob Guggenheim. There's a two-month gap in ALL Scholl correspondence from November 9 through the end of December. Only one or two sentences from extant letters appear in footnotes - so we know the letters exist, and we can assume they don't have anything positive to say about Jewish neighbors, else Inge would have been all over them like white on rice.
*Their move from that “Jewish” apartment building to the great apartment on Muensterplatz that had previously been inhabited by a Jewish family, run out of Ulm after Kristallnacht. Again, we know letters exist because of footnotes, but they are not published. Since the Scholls moved from a small apartment to a very, very large one, it is safe to assume that there's a lot about that transaction we are not supposed to know.
What makes this feeling of “dirtiness” so hard to bear is that I feel so helpless in getting out the REAL White Rose story. People who toe the Scholl line get all the money from the German government - and believe me, we are not talking pennies from heaven, we are talking millions of dollars. So they are being rewarded for perpetuating a lie, and with all that money they can afford to keep spreading the lie as if it were gospel.
Meanwhile, we struggle along, trying to get people to listen. But no one wants to believe that the sugary-sweet story is anything but the truth.
I do not know what to do.
History: January through December 2004
September 30, 2004
I had hoped to be able to update this on a weekly basis after June 30. Obviously, that has not happened. Oh sigh.
Glad to report that my energy levels are at a twenty-year high. I've heard from others who have gone through a similar surgery that I should expect to feel even better in another six months. I can hardly wait! It's been such great fun, getting back to a more normal life without constantly worrying about my health.
We shipped the 2003 update on September 1. What a relief. I have to say, while I'm excited about it, I'm also a little nervous about people's reactions. I think I pretty much slaughtered every sacred cow that exists in White Rose legend in this update. What I wrote is the truth, and I've got the database to back it up.
But I'm aware that many folks don't enjoy seeing haloes removed. They prefer the fiction, because they can comfortably pretend they are not responsible for the same level of justice-doing that our White Rose friends undertook, because they are not as "good" as our heroes.
When all along, the reality is that Hans Scholl and Sophie Scholl, Willi Graf and Traute Lafrenz, Alex Schmorell and Kaethe Schueddekopf, Prof. Huber and Dr. Muth, Wilhelm Geyer and Harald Dohrn, Christl Probst and Gerhard Feuerle ~ and all the rest ~ were every bit as flawed as you and I. They accomplished their great and noble deeds despite their gut-wrenching flaws.
And as we face that truth, we understand all over again that we cannot wait until we are "good" before we face injustice head-on and right the wrongs that are in our faces every day. That is a decidedly uncomfortable place to be (I speak from experience). Life's easier when our idols stay on stage with makeup intact.
End soapbox.
I also just got a partial timeline posted to the Center for White Rose Studies Web site. So you can have a tiny taste of how rich the full story is, check out that site. So far I've only been able to create a complete timeline for February 18 and 22, 1943, and even these days are not fully fleshed out. Nevertheless, prepare to have your socks knocked off.
Our 9/30/04 newsletter went out this week. If you did not get a copy and would like to receive one, please email me and I'll make sure it goes out to you. It's chock full of good stuff, including excerpts from my recent research and a new set of White Rose cheers & jeers.
Finally, I'd like to put in an unabashed plug for our affiliate and benefactor, DEHeap Enterprises, Inc. They keep your Center for White Rose Studies going, and at great personal cost.
Please please please support their "for-profit" work. It underwrites everything we do here. If you need someone to write procedures to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 regulations, they can do that for you and save you money on your auditors' invoices. If you need trouble-shooting for your accounting procedures or employee handbook, they are the ones to call. Get the scoop on the Business Services section of their Web site ~ the same Web site that hosts your source for CWRS information.
June 30, 2004
It's about time I catch up on the first half of this year, and then start weekly updates to the journal. Wish me luck!
On March 19, I had surgery to clear up health issues that have been plaguing me for the last twenty years, and that had rendered me all but incapacitated since April 2002. Within 48 hours of the surgery, two of the four medical issues had cleared up completely, and despite the pain of major surgery, I felt better than I had in a long while.
Despite the almost miraculous results of surgery, recovery has been slow and difficult. It's now primarily a matter of regaining strength. My body can no longer tolerate sugar, caffeine, fatty foods, or carbonated beverages (nooo beeeer), and the usual crutches we use as pick-me-ups through the day generally contain one or more of those ingredients. By 3:30 or 4 pm, I tend to have petered out. Nevertheless, the work I get done before that time is far more concentrated and of better quality than it was pre-surgery, simply because I feel better.
I've also had to take a temporary job to pay some of the bills incurred since April 2002. This has slowed my White Rose work to a crawl, since I do not have the energy to work evenings as planned. So any writing gets done on weekends.
But my old optimism has returned, which is more than half the battle. All four medical issues are now resolved, and as my body gets stronger, my mind follows suit. If nothing else, this experience has taught me how important it is for us in this terribly wealthy American society to ensure that children born to poverty get nutritious meals and regular medical treatment. If we don't do that, we are guaranteeing that the cycle of poverty continues. Health affects ability to think and learn far more than we understand at present.
White Rose news to report from the past six months: The new group in Munich has not yet demonstrated that they are genuinely willing to be as open and committed to truth as they initially said. They've invited Detlef Bald to participate in some of their "scholarly" events, although Bald has been completely discredited by real scholars. In my opinion, anyone who is interested in pursuing the truth about German resistance and the White Rose will steer clear of Bald, at least until he breaks his ties with Dr. Wittenstein (Nazi Party member #7667868).
Despite the delays, my work on the "2003 Update" is progressing nicely. I think it's going to be worth the wait, because the information from new sources is just too fascinating. In the update, Willi Graf comes off better than anyone else, because it's now perfectly clear that his father was not a German who flew under the radar and tried to get along to make a living for his family. Instead, Willi Graf's father was a serious, committed Nazi who helped found the Nazi Party in the Saarland and hobnobbed with people who were close, personal friends of Adolf Hitler. That Willi Graf came out of that environment as perhaps the White Rose person most committed to resistance, is nothing short of mindboggling.
In contrast, the 2003 update will shatter even more illusions about Hans Scholl. Not only is there more information about his sexual orientation in general and his sexual abuse of boys in his Hitler Youth/d.j.1.11 squad specifically, but new (and reliable) material paints him as a weak, malleable person, instead of the leader most people envision him to be.
I am also grateful to Philippe Willocx for his extraordinary digging into White Rose minutiae even I had not thought to question (Philippe, that is a huge compliment!). He has found so much new stuff that it cannot go into the 2003 update, but will have to wait for 2004 (although a great deal of what he sent me will affect White Rose History Volume II, May 1942 - October 1943). Philippe's darling daughter Sophie was confirmed on May 9, 2004 ~ the date was unplanned, but the significance of the date was not lost on either Philippe or Sophie!
And finally, an essay worth posting. Rabbi Michael Singer begins his short essay with the following question: "'Where there are no worthy persons, strive to be a worthy person.' (Hillel, Pirke Avot 1:6). Lately I have been struggling with a difficult question: if I was not Jewish and was living in Germany during the time of the Shoah, would I have risked my life by hiding Jews or actively resisting the Nazis?" The entire essay is posted on this blog, with Rabbi Singer's permission.
Reading his powerful but simple words made me realize that if more people in my German community were willing to say "We did not do enough", and if more people in my Jewish community were willing to ask Rabbi Singer's question, there could finally be healing and reconciliation. But as long as people in my German community say, "We didn't know" (pffft), and as long as people in my Jewish community refuse to quit throwing stones long enough to understand what resistance cost, we will continue to hurt one another.
And most importantly, those of us in the German-Jewish-American community ~ and indeed, the global community at large ~ will have missed the whole point, which is what Rabbi Singer is trying to say. Wherever there is injustice, it is up to us, not someone else, to right those wrongs. If we focus on the past without learning its lessons, all of us will be condemned to repeat it.
January 8, 2004
On a very positive note, received a letter from Dr. Erich Schmorell today. He had not commented on White Rose History Volume I when we sent it to him in the summer of 2002. He apologized for his tardiness and noted that he had had to work through the text with a German-English dictionary at hand, which had required a great deal of time.
But he was determined to read every word, because of the vilification my work has received from people like the Scholls and Wittenstein, who have their own agenda in the "version" of the White Rose legend they perpetuate. He wanted to see for himself why everyone was so angry.
And he loved the book. Said it was very well researched and presented the White Rose friends accurately. Yea!
I had hoped to be able to update this on a weekly basis after June 30. Obviously, that has not happened. Oh sigh.
Glad to report that my energy levels are at a twenty-year high. I've heard from others who have gone through a similar surgery that I should expect to feel even better in another six months. I can hardly wait! It's been such great fun, getting back to a more normal life without constantly worrying about my health.
We shipped the 2003 update on September 1. What a relief. I have to say, while I'm excited about it, I'm also a little nervous about people's reactions. I think I pretty much slaughtered every sacred cow that exists in White Rose legend in this update. What I wrote is the truth, and I've got the database to back it up.
But I'm aware that many folks don't enjoy seeing haloes removed. They prefer the fiction, because they can comfortably pretend they are not responsible for the same level of justice-doing that our White Rose friends undertook, because they are not as "good" as our heroes.
When all along, the reality is that Hans Scholl and Sophie Scholl, Willi Graf and Traute Lafrenz, Alex Schmorell and Kaethe Schueddekopf, Prof. Huber and Dr. Muth, Wilhelm Geyer and Harald Dohrn, Christl Probst and Gerhard Feuerle ~ and all the rest ~ were every bit as flawed as you and I. They accomplished their great and noble deeds despite their gut-wrenching flaws.
And as we face that truth, we understand all over again that we cannot wait until we are "good" before we face injustice head-on and right the wrongs that are in our faces every day. That is a decidedly uncomfortable place to be (I speak from experience). Life's easier when our idols stay on stage with makeup intact.
End soapbox.
I also just got a partial timeline posted to the Center for White Rose Studies Web site. So you can have a tiny taste of how rich the full story is, check out that site. So far I've only been able to create a complete timeline for February 18 and 22, 1943, and even these days are not fully fleshed out. Nevertheless, prepare to have your socks knocked off.
Our 9/30/04 newsletter went out this week. If you did not get a copy and would like to receive one, please email me and I'll make sure it goes out to you. It's chock full of good stuff, including excerpts from my recent research and a new set of White Rose cheers & jeers.
Finally, I'd like to put in an unabashed plug for our affiliate and benefactor, DEHeap Enterprises, Inc. They keep your Center for White Rose Studies going, and at great personal cost.
Please please please support their "for-profit" work. It underwrites everything we do here. If you need someone to write procedures to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 regulations, they can do that for you and save you money on your auditors' invoices. If you need trouble-shooting for your accounting procedures or employee handbook, they are the ones to call. Get the scoop on the Business Services section of their Web site ~ the same Web site that hosts your source for CWRS information.
June 30, 2004
It's about time I catch up on the first half of this year, and then start weekly updates to the journal. Wish me luck!
On March 19, I had surgery to clear up health issues that have been plaguing me for the last twenty years, and that had rendered me all but incapacitated since April 2002. Within 48 hours of the surgery, two of the four medical issues had cleared up completely, and despite the pain of major surgery, I felt better than I had in a long while.
Despite the almost miraculous results of surgery, recovery has been slow and difficult. It's now primarily a matter of regaining strength. My body can no longer tolerate sugar, caffeine, fatty foods, or carbonated beverages (nooo beeeer), and the usual crutches we use as pick-me-ups through the day generally contain one or more of those ingredients. By 3:30 or 4 pm, I tend to have petered out. Nevertheless, the work I get done before that time is far more concentrated and of better quality than it was pre-surgery, simply because I feel better.
I've also had to take a temporary job to pay some of the bills incurred since April 2002. This has slowed my White Rose work to a crawl, since I do not have the energy to work evenings as planned. So any writing gets done on weekends.
But my old optimism has returned, which is more than half the battle. All four medical issues are now resolved, and as my body gets stronger, my mind follows suit. If nothing else, this experience has taught me how important it is for us in this terribly wealthy American society to ensure that children born to poverty get nutritious meals and regular medical treatment. If we don't do that, we are guaranteeing that the cycle of poverty continues. Health affects ability to think and learn far more than we understand at present.
White Rose news to report from the past six months: The new group in Munich has not yet demonstrated that they are genuinely willing to be as open and committed to truth as they initially said. They've invited Detlef Bald to participate in some of their "scholarly" events, although Bald has been completely discredited by real scholars. In my opinion, anyone who is interested in pursuing the truth about German resistance and the White Rose will steer clear of Bald, at least until he breaks his ties with Dr. Wittenstein (Nazi Party member #7667868).
Despite the delays, my work on the "2003 Update" is progressing nicely. I think it's going to be worth the wait, because the information from new sources is just too fascinating. In the update, Willi Graf comes off better than anyone else, because it's now perfectly clear that his father was not a German who flew under the radar and tried to get along to make a living for his family. Instead, Willi Graf's father was a serious, committed Nazi who helped found the Nazi Party in the Saarland and hobnobbed with people who were close, personal friends of Adolf Hitler. That Willi Graf came out of that environment as perhaps the White Rose person most committed to resistance, is nothing short of mindboggling.
In contrast, the 2003 update will shatter even more illusions about Hans Scholl. Not only is there more information about his sexual orientation in general and his sexual abuse of boys in his Hitler Youth/d.j.1.11 squad specifically, but new (and reliable) material paints him as a weak, malleable person, instead of the leader most people envision him to be.
I am also grateful to Philippe Willocx for his extraordinary digging into White Rose minutiae even I had not thought to question (Philippe, that is a huge compliment!). He has found so much new stuff that it cannot go into the 2003 update, but will have to wait for 2004 (although a great deal of what he sent me will affect White Rose History Volume II, May 1942 - October 1943). Philippe's darling daughter Sophie was confirmed on May 9, 2004 ~ the date was unplanned, but the significance of the date was not lost on either Philippe or Sophie!
And finally, an essay worth posting. Rabbi Michael Singer begins his short essay with the following question: "'Where there are no worthy persons, strive to be a worthy person.' (Hillel, Pirke Avot 1:6). Lately I have been struggling with a difficult question: if I was not Jewish and was living in Germany during the time of the Shoah, would I have risked my life by hiding Jews or actively resisting the Nazis?" The entire essay is posted on this blog, with Rabbi Singer's permission.
Reading his powerful but simple words made me realize that if more people in my German community were willing to say "We did not do enough", and if more people in my Jewish community were willing to ask Rabbi Singer's question, there could finally be healing and reconciliation. But as long as people in my German community say, "We didn't know" (pffft), and as long as people in my Jewish community refuse to quit throwing stones long enough to understand what resistance cost, we will continue to hurt one another.
And most importantly, those of us in the German-Jewish-American community ~ and indeed, the global community at large ~ will have missed the whole point, which is what Rabbi Singer is trying to say. Wherever there is injustice, it is up to us, not someone else, to right those wrongs. If we focus on the past without learning its lessons, all of us will be condemned to repeat it.
January 8, 2004
On a very positive note, received a letter from Dr. Erich Schmorell today. He had not commented on White Rose History Volume I when we sent it to him in the summer of 2002. He apologized for his tardiness and noted that he had had to work through the text with a German-English dictionary at hand, which had required a great deal of time.
But he was determined to read every word, because of the vilification my work has received from people like the Scholls and Wittenstein, who have their own agenda in the "version" of the White Rose legend they perpetuate. He wanted to see for himself why everyone was so angry.
And he loved the book. Said it was very well researched and presented the White Rose friends accurately. Yea!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
History: January through December 2003
December 31, 2003
It's hard to remember on days like these that somewhere tulip bulbs lie dormant, expectantly awaiting warm spring mornings. Or that our mulberry tree will ever have leaves. Everything looks like death, yet hopes of new life. Difficult year... Besides our own health issues, our family lost a dear friend in August. Dr. Johann Forster ~ Hansi to me and Denise ~ died tragically on August 4. He was only 46. His encouragement, both emotional and tangible, in the White Rose work had kept us going through some discouraging days.
This was also a time when we learned how closely mental, physical, and intellectual health are related. When one goes, the others are hard put to stay intact. It's nearly impossible to work well when you're not. Small things like data entry into the Access database took far too long. Everything slowed down to molasses.
On the bright side, in October I got to present our White Rose work at the Women in German conference (Carrollton, Kentucky). I could barely participate in many of the "extracurricular" activities and spent more time than I like holed up in my hotel. But it felt good to get a positive response from real, live people.
Lilo Ramdohr continues to encourage us. She embraces our vision. Amazing how the people who have nothing to hide don't mind it when you expose their warts!
Also got a very nice letter from Traute Lafrenz. She answered a bunch of additional questions, including queries I had about Werner Scholl (Hans Scholl respected and admired his younger brother far more than has been told to date), as well as about Katharina Schueddekopf (she did more than she's been credited with).
But we are going to have to evaluate the status of this work. That will come at the first of the New Year.
October 28, 2003
We have had a great deal of illness in our family this year. Common Ground has been all but abandoned. For now. The illness has meant that simple tasks take twice, if not three times as long.
We know that we are among the lucky few in this America ~ a place that can be harsh, if not deathly for someone in bad health. For all of us have health insurance. And we have doctors who can treat the IBS and skin cancers and infections and debilitating inflammations.
We're all getting healthy once again, slowly but surely. We are looking for 2004 to be a time of uncommon goodness. You're forewarned!
May 1, 2003
First Common Ground column posted on Center for White Rose Studies Web site. Truly hoping this can turn into a forum for honest, meaningful discussion. Talking to a Turkish fellow we met at the Dreyfus Conference on using an excerpt from his discussion about historical attempts to establish a secular Muslim state in Turkey. This is the kind of thing that needs ~ desperately needs ~ a wide audience. War solves nothing.
April 25, 2003
Starting on the next White Rose "thing" ~ publication of the indictment, trial transcript and partial interrogation transcripts for the third White Rose trial (Josef Soehngen, Manfred Eickemeyer, Wilhelm Geyer, and Harald Dohrn). Also, the 1937-1938 interrogations and trial for Hans and Werner Scholl, and Ernst Reden.
Have to proceed cautiously with the latter ~ not out of fear of Scholls, though I have no doubt they'd be livid. But because it includes information about Hans Scholl's sexual activities with boys who were minors at the time. Can't publish their names.
And have to make certain that we don't sell to minors. Pretty explicit text.
April 18, 2003
Taxing time of year, even if you don't count the IRS. Oh well. At least filing income tax returns gives me an excuse to clean up paperwork I've put off for months now. Massive filing campaign ~ I can see all of my office floor for the first time in a year!
Thanks to Dr. Ziegler, I now have a copy of Detlef Bald's new White Rose book. It's pretty awful. Bald goes on and on about how wonderful it is that he has Dr. Wittenstein's diary entries and letters to use to expand his White Rose knowledge. Too bad Bald wasn't honest enough to admit that Wittenstein's diary entries etc. are "reconstructed" (yes, I have a copy!) and that they don't mention White Rose work.
Bald's book is one more example of horrible, fake "scholarship" by someone who just wants to cash in on the legend. So frustrating.
April 4, 2003
A week to play catch-up and not much else. Loads of emails to answer. Starting on the next White Rose project already. Very tired. Hard to get motivated.
March 30, 2003
What a great time we had in Springfield! Learned so much from the people at the conference. Fun being a presenter, but just as "fun" hearing what everyone else had to say.
Drove home the long way, down through Kentucky and the Smoky Mountains. It snowed in West Virginia. Eight inches of the white stuff. How wonderful was that.
March 21, 2003
Oh yea, oje, oy. Getting ready for Dreyfus Conference next week. Putting together materials, finalizing speech. Preparing handout. All the while, continuing to do administrative stuff for the Center. Glad I'm not in this alone. I'd go out of my blooming mind if that were the case. And frankly, I think I'd have walked away a long time ago if I didn't have familial support.
March 7, 2003
Yea! Sometimes I can just get on a roll and write like I'm talking to someone face to face. Inspiration seems to come easy during weeks like this! Completed the essay for the Dreyfus Conference!
February 28, 2003
Helping with the distribution of a press release about the two newest White Rose books. I feel like I am always complaining about how hard it is. Don't want to be a whiner, but this phase of our work is very wearing.
And I have to finish the Dreyfus Conference speech. I love the material, it's just hard juggling everything.
February 21, 2003
The big snow! In many ways, it felt like a "reward" for all our hard work of the last couple months, and especially the last few weeks. Everything was quiet, peaceful, and when it stopped, there was laughter on the street as people worked together to move all the white stuff. Funny how difficult situations can bring out the very best in people!
Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of the execution of Christoph Probst, Hans Scholl, and Sophie Scholl. I hope our White Rose work can successfully raise the awareness of the other executions, so that one day, people will commemorate July 13 (execution of Kurt Huber and Alexander Schmorell), October 12 (Willi Graf), and May 5 (Harald Dohrn, shot by the Gestapo three days before war's end in 1945) as well.
February 14, 2003
Out the door! We shared pizza and laughter, cooked corn bread and stew, did whatever it took to make sure the backbreaking side of production and order fulfillment was not too painful.
Looking forward to taking a short break from White Rose work over the next month or two. The Ludwig Thoma/Muth/Herzl paper needs to be wrapped up and submitted, and we are beginning work on a couple other 'history projects', one Houston-based, the other hopefully right here in Pennsylvania. No official announcements to make at this stage. But if all goes well, we will be able to juggle several projects at once and not get in the rut of a single one (as with White Rose).
February 7, 2003
Such a wonderful feeling. . . The Gestapo Interrogation Transcripts are about ready to ship. We are still such a small operation. Sometimes the non-creative aspects of our work can feel overwhelming, as each of us must wear so many different hats. You know, one of these days we will likely look back on these as the "good old days."
January 23, 2003
Dr. Armin Ziegler reminded me this week that I need to be more careful about generalizing groups of people. Though he does not live in Crailsheim these days, he considers himself a Crailsheimer. He asked me to remember that the seven or eight people in the so-called White Rose Task Force are not necessarily representative of 30,000 residents of that town. He's right... I apologize to him specifically. It does not improve my opinion of the wannabe task force ~ just narrows the focus of my irritation to the people who actually deserve it.
I am still up in the air about continuing White Rose work long-term. It seems fraught with more pitfalls than I can handle alone (even with the support of my amazing family).
When working on any topic that has to do with the Third Reich or history between 1933-1945 ~ even US history during that time period ~ you quickly learn to look askance at people who proclaimed their resistance post-war, where there is no evidence of said resistance documented during the war. Especially with the White Rose, this is a huge issue. The people who have been first in line at the microphone to tell about the White Rose and their involvement in it tend also to be the same people who are most likely to be lying through their teeth.
This causes problems for people like me who just want to know the whole story as it really happened. The handful who have traditionally controlled the telling of the story have also amassed small fortunes for reciting their fairy tales. It's a little scary to face an establishment like that.
January 16, 2003
Well, I thought the people in Crailsheim had finally found the bottom of their barrel. They had not. As of today's date, I am officially dissociating myself from them and repudiating every positive comment I've ever made about their work. (If you missed out on prior events, see my journal beginning November 29, 2002 and going forward to the end of the year.)
I will not even dignify them with additional comments. It's simply disgusting.
I will however note that though the people in Crailsheim have insisted that I am wrong about the Scholl family's continued censorship of the Scholl archives, I have an email received from the Institut fuer Zeitgeschichte in Munich ~ received THIS WEEK! ~ in which the person in charge of Scholl archives notes the following:
Scholl Archives will not be accessible till 2004;
They cannot yet tell if Sophie Scholl's entire diary was included in the sale from the Aicher-Scholl family to the IFZ; and,
They will not know for another year whether the Scholl archives will be open to everyone [or whether Aicher-Scholl demands for censorship of access to the archives will be honored].
In my opinion, this is unforgivable! The government of the United States of America evidently provided most of the funds that enabled Inge Scholl to establish "her" archives (as far as I know, there has never been a full accounting for how the funds were spent). If the IFZ does not quickly resolve the issue of access and equally quickly verify that 100% of the Scholl documents were turned over to the IFZ, I am of a mind to ask the Attorney General of the US to file a lawsuit against the Scholl Archives either to recoup the substantial money that flowed to Inge Scholl under the Marshall Plan and related organizations, or to bring the archives to the US where they were bought and paid for.
I am so fed up, I can hardly stand it! I am tempted to walk away right this minute.
January 10, 2003
The Gestapo Archives book is nearing completion and should ship by the end of this month or the first of February. Production considerations have included (but are hardly limited to) whether we should try to emulate the exact layout of the Gestapo files, or whether we should present the work in usual translation format. We finally opted for the latter and resumed production. (I know, it sounds trivial, but it was a decision that affected how we go forward with future translations of Gestapo archives (among others).
These last two weeks have also been marked by a very deep and hurtful White Rose experience that I cannot talk about yet. Maybe one day.
Funny, about the same time I was going through the unspeakable event, I ran across an article about the estate of "Winnie the Pooh" and how upsetting it has been for everyone ever associated with it. From the author to the author's son and even to those who first published and marketed the lovable bear, it has meant one personal nightmare after another.
My White Rose experiences have left me seriously doubtful as to whether I'll continue this work once this first volume of Gestapo archives is out the door. It seems to be a world where those who propagate lies are rewarded, and those who tell the truth are heroes left unsung.
January 3, 2003
Mom's home again, after spending several weeks with my little brother in England. Good to have her back in non-long-distance range.
A couple of friends forwarded me a vile article written by a fellow named William Grim. His virulent anti-German propaganda is mind-boggling. It makes absolutely no sense at all. If you happen to receive any of his works, please let me know. I am calling on the leaders of the American and Jewish communities to repudiate his racism. His other extreme positions, such as revoking female suffrage and expansion of American imperialism, should make him a pariah to anyone who values their brain.
It's hard to remember on days like these that somewhere tulip bulbs lie dormant, expectantly awaiting warm spring mornings. Or that our mulberry tree will ever have leaves. Everything looks like death, yet hopes of new life. Difficult year... Besides our own health issues, our family lost a dear friend in August. Dr. Johann Forster ~ Hansi to me and Denise ~ died tragically on August 4. He was only 46. His encouragement, both emotional and tangible, in the White Rose work had kept us going through some discouraging days.
This was also a time when we learned how closely mental, physical, and intellectual health are related. When one goes, the others are hard put to stay intact. It's nearly impossible to work well when you're not. Small things like data entry into the Access database took far too long. Everything slowed down to molasses.
On the bright side, in October I got to present our White Rose work at the Women in German conference (Carrollton, Kentucky). I could barely participate in many of the "extracurricular" activities and spent more time than I like holed up in my hotel. But it felt good to get a positive response from real, live people.
Lilo Ramdohr continues to encourage us. She embraces our vision. Amazing how the people who have nothing to hide don't mind it when you expose their warts!
Also got a very nice letter from Traute Lafrenz. She answered a bunch of additional questions, including queries I had about Werner Scholl (Hans Scholl respected and admired his younger brother far more than has been told to date), as well as about Katharina Schueddekopf (she did more than she's been credited with).
But we are going to have to evaluate the status of this work. That will come at the first of the New Year.
October 28, 2003
We have had a great deal of illness in our family this year. Common Ground has been all but abandoned. For now. The illness has meant that simple tasks take twice, if not three times as long.
We know that we are among the lucky few in this America ~ a place that can be harsh, if not deathly for someone in bad health. For all of us have health insurance. And we have doctors who can treat the IBS and skin cancers and infections and debilitating inflammations.
We're all getting healthy once again, slowly but surely. We are looking for 2004 to be a time of uncommon goodness. You're forewarned!
May 1, 2003
First Common Ground column posted on Center for White Rose Studies Web site. Truly hoping this can turn into a forum for honest, meaningful discussion. Talking to a Turkish fellow we met at the Dreyfus Conference on using an excerpt from his discussion about historical attempts to establish a secular Muslim state in Turkey. This is the kind of thing that needs ~ desperately needs ~ a wide audience. War solves nothing.
April 25, 2003
Starting on the next White Rose "thing" ~ publication of the indictment, trial transcript and partial interrogation transcripts for the third White Rose trial (Josef Soehngen, Manfred Eickemeyer, Wilhelm Geyer, and Harald Dohrn). Also, the 1937-1938 interrogations and trial for Hans and Werner Scholl, and Ernst Reden.
Have to proceed cautiously with the latter ~ not out of fear of Scholls, though I have no doubt they'd be livid. But because it includes information about Hans Scholl's sexual activities with boys who were minors at the time. Can't publish their names.
And have to make certain that we don't sell to minors. Pretty explicit text.
April 18, 2003
Taxing time of year, even if you don't count the IRS. Oh well. At least filing income tax returns gives me an excuse to clean up paperwork I've put off for months now. Massive filing campaign ~ I can see all of my office floor for the first time in a year!
Thanks to Dr. Ziegler, I now have a copy of Detlef Bald's new White Rose book. It's pretty awful. Bald goes on and on about how wonderful it is that he has Dr. Wittenstein's diary entries and letters to use to expand his White Rose knowledge. Too bad Bald wasn't honest enough to admit that Wittenstein's diary entries etc. are "reconstructed" (yes, I have a copy!) and that they don't mention White Rose work.
Bald's book is one more example of horrible, fake "scholarship" by someone who just wants to cash in on the legend. So frustrating.
April 4, 2003
A week to play catch-up and not much else. Loads of emails to answer. Starting on the next White Rose project already. Very tired. Hard to get motivated.
March 30, 2003
What a great time we had in Springfield! Learned so much from the people at the conference. Fun being a presenter, but just as "fun" hearing what everyone else had to say.
Drove home the long way, down through Kentucky and the Smoky Mountains. It snowed in West Virginia. Eight inches of the white stuff. How wonderful was that.
March 21, 2003
Oh yea, oje, oy. Getting ready for Dreyfus Conference next week. Putting together materials, finalizing speech. Preparing handout. All the while, continuing to do administrative stuff for the Center. Glad I'm not in this alone. I'd go out of my blooming mind if that were the case. And frankly, I think I'd have walked away a long time ago if I didn't have familial support.
March 7, 2003
Yea! Sometimes I can just get on a roll and write like I'm talking to someone face to face. Inspiration seems to come easy during weeks like this! Completed the essay for the Dreyfus Conference!
February 28, 2003
Helping with the distribution of a press release about the two newest White Rose books. I feel like I am always complaining about how hard it is. Don't want to be a whiner, but this phase of our work is very wearing.
And I have to finish the Dreyfus Conference speech. I love the material, it's just hard juggling everything.
February 21, 2003
The big snow! In many ways, it felt like a "reward" for all our hard work of the last couple months, and especially the last few weeks. Everything was quiet, peaceful, and when it stopped, there was laughter on the street as people worked together to move all the white stuff. Funny how difficult situations can bring out the very best in people!
Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of the execution of Christoph Probst, Hans Scholl, and Sophie Scholl. I hope our White Rose work can successfully raise the awareness of the other executions, so that one day, people will commemorate July 13 (execution of Kurt Huber and Alexander Schmorell), October 12 (Willi Graf), and May 5 (Harald Dohrn, shot by the Gestapo three days before war's end in 1945) as well.
February 14, 2003
Out the door! We shared pizza and laughter, cooked corn bread and stew, did whatever it took to make sure the backbreaking side of production and order fulfillment was not too painful.
Looking forward to taking a short break from White Rose work over the next month or two. The Ludwig Thoma/Muth/Herzl paper needs to be wrapped up and submitted, and we are beginning work on a couple other 'history projects', one Houston-based, the other hopefully right here in Pennsylvania. No official announcements to make at this stage. But if all goes well, we will be able to juggle several projects at once and not get in the rut of a single one (as with White Rose).
February 7, 2003
Such a wonderful feeling. . . The Gestapo Interrogation Transcripts are about ready to ship. We are still such a small operation. Sometimes the non-creative aspects of our work can feel overwhelming, as each of us must wear so many different hats. You know, one of these days we will likely look back on these as the "good old days."
January 23, 2003
Dr. Armin Ziegler reminded me this week that I need to be more careful about generalizing groups of people. Though he does not live in Crailsheim these days, he considers himself a Crailsheimer. He asked me to remember that the seven or eight people in the so-called White Rose Task Force are not necessarily representative of 30,000 residents of that town. He's right... I apologize to him specifically. It does not improve my opinion of the wannabe task force ~ just narrows the focus of my irritation to the people who actually deserve it.
I am still up in the air about continuing White Rose work long-term. It seems fraught with more pitfalls than I can handle alone (even with the support of my amazing family).
When working on any topic that has to do with the Third Reich or history between 1933-1945 ~ even US history during that time period ~ you quickly learn to look askance at people who proclaimed their resistance post-war, where there is no evidence of said resistance documented during the war. Especially with the White Rose, this is a huge issue. The people who have been first in line at the microphone to tell about the White Rose and their involvement in it tend also to be the same people who are most likely to be lying through their teeth.
This causes problems for people like me who just want to know the whole story as it really happened. The handful who have traditionally controlled the telling of the story have also amassed small fortunes for reciting their fairy tales. It's a little scary to face an establishment like that.
January 16, 2003
Well, I thought the people in Crailsheim had finally found the bottom of their barrel. They had not. As of today's date, I am officially dissociating myself from them and repudiating every positive comment I've ever made about their work. (If you missed out on prior events, see my journal beginning November 29, 2002 and going forward to the end of the year.)
I will not even dignify them with additional comments. It's simply disgusting.
I will however note that though the people in Crailsheim have insisted that I am wrong about the Scholl family's continued censorship of the Scholl archives, I have an email received from the Institut fuer Zeitgeschichte in Munich ~ received THIS WEEK! ~ in which the person in charge of Scholl archives notes the following:
Scholl Archives will not be accessible till 2004;
They cannot yet tell if Sophie Scholl's entire diary was included in the sale from the Aicher-Scholl family to the IFZ; and,
They will not know for another year whether the Scholl archives will be open to everyone [or whether Aicher-Scholl demands for censorship of access to the archives will be honored].
In my opinion, this is unforgivable! The government of the United States of America evidently provided most of the funds that enabled Inge Scholl to establish "her" archives (as far as I know, there has never been a full accounting for how the funds were spent). If the IFZ does not quickly resolve the issue of access and equally quickly verify that 100% of the Scholl documents were turned over to the IFZ, I am of a mind to ask the Attorney General of the US to file a lawsuit against the Scholl Archives either to recoup the substantial money that flowed to Inge Scholl under the Marshall Plan and related organizations, or to bring the archives to the US where they were bought and paid for.
I am so fed up, I can hardly stand it! I am tempted to walk away right this minute.
January 10, 2003
The Gestapo Archives book is nearing completion and should ship by the end of this month or the first of February. Production considerations have included (but are hardly limited to) whether we should try to emulate the exact layout of the Gestapo files, or whether we should present the work in usual translation format. We finally opted for the latter and resumed production. (I know, it sounds trivial, but it was a decision that affected how we go forward with future translations of Gestapo archives (among others).
These last two weeks have also been marked by a very deep and hurtful White Rose experience that I cannot talk about yet. Maybe one day.
Funny, about the same time I was going through the unspeakable event, I ran across an article about the estate of "Winnie the Pooh" and how upsetting it has been for everyone ever associated with it. From the author to the author's son and even to those who first published and marketed the lovable bear, it has meant one personal nightmare after another.
My White Rose experiences have left me seriously doubtful as to whether I'll continue this work once this first volume of Gestapo archives is out the door. It seems to be a world where those who propagate lies are rewarded, and those who tell the truth are heroes left unsung.
January 3, 2003
Mom's home again, after spending several weeks with my little brother in England. Good to have her back in non-long-distance range.
A couple of friends forwarded me a vile article written by a fellow named William Grim. His virulent anti-German propaganda is mind-boggling. It makes absolutely no sense at all. If you happen to receive any of his works, please let me know. I am calling on the leaders of the American and Jewish communities to repudiate his racism. His other extreme positions, such as revoking female suffrage and expansion of American imperialism, should make him a pariah to anyone who values their brain.
History: January through December 2002
December 31, 2002
Finally, the last entry of a most difficult year. Wrote my response to the task force in Crailsheim. The crux of their general argument is that we are not allowed to actually talk about the true White Rose story and portray anyone in it (but especially Hans and Sophie Scholl) with flaws, because they are symbols of "good" in Germany. I think this is an issue that will have to be addressed in white paper articles, not here in this journal.
The end of the year is always a good time to take stock of ourselves, to see what we like and don't like. Even incidents as completely unpleasant as the last few weeks wrangling with dishonesty in Crailsheim ~ even that can make me stronger. I have to believe that.
December 20, 2002
Well, the people in Crailsheim found another new low. I received an official task-force email, copied to every member. Hannes' new tactic is to insinuate that I wrote that Hans and Sophie Scholl had an incestuous relationship. To "prove" his point, he translated portions of my book, leaving out critical passages that would have disproved his accusation. What offended me even more was that he alleged this, while: 1) Not having asked me what I meant by those passages before making his presentation; and 2) Without having read the book (which he admitted in front of the task force).
It's even more irresponsible that the task force did not ask him to take his seat and stop talking the moment he admitted to them that he had not read my book before reporting on it! And he's a teacher? His "apology" was a joke, more self-justification.
Is it just me, or is this beginning to sound like a soap opera? (Maybe the Crailsheimer will make a great screenplay one day.)
December 13, 2002
Whenever I think that the people in Crailsheim have reached their nadir, they prove me wrong. Where is the bottom of their barrel?
Now Hannes is trying to claim that I am being "super-sensitive" about his accusations that I am interested only in "sex and crime", and not in the real White Rose story. He points to an August 2001 email in which he had written that he liked my approach (!) even though I attributed "sex and crime" to "his hero, Hans Scholl." Wednesday he said that since I didn't protest that label in August 2001, he didn't understand why I didn't find it offensive now.
His attempt to excuse himself is offensive on so many levels, not least of which is that Hans Scholl does not equate with the White Rose. I did not protest in August 2001, because Hans Scholl did have problems with sex and crime. He was a regular Robert Downey Jr., complete with Downey's unbelievable talents, and Achilles heel.
The Arbeitskreis (task force) was supposed to meet again last night to consider a very strong email that I wrote to the Hohenloher Tagblatt, the local newspaper that published parts of Hannes' slander. It should be interesting to see if Hannes apologized.
December 6, 2002
The Mission Statement and White Rose Projects are now posted on the Center's site. If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to our work, please note that in a comment here and someone will contact you.
And yes, I am writing such mundane things because I am trying to keep my mind off the ugliness in Crailsheim. It has not improved, only worsened.
November 29, 2002
Tomorrow is my birthday. But any anticipation of that usually happy event was ruined by an unexpected turn of events in Crailsheim.
Following a week of extremely enjoyable email exchange on the topic described below (Nov. 22), Hannes Hartleitner took that discussion and misquoted the two of us involved in the conversation. His presentation of my book at the annual meeting of the Arbeitskreis in Crailsheim took the approach of personal vilification. He accused me of Gestapo-like tactics in my White Rose research, claiming that I am only interested in "sex and crime" (ergo, not the truth).
It was devastating seeing positive words that we had written, now mangled beyond all recognition. I have asked for a public apology. We'll see if I get one.
November 22, 2002
The poet C.K. Williams has recently posited that perhaps Germany has become the 20th century's "symbol" for evil and that it will be difficult for the country to ever shake that association.
While Williams' prose is admirable and even thought-provoking on the topic, I disagree. That perpetuates the notion that the current administration in Washington DC seeks to put forward, that the world is black and white. I think I understand ~ more than ever before ~ that not all heroes are good, and not all good people are heroes; and that not all villains are mean, and not all mean people are villains.
With that in mind, I would also say to C.K. Williams that his hypothesis opens the door for those who would say that, for example, the White Rose is the symbol for goodness. What they did was good, and excellent, and noble. Their actions were praiseworthy, and should never be minimized. But their actions do not remove their warts and flaws and blemishes, nor should they.
Not all heroes are good, and not all good people are heroes.
November 15, 2002
Oh sigh. We are late with the production of our next book too, the Gestapo interrogation transcripts for Hans and Sophie Scholl, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell. It will be the most wonderful thing in the world when we can afford to hire assistants and not do everything ourselves.
I'm realizing that the Hamburg "branch" of the White Rose has its own fascinating story to tell, completely separate and apart from the people in Munich. They were not so much a branch (as the legend has been told) as they were a viable, functioning resistance movement in their own right.
The post-White Rose resistance in Munich is similarly intriguing. This is the group that centered around Hans Leipelt (who was essentially a Hamburger). It is really a crying shame that the names of Leipelt's friends have not been honored and respected along with him. Since Leipelt and his friends were largely so-called "halb Juden" (half-Jews), it's interesting to see how they were treated differently. For example, one of Leipelt's friends (who was 'more Jewish' than the rest) was sent to a concentration camp long before her trial.
So many stories, so little time to tell them all in. One thing is for certain, the Chemistry Department at the University of Munich and Professor Heinrich Wieland come off looking awfully good. A few more Wielands and Hubers, and history easily could have been written differently.
August 23, 2002
Yea! It shipped! A back-breaking week of shared pizza and running up and downstairs and all that goes into getting a book like this out the door and in your mailbox. One exhausting day after another, and we felt like saying, "Yes, we do windows too." All in all, a good feeling.
July 26, 2002
Juggling multiple projects is challenging, but necessary. Finishing up production of White Rose History, Volume I, and it seems like the headaches never go away. We're all on the phone all the time. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but not much of one. This didn't print right, that's not right, and we've blown by our first deadline. Again, the joys of being a small company...
We'll savor warm champagne fuzzies (or is it fizzies?) when the book finally ships. Right now, we're wondering when that will be. [Note: If you want to order it, and it's not available in your favorite book store, you can buy the volume directly from the publisher.]
(We're also curious as to how our unique format for this book will be received. We looked at it this way and that, and opted for a three-ring binder that can support annual updates as additional archives are opened ~ specifically the Scholl Archives that have long been off limits to serious scholars. If you've bought or read the book (it's in better libraries the world over), please let us know how you like the 'different' concept. Your opinion will make a difference in how we handle Volume II in 2003. Please post comments here!)
June 28, 2002
The local newspaper carried a very nice article about our work. But I'm going to have to get used to not being quoted 100% accurately. Oh well. The publicity is nice? Yes, it is.
May 9, 2002
We need more time! We need more time! We can't go home just yet. Aaahh!!
One more conversation (telephone) with Lilo Fuerst-Ramdohr, and a surprisingly delightful meeting with the Probst family and with Dr. Wolfgang Huber. The Probsts have traditionally been the "quiet" White Rose wheel, much like Christl himself all those years ago. Adored Herta Probst! She lost so much ~ her husband, her father, and a brother. She told us that just a few days before the war ended, the SS showed up at her door with orders to execute her and her babies. Luckily, one of her brothers knew that they were coming and gave her the heads-up. She escaped with just the clothes on her back.
And Dr. Wolfgang Huber... These entries will definitely contain more about him in the future. One of those bizarre quirks of fate: There was a visiting professor in Houston in 1981/82. I hit it off great with him, since I knew just enough of the Swabian dialect to be dangerous, and he was from Tuebingen. Of course, twenty years later I discover that Dr. Kreuzer is a good friend of Dr. Huber.
And I also understand why Professor Kurt Huber was so beloved, if not revered, in 1943.
May 5, 2002
Berlin is one of the most amazing cities ever. I still cannot believe how much it has changed since the "Wende". So glad now that my brother and I "did" Berlin in 1987, staying on the East side. Having that contrast is the only way to genuinely appreciate the city's rebirth.
We stayed at the Hotel Gendarm, about four blocks from the Brandenburger Gate. Something you never see in a German hotel (and I cannot think when I've seen this in an American hotel): We had a washing machine in our kitchen! Sad to admit that clean underwear is something to get excited about.
The Bundesarchiv did not have the order ready as promised, but the archive director worked out a great compromise that will be beneficial in the long run. They are sending us the entire White Rose documentation on microfilm. The additional time with the director made the whole long south-to-north trip worthwhile. He clarified what may and may not be published, making a point of advising me that Inge Scholl and her children do not qualify as "Nachkommen" of Hans and Sophie Scholl. They therefore have no legal standing with regards to anything in the archives and ~ despite Inge's dire warnings in 1995 ~ can do nothing to hinder publication of these papers.
May 1, 2002
I could talk on and on about yesterday evening in Crailsheim with the White Rose task force. They basically coordinate activities between schools named for the White Rose students, especially at times when these schools work together to combat racism and anti-Semitism in Germany.
Delightful people! And a delightful place. We met in the local school's choir room. By the end of the evening, everyone was singing. Great fun, and we got it all on video.
This morning, we met Susanne Hirzel, a far too short conversation with a fascinating lady. She is so direct and frank that you don't have to worry about whether she's spinning or telling the truth. I like people like that, even when I don't always agree with them.
Afternoon, to Ulm to meet up with Dr. Silvester Lechner. He heads up the DZOK, a permanent exhibit located in the Fort Oberer Kuhberg, one of the first concentration camps in Germany. Dr. Lechner was a pioneer in the accurate telling of the White Rose story. He had the guts to dispute the fictional aspects of the legend long before I ever heard the name Scholl. In 1995, he taught me how to navigate treacherous shoals, and where to look for truth.
April 29, 2002
Full days behind us, full days ahead. Dinner with the Schmorells ~ early asparagus! Few people realize that Herta Schmorell's father was the C.O. of the Student Company that many in the White Rose belonged to. Because he was not afraid to take on the Gestapo (he felt the guys should be tried in military courts, where they would not have been executed), several fellows survived the war. After Hans Scholl's quickie trial and beheading, her father wrote transfer papers for anyone else who knew about or participated in the resistance. For example, Otmar Hammerstein was sent to Holland. More on this topic in my White Rose History, Volume II.
On Sunday, we traveled to Munich to search for some kind of a plaque or remembrance for those who participated in Freiheitsaktion Bayern. Harald Dohrn (Christoph Probst's father-in-law) was one of the people killed in that final act of resistance. As far as we could tell, there is nothing to remember them by.
Monday, on to Stuttgart. Stayed in my favorite hotel in that area, Hotel Rieth. Been staying there for the past twenty years. Nothing fancy, it's just another family-owned hotel that gives consistently good service. And has one of the best breakfasts!
Finally met Armin Ziegler and his lovely wife. Dr. Ziegler has been a patient and trustworthy sounding board as I've worked through some difficult White Rose topics. After a hearty Chinese dinner, we retired to his study. I do think the four of us could have talked all night. Have you read this, did you see that? He had the rare opportunity to thoroughly explore Gisela Schertling's papers shortly after her death. This provided insights I never expected. We will never know it all.
April 26, 2002
We'd missed interviewing Lilo Fuerst-Ramdohr in 1995. The Schmorells told us about her, but our schedule never worked out so that we could meet her then. What a treat to finally meet this grand lady! Schurik came alive for us through her eyes. She also explained a few things that had been 'bugging' me for nearly eight years, such as why he would say "Du, mein bester Freund" (masculine) when taking his final leave from her. (You have to read the book to find out why!)
That was yesterday. Today we got out in this wonderful Spring weather and searched for places that were on their map in 1943, but places we were not able to find in 1995. All three remain a mystery. We are no closer to knowing where Drei-Burschen-Huette/Lenggries, The Bridge (British?) Museum/Starnberg, and Am Kalvarienberg 1/Bad Toelz are located. We have eliminated a few logical guesses, and in that sense are closer. But no photographs to show for it.
Still, a lovely day to be out and about in the mountains, breathing fresh air, and reveling in indescribable beauty. The late evening thunderstorm only added to the magic.
April 23, 2002
Well, I remember why I don't like to fly USAir. Terrible flight, and mediocre service. Still the best price from Philly...
Took the long way from the airport to Starnberger See, driving through Munich. Such a good place to be. Even better when we wended our way to Hotel Lidl in Tutzing. I've found my new favorite place to stay. Right on the lake ~ you can touch the Alps from the balcony. Highly recommend this place, especially for anyone who likes freshly caught trout.
April 19, 2002
Final "Rundbrief" to White Rose friends in Germany, letting them know where we'll be staying and what our tentative itinerary looks like. A million things to do ~ in three days! What I forget here, I can buy there.
April 5, 2002
Mom is on her way to visit little bro' in Oxford, and all that's left is putting together the final details for the Germany leg of the trip. Where to stay in Berlin? Can we afford anything there?
At least the National Archives (Bundesarchiv) will have everything waiting for me. All I have to do is show up, sign the wire transfer order, and we will own a complete set of White Rose Gestapo transcripts. No more relying on handwritten notes, hoping I got it right.
March 31, 2002
Plans for a trip to Munich next month ~ to talk to people, visit archives, shoot more video and take more photographs ~ are being firmed up. By June, the White Rose section of the Center for White Rose Studies Web site should be fleshed out and provide even more information for interested readers. This will likely be the last "journal entry" until late May, giving time for travel prep in advance, and catch-up work upon return.
March 21, 2002
White Rose stationery (available through Exclamation! Publishers, with profits going to the White Rose scholarship fund) is looking good. It is an indescribable feeling to see years ~ years! ~ of work making sense and taking shape. The best is yet to come!
February 28, 2002
All right, now I can admit it out loud. In December, I had nearly gotten to the point of walking away from the White Rose. On occasion, it has felt hopeless. I work my tail off, nailing down facts, ferreting out details that yield significant insight into the dynamics of the friends who called themselves the White Rose. And it seems like it does no good. On days like those in December, it seems that only people who are willing to perpetuate lies and half-truths are the ones who get to talk out loud, who get to be designated "experts" on this remarkable story.
But now, as progress becomes more visible, I find it easier to stick to my task at hand: Documenting the true story with irrefutable evidence, then telling it in a form that is accessible to young and old alike.
"Progress" says to me that there are people out there who want Truth to be told, to be documented. Hopefully, Truth will outlast the Lie. Ironically, that's what Hans and Sophie and Christl and Dr. Huber and Willi and Schurik gave their lives for.
February 14, 2002
Center for White Rose Studies finally has been founded, chartered as a nonprofit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Long time coming. It's got to be worth the effort.
February 7, 2002
Back to basics! By now, a little over a year after beginning this online journal, the White Rose Access database has grown to 2,440 individual records (approximately 500,000 words). The substantial part of extant documents is in the database. But there's another 200,000 words or so that still needs to be added, and it will take a while yet. These are the things collected here and there, letters that contain a fascinating tidbit or morsel. Individually, these facts are not "important", but they certainly add up to a larger whole.
In addition, I need to get Ziegler's excellent work about Eugen Grimminger into the database. Grimminger is hardly an incidental character, though he is treated as such. Ziegler's book fleshes out the Grimminger relationship to the Scholl family, and adds an intriguing woman ~ Tilly Hahn ~ to the White Rose story.
I truly have my work cut out for me!
Finally, the last entry of a most difficult year. Wrote my response to the task force in Crailsheim. The crux of their general argument is that we are not allowed to actually talk about the true White Rose story and portray anyone in it (but especially Hans and Sophie Scholl) with flaws, because they are symbols of "good" in Germany. I think this is an issue that will have to be addressed in white paper articles, not here in this journal.
The end of the year is always a good time to take stock of ourselves, to see what we like and don't like. Even incidents as completely unpleasant as the last few weeks wrangling with dishonesty in Crailsheim ~ even that can make me stronger. I have to believe that.
December 20, 2002
Well, the people in Crailsheim found another new low. I received an official task-force email, copied to every member. Hannes' new tactic is to insinuate that I wrote that Hans and Sophie Scholl had an incestuous relationship. To "prove" his point, he translated portions of my book, leaving out critical passages that would have disproved his accusation. What offended me even more was that he alleged this, while: 1) Not having asked me what I meant by those passages before making his presentation; and 2) Without having read the book (which he admitted in front of the task force).
It's even more irresponsible that the task force did not ask him to take his seat and stop talking the moment he admitted to them that he had not read my book before reporting on it! And he's a teacher? His "apology" was a joke, more self-justification.
Is it just me, or is this beginning to sound like a soap opera? (Maybe the Crailsheimer will make a great screenplay one day.)
December 13, 2002
Whenever I think that the people in Crailsheim have reached their nadir, they prove me wrong. Where is the bottom of their barrel?
Now Hannes is trying to claim that I am being "super-sensitive" about his accusations that I am interested only in "sex and crime", and not in the real White Rose story. He points to an August 2001 email in which he had written that he liked my approach (!) even though I attributed "sex and crime" to "his hero, Hans Scholl." Wednesday he said that since I didn't protest that label in August 2001, he didn't understand why I didn't find it offensive now.
His attempt to excuse himself is offensive on so many levels, not least of which is that Hans Scholl does not equate with the White Rose. I did not protest in August 2001, because Hans Scholl did have problems with sex and crime. He was a regular Robert Downey Jr., complete with Downey's unbelievable talents, and Achilles heel.
The Arbeitskreis (task force) was supposed to meet again last night to consider a very strong email that I wrote to the Hohenloher Tagblatt, the local newspaper that published parts of Hannes' slander. It should be interesting to see if Hannes apologized.
December 6, 2002
The Mission Statement and White Rose Projects are now posted on the Center's site. If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to our work, please note that in a comment here and someone will contact you.
And yes, I am writing such mundane things because I am trying to keep my mind off the ugliness in Crailsheim. It has not improved, only worsened.
November 29, 2002
Tomorrow is my birthday. But any anticipation of that usually happy event was ruined by an unexpected turn of events in Crailsheim.
Following a week of extremely enjoyable email exchange on the topic described below (Nov. 22), Hannes Hartleitner took that discussion and misquoted the two of us involved in the conversation. His presentation of my book at the annual meeting of the Arbeitskreis in Crailsheim took the approach of personal vilification. He accused me of Gestapo-like tactics in my White Rose research, claiming that I am only interested in "sex and crime" (ergo, not the truth).
It was devastating seeing positive words that we had written, now mangled beyond all recognition. I have asked for a public apology. We'll see if I get one.
November 22, 2002
The poet C.K. Williams has recently posited that perhaps Germany has become the 20th century's "symbol" for evil and that it will be difficult for the country to ever shake that association.
While Williams' prose is admirable and even thought-provoking on the topic, I disagree. That perpetuates the notion that the current administration in Washington DC seeks to put forward, that the world is black and white. I think I understand ~ more than ever before ~ that not all heroes are good, and not all good people are heroes; and that not all villains are mean, and not all mean people are villains.
With that in mind, I would also say to C.K. Williams that his hypothesis opens the door for those who would say that, for example, the White Rose is the symbol for goodness. What they did was good, and excellent, and noble. Their actions were praiseworthy, and should never be minimized. But their actions do not remove their warts and flaws and blemishes, nor should they.
Not all heroes are good, and not all good people are heroes.
November 15, 2002
Oh sigh. We are late with the production of our next book too, the Gestapo interrogation transcripts for Hans and Sophie Scholl, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell. It will be the most wonderful thing in the world when we can afford to hire assistants and not do everything ourselves.
I'm realizing that the Hamburg "branch" of the White Rose has its own fascinating story to tell, completely separate and apart from the people in Munich. They were not so much a branch (as the legend has been told) as they were a viable, functioning resistance movement in their own right.
The post-White Rose resistance in Munich is similarly intriguing. This is the group that centered around Hans Leipelt (who was essentially a Hamburger). It is really a crying shame that the names of Leipelt's friends have not been honored and respected along with him. Since Leipelt and his friends were largely so-called "halb Juden" (half-Jews), it's interesting to see how they were treated differently. For example, one of Leipelt's friends (who was 'more Jewish' than the rest) was sent to a concentration camp long before her trial.
So many stories, so little time to tell them all in. One thing is for certain, the Chemistry Department at the University of Munich and Professor Heinrich Wieland come off looking awfully good. A few more Wielands and Hubers, and history easily could have been written differently.
August 23, 2002
Yea! It shipped! A back-breaking week of shared pizza and running up and downstairs and all that goes into getting a book like this out the door and in your mailbox. One exhausting day after another, and we felt like saying, "Yes, we do windows too." All in all, a good feeling.
July 26, 2002
Juggling multiple projects is challenging, but necessary. Finishing up production of White Rose History, Volume I, and it seems like the headaches never go away. We're all on the phone all the time. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but not much of one. This didn't print right, that's not right, and we've blown by our first deadline. Again, the joys of being a small company...
We'll savor warm champagne fuzzies (or is it fizzies?) when the book finally ships. Right now, we're wondering when that will be. [Note: If you want to order it, and it's not available in your favorite book store, you can buy the volume directly from the publisher.]
(We're also curious as to how our unique format for this book will be received. We looked at it this way and that, and opted for a three-ring binder that can support annual updates as additional archives are opened ~ specifically the Scholl Archives that have long been off limits to serious scholars. If you've bought or read the book (it's in better libraries the world over), please let us know how you like the 'different' concept. Your opinion will make a difference in how we handle Volume II in 2003. Please post comments here!)
June 28, 2002
The local newspaper carried a very nice article about our work. But I'm going to have to get used to not being quoted 100% accurately. Oh well. The publicity is nice? Yes, it is.
May 9, 2002
We need more time! We need more time! We can't go home just yet. Aaahh!!
One more conversation (telephone) with Lilo Fuerst-Ramdohr, and a surprisingly delightful meeting with the Probst family and with Dr. Wolfgang Huber. The Probsts have traditionally been the "quiet" White Rose wheel, much like Christl himself all those years ago. Adored Herta Probst! She lost so much ~ her husband, her father, and a brother. She told us that just a few days before the war ended, the SS showed up at her door with orders to execute her and her babies. Luckily, one of her brothers knew that they were coming and gave her the heads-up. She escaped with just the clothes on her back.
And Dr. Wolfgang Huber... These entries will definitely contain more about him in the future. One of those bizarre quirks of fate: There was a visiting professor in Houston in 1981/82. I hit it off great with him, since I knew just enough of the Swabian dialect to be dangerous, and he was from Tuebingen. Of course, twenty years later I discover that Dr. Kreuzer is a good friend of Dr. Huber.
And I also understand why Professor Kurt Huber was so beloved, if not revered, in 1943.
May 5, 2002
Berlin is one of the most amazing cities ever. I still cannot believe how much it has changed since the "Wende". So glad now that my brother and I "did" Berlin in 1987, staying on the East side. Having that contrast is the only way to genuinely appreciate the city's rebirth.
We stayed at the Hotel Gendarm, about four blocks from the Brandenburger Gate. Something you never see in a German hotel (and I cannot think when I've seen this in an American hotel): We had a washing machine in our kitchen! Sad to admit that clean underwear is something to get excited about.
The Bundesarchiv did not have the order ready as promised, but the archive director worked out a great compromise that will be beneficial in the long run. They are sending us the entire White Rose documentation on microfilm. The additional time with the director made the whole long south-to-north trip worthwhile. He clarified what may and may not be published, making a point of advising me that Inge Scholl and her children do not qualify as "Nachkommen" of Hans and Sophie Scholl. They therefore have no legal standing with regards to anything in the archives and ~ despite Inge's dire warnings in 1995 ~ can do nothing to hinder publication of these papers.
May 1, 2002
I could talk on and on about yesterday evening in Crailsheim with the White Rose task force. They basically coordinate activities between schools named for the White Rose students, especially at times when these schools work together to combat racism and anti-Semitism in Germany.
Delightful people! And a delightful place. We met in the local school's choir room. By the end of the evening, everyone was singing. Great fun, and we got it all on video.
This morning, we met Susanne Hirzel, a far too short conversation with a fascinating lady. She is so direct and frank that you don't have to worry about whether she's spinning or telling the truth. I like people like that, even when I don't always agree with them.
Afternoon, to Ulm to meet up with Dr. Silvester Lechner. He heads up the DZOK, a permanent exhibit located in the Fort Oberer Kuhberg, one of the first concentration camps in Germany. Dr. Lechner was a pioneer in the accurate telling of the White Rose story. He had the guts to dispute the fictional aspects of the legend long before I ever heard the name Scholl. In 1995, he taught me how to navigate treacherous shoals, and where to look for truth.
April 29, 2002
Full days behind us, full days ahead. Dinner with the Schmorells ~ early asparagus! Few people realize that Herta Schmorell's father was the C.O. of the Student Company that many in the White Rose belonged to. Because he was not afraid to take on the Gestapo (he felt the guys should be tried in military courts, where they would not have been executed), several fellows survived the war. After Hans Scholl's quickie trial and beheading, her father wrote transfer papers for anyone else who knew about or participated in the resistance. For example, Otmar Hammerstein was sent to Holland. More on this topic in my White Rose History, Volume II.
On Sunday, we traveled to Munich to search for some kind of a plaque or remembrance for those who participated in Freiheitsaktion Bayern. Harald Dohrn (Christoph Probst's father-in-law) was one of the people killed in that final act of resistance. As far as we could tell, there is nothing to remember them by.
Monday, on to Stuttgart. Stayed in my favorite hotel in that area, Hotel Rieth. Been staying there for the past twenty years. Nothing fancy, it's just another family-owned hotel that gives consistently good service. And has one of the best breakfasts!
Finally met Armin Ziegler and his lovely wife. Dr. Ziegler has been a patient and trustworthy sounding board as I've worked through some difficult White Rose topics. After a hearty Chinese dinner, we retired to his study. I do think the four of us could have talked all night. Have you read this, did you see that? He had the rare opportunity to thoroughly explore Gisela Schertling's papers shortly after her death. This provided insights I never expected. We will never know it all.
April 26, 2002
We'd missed interviewing Lilo Fuerst-Ramdohr in 1995. The Schmorells told us about her, but our schedule never worked out so that we could meet her then. What a treat to finally meet this grand lady! Schurik came alive for us through her eyes. She also explained a few things that had been 'bugging' me for nearly eight years, such as why he would say "Du, mein bester Freund" (masculine) when taking his final leave from her. (You have to read the book to find out why!)
That was yesterday. Today we got out in this wonderful Spring weather and searched for places that were on their map in 1943, but places we were not able to find in 1995. All three remain a mystery. We are no closer to knowing where Drei-Burschen-Huette/Lenggries, The Bridge (British?) Museum/Starnberg, and Am Kalvarienberg 1/Bad Toelz are located. We have eliminated a few logical guesses, and in that sense are closer. But no photographs to show for it.
Still, a lovely day to be out and about in the mountains, breathing fresh air, and reveling in indescribable beauty. The late evening thunderstorm only added to the magic.
April 23, 2002
Well, I remember why I don't like to fly USAir. Terrible flight, and mediocre service. Still the best price from Philly...
Took the long way from the airport to Starnberger See, driving through Munich. Such a good place to be. Even better when we wended our way to Hotel Lidl in Tutzing. I've found my new favorite place to stay. Right on the lake ~ you can touch the Alps from the balcony. Highly recommend this place, especially for anyone who likes freshly caught trout.
April 19, 2002
Final "Rundbrief" to White Rose friends in Germany, letting them know where we'll be staying and what our tentative itinerary looks like. A million things to do ~ in three days! What I forget here, I can buy there.
April 5, 2002
Mom is on her way to visit little bro' in Oxford, and all that's left is putting together the final details for the Germany leg of the trip. Where to stay in Berlin? Can we afford anything there?
At least the National Archives (Bundesarchiv) will have everything waiting for me. All I have to do is show up, sign the wire transfer order, and we will own a complete set of White Rose Gestapo transcripts. No more relying on handwritten notes, hoping I got it right.
March 31, 2002
Plans for a trip to Munich next month ~ to talk to people, visit archives, shoot more video and take more photographs ~ are being firmed up. By June, the White Rose section of the Center for White Rose Studies Web site should be fleshed out and provide even more information for interested readers. This will likely be the last "journal entry" until late May, giving time for travel prep in advance, and catch-up work upon return.
March 21, 2002
White Rose stationery (available through Exclamation! Publishers, with profits going to the White Rose scholarship fund) is looking good. It is an indescribable feeling to see years ~ years! ~ of work making sense and taking shape. The best is yet to come!
February 28, 2002
All right, now I can admit it out loud. In December, I had nearly gotten to the point of walking away from the White Rose. On occasion, it has felt hopeless. I work my tail off, nailing down facts, ferreting out details that yield significant insight into the dynamics of the friends who called themselves the White Rose. And it seems like it does no good. On days like those in December, it seems that only people who are willing to perpetuate lies and half-truths are the ones who get to talk out loud, who get to be designated "experts" on this remarkable story.
But now, as progress becomes more visible, I find it easier to stick to my task at hand: Documenting the true story with irrefutable evidence, then telling it in a form that is accessible to young and old alike.
"Progress" says to me that there are people out there who want Truth to be told, to be documented. Hopefully, Truth will outlast the Lie. Ironically, that's what Hans and Sophie and Christl and Dr. Huber and Willi and Schurik gave their lives for.
February 14, 2002
Center for White Rose Studies finally has been founded, chartered as a nonprofit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Long time coming. It's got to be worth the effort.
February 7, 2002
Back to basics! By now, a little over a year after beginning this online journal, the White Rose Access database has grown to 2,440 individual records (approximately 500,000 words). The substantial part of extant documents is in the database. But there's another 200,000 words or so that still needs to be added, and it will take a while yet. These are the things collected here and there, letters that contain a fascinating tidbit or morsel. Individually, these facts are not "important", but they certainly add up to a larger whole.
In addition, I need to get Ziegler's excellent work about Eugen Grimminger into the database. Grimminger is hardly an incidental character, though he is treated as such. Ziegler's book fleshes out the Grimminger relationship to the Scholl family, and adds an intriguing woman ~ Tilly Hahn ~ to the White Rose story.
I truly have my work cut out for me!
History: October through December 2001
December 27, 2001
Well, the well-worn and horribly romantic image of a writer writing and pacing and drinking himself silly sure has taken a hit this year. Writing is proving to be much more of a "job" than anyone ever lets on. A job, to be sure, that I wouldn't trade for anything. And that, my friends, is a great place to be.
December 20, 2001
Finished a "markets" piece for Children's Writer Newsletter. Researched which publishers are looking for adventure pieces in 2002 and early 2003. This means I'll be able to seriously pick up where I left off on White Rose work. Hopefully very soon! Nothing like a short absence to make me ready to go again. How is it that after all these years, their story still has the power to make me cry?
November 29, 2001
Birthday tomorrow reminds me that we all get older and slower, no matter what we do or where we live. Oh well. Enjoying the journey, and that is what matters most.
November 22, 2001
So much to be thankful for, and I don't even mean the "biggies". Strong sense this year of needing to understand that so much that I am "thankful" for comes at the expense of others who receive little or no wage (much less thanks) for their labor.
November 1, 2001
We are coming up so quickly on the 63rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of breaking glass, that awful pogrom that signaled the irrevocable beginnings of the Shoah. In these days when our own society can feel like it is standing on equivalent quicksand, we need to hear the words of Paul Spiegel, President of the German Jewish Council, spoken last November 9 in Berlin.
October 18, 2001
The worst thing to come of the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon has been the willingness of too many citizens to voluntarily hand over civil liberties in exchange for what is perceived as "security" ...
This is a dangerous world view. We can fight external enemies. It has never been difficult to rally Americans to genuine jeopardy from abroad. But if we let go of the things that make us special ~ the right to freely assemble, the right to dissent, the right to speak our minds even if our opinions buck conventional wisdom and White House spin ~ we may as well surrender now. For we will have already lost.
Well, the well-worn and horribly romantic image of a writer writing and pacing and drinking himself silly sure has taken a hit this year. Writing is proving to be much more of a "job" than anyone ever lets on. A job, to be sure, that I wouldn't trade for anything. And that, my friends, is a great place to be.
December 20, 2001
Finished a "markets" piece for Children's Writer Newsletter. Researched which publishers are looking for adventure pieces in 2002 and early 2003. This means I'll be able to seriously pick up where I left off on White Rose work. Hopefully very soon! Nothing like a short absence to make me ready to go again. How is it that after all these years, their story still has the power to make me cry?
November 29, 2001
Birthday tomorrow reminds me that we all get older and slower, no matter what we do or where we live. Oh well. Enjoying the journey, and that is what matters most.
November 22, 2001
So much to be thankful for, and I don't even mean the "biggies". Strong sense this year of needing to understand that so much that I am "thankful" for comes at the expense of others who receive little or no wage (much less thanks) for their labor.
November 1, 2001
We are coming up so quickly on the 63rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of breaking glass, that awful pogrom that signaled the irrevocable beginnings of the Shoah. In these days when our own society can feel like it is standing on equivalent quicksand, we need to hear the words of Paul Spiegel, President of the German Jewish Council, spoken last November 9 in Berlin.
October 18, 2001
The worst thing to come of the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon has been the willingness of too many citizens to voluntarily hand over civil liberties in exchange for what is perceived as "security" ...
This is a dangerous world view. We can fight external enemies. It has never been difficult to rally Americans to genuine jeopardy from abroad. But if we let go of the things that make us special ~ the right to freely assemble, the right to dissent, the right to speak our minds even if our opinions buck conventional wisdom and White House spin ~ we may as well surrender now. For we will have already lost.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Attention to detail
Without even trying, we have found ourselves visiting numerous museums these first few weeks in California. Whether the Gene Autry Museum with its variety of displays (rock climbing, art galleries, C&W music) or the stark simplicity of the Santa Barbara Mission exhibits, each museum offers something unique and thought-provoking.
Additionally, the curators demonstrate a good eye for making their subject matter relevant. Touch the sequins in the C&W exhibit and lip sync to a young George Jones performance "onstage". Smell the roses in the Mission garden. Test the rockclimbing equipment for yourself. Learn the value of a good telescope for fun and games (as predecessor to more serious pursuits) at Griffith Observatory.
These experiences have made me think about what we want for our Center for White Rose Studies. Of course we wish to make the archival material available to everyone, in its original German as well as in English translation.
But what can we do beyond that to make the story come alive? Just as the Autry people made rockclimbing (something I am NOT interested in) fascinating by permitting visitors to physically feel the equipment, thereby gaining an appreciation for the risks these earthbound explorers undertake, I would like to see our staff make the notions of civil disobedience and informed dissent come alive for students - and "older" students - alike.
Please let us know your thoughts on this topic! We are listening...
Additionally, the curators demonstrate a good eye for making their subject matter relevant. Touch the sequins in the C&W exhibit and lip sync to a young George Jones performance "onstage". Smell the roses in the Mission garden. Test the rockclimbing equipment for yourself. Learn the value of a good telescope for fun and games (as predecessor to more serious pursuits) at Griffith Observatory.
These experiences have made me think about what we want for our Center for White Rose Studies. Of course we wish to make the archival material available to everyone, in its original German as well as in English translation.
But what can we do beyond that to make the story come alive? Just as the Autry people made rockclimbing (something I am NOT interested in) fascinating by permitting visitors to physically feel the equipment, thereby gaining an appreciation for the risks these earthbound explorers undertake, I would like to see our staff make the notions of civil disobedience and informed dissent come alive for students - and "older" students - alike.
Please let us know your thoughts on this topic! We are listening...
History: July through September 2001
September 13, 2001
There is nothing else to write except for deepest grief at the events of this week. On Monday, facing a week full of bright prospects, we could never have imagined how changed our world would be today, how very different we have all become in so short a space.
May our innocence lost turn to wisdom gained.
September 6, 2001
Interesting news out of Germany... Hans Hirzel has left the Republikaner party. Reasons are unclear at present. Just a development worth noting.
Armin Ziegler sent me his biography of Eugen Grimminger. More for the database, but more important, more puzzle pieces to complete the White Rose picture. It grows increasingly fascinating the greater its complexity.
August 24, 2001
More of Otl's work is "in the database" now. Nearly finished, after a long hiatus from his writing. So many why's, not many answers. It is chilling to realize that they were very much aware of the odds against them. 30, maybe 50 individuals at most, in the face of 60 million Germans who either followed Hitler blindly and loudly, or would not say no to those who did. Chilling, and an indictment.
30, maybe 50, against 60 million. How much more alone could one be?
August 17, 2001
This White Rose "puzzle" is so intricate, so beautiful. Asked Armin Ziegler a simple question this week: Was Tilly Hahn related to the educator Kurt Hahn?
She was not... but she represents one of those White Rose jewels who has been ignored far too long. She gave Hans Scholl and Alex Schmorell the 500 Marks that Eugen Grimminger was arrested for. Out of her own pocket. Long depicted as his pretty secretary, Tilly instead handled customer accounts ~ and shared Grimminger's views of the Nazis completely.
It's a shame that the falsehood of the legend has hidden the charm of the real story. High time people like Tilly Hahn received the recognition, and honor, they deserve.
August 10, 2001
There's movement in the White Rose work again. I won't talk out loud about some of it. Suffice it to say, I alternate between breathless and agony. Listening to people who can make a difference... And it's exciting to be talking to Leslie Friedman, a fellow Fulbrighter who shares my strange sense of humor, regarding art direction for a potential White Rose movie.
August 2, 2001
When a person thinks about becoming a writer (or at least when I did), there's this romantic vision of sitting at a computer and pouring meaningful words onto a blank page. I remember the early days, writing whenever inspiration struck... usually late at night. It was simply fun, that theater of and for one.
I still love to write, but have discovered in the interim that it's a business like anything else. The routine may "interfere" with the creative, but it enables it as well. Would not trade this business for any other! Keeping routine and creativity in balance is, however, a dance on egg shells.
July 20, 2001
Ran across some people this week who willingly distort truth just to win an argument. Had nothing to do with the White Rose. The topic, in fact, was media bias. Instead of honestly discussing the matter, they invented specious supports to their claim, including but not limited to the mind-boggling assertion that writing "Rep. Condit" was a deliberate attempt to make people think Condit is Republican.
Yes, there really are people like that. Finding them outside the realm of the White Rose made me feel a little better. I was beginning to believe all those types had migrated to this topic.
Still enjoying the ongoing correspondence with Armin Ziegler. Questions are good. He forces me to nitpick and think hard.
July 13, 2001
It's been one of those weeks where, if you touch it, it breaks. I'm sure that no one reading this has ever had a week like that. (Yeah right.) Guess these days make me appreciate other times when creativity comes easy, when everything rhymes, and mistakes are unehard of, I mean unheard of.
In the meantime, I've been reading the new John Adams biography. Astounding, isn't it, how many stories we once knew are quickly forgotten. He lived a scant 200 years ago. What have we forgotten from time even more immemorial?
July 5, 2001
On this day after we celebrate our declaration of independence, it is sobering to realize that not everywhere and not in every time have people enjoyed so much luxury of freedom as we do here in these United States.
A recent discussion about what drove the students in the White Rose to sacrifice their lives pointed this up clearly. They were of one mind on one topic only, namely, that human and civil rights were worth dying for. They could never have agreed on religion or politics. But they understood what we take for granted, that this precious freedom is for every one of us, not just for the privileged few.
There is nothing else to write except for deepest grief at the events of this week. On Monday, facing a week full of bright prospects, we could never have imagined how changed our world would be today, how very different we have all become in so short a space.
May our innocence lost turn to wisdom gained.
September 6, 2001
Interesting news out of Germany... Hans Hirzel has left the Republikaner party. Reasons are unclear at present. Just a development worth noting.
Armin Ziegler sent me his biography of Eugen Grimminger. More for the database, but more important, more puzzle pieces to complete the White Rose picture. It grows increasingly fascinating the greater its complexity.
August 24, 2001
More of Otl's work is "in the database" now. Nearly finished, after a long hiatus from his writing. So many why's, not many answers. It is chilling to realize that they were very much aware of the odds against them. 30, maybe 50 individuals at most, in the face of 60 million Germans who either followed Hitler blindly and loudly, or would not say no to those who did. Chilling, and an indictment.
30, maybe 50, against 60 million. How much more alone could one be?
August 17, 2001
This White Rose "puzzle" is so intricate, so beautiful. Asked Armin Ziegler a simple question this week: Was Tilly Hahn related to the educator Kurt Hahn?
She was not... but she represents one of those White Rose jewels who has been ignored far too long. She gave Hans Scholl and Alex Schmorell the 500 Marks that Eugen Grimminger was arrested for. Out of her own pocket. Long depicted as his pretty secretary, Tilly instead handled customer accounts ~ and shared Grimminger's views of the Nazis completely.
It's a shame that the falsehood of the legend has hidden the charm of the real story. High time people like Tilly Hahn received the recognition, and honor, they deserve.
August 10, 2001
There's movement in the White Rose work again. I won't talk out loud about some of it. Suffice it to say, I alternate between breathless and agony. Listening to people who can make a difference... And it's exciting to be talking to Leslie Friedman, a fellow Fulbrighter who shares my strange sense of humor, regarding art direction for a potential White Rose movie.
August 2, 2001
When a person thinks about becoming a writer (or at least when I did), there's this romantic vision of sitting at a computer and pouring meaningful words onto a blank page. I remember the early days, writing whenever inspiration struck... usually late at night. It was simply fun, that theater of and for one.
I still love to write, but have discovered in the interim that it's a business like anything else. The routine may "interfere" with the creative, but it enables it as well. Would not trade this business for any other! Keeping routine and creativity in balance is, however, a dance on egg shells.
July 20, 2001
Ran across some people this week who willingly distort truth just to win an argument. Had nothing to do with the White Rose. The topic, in fact, was media bias. Instead of honestly discussing the matter, they invented specious supports to their claim, including but not limited to the mind-boggling assertion that writing "Rep. Condit" was a deliberate attempt to make people think Condit is Republican.
Yes, there really are people like that. Finding them outside the realm of the White Rose made me feel a little better. I was beginning to believe all those types had migrated to this topic.
Still enjoying the ongoing correspondence with Armin Ziegler. Questions are good. He forces me to nitpick and think hard.
July 13, 2001
It's been one of those weeks where, if you touch it, it breaks. I'm sure that no one reading this has ever had a week like that. (Yeah right.) Guess these days make me appreciate other times when creativity comes easy, when everything rhymes, and mistakes are unehard of, I mean unheard of.
In the meantime, I've been reading the new John Adams biography. Astounding, isn't it, how many stories we once knew are quickly forgotten. He lived a scant 200 years ago. What have we forgotten from time even more immemorial?
July 5, 2001
On this day after we celebrate our declaration of independence, it is sobering to realize that not everywhere and not in every time have people enjoyed so much luxury of freedom as we do here in these United States.
A recent discussion about what drove the students in the White Rose to sacrifice their lives pointed this up clearly. They were of one mind on one topic only, namely, that human and civil rights were worth dying for. They could never have agreed on religion or politics. But they understood what we take for granted, that this precious freedom is for every one of us, not just for the privileged few.
Friday, June 19, 2009
History: April through June 2001
June 28, 2001
Great fun when all the hard work on White Rose detail begins to pay off. Involved this week in an ongoing discussion with Armin Ziegler, who has devoted quite a bit of time and energy to researching Eugen and Jenny Grimminger. We have been comparing notes on a vague date -- when Hans and Schurik went to Chemnitz to meet Falk Harnack.
Since the date is never specifically stated, we both have made assumptions that led to our separate conclusions. Interesting now to take those assumptions and the facts that support them, to see if we can arrive at a date that really makes sense. So far, no luck. But puzzles like this are worth the effort.
June 21, 2001
First day of summer. Such a glorious time of year. Energy to create, to think, to be. Sometimes, words are too much.
June 14, 2001
Beginning to think that the most critical issue for White Rose research at this point is to get as much of the primary source documentation available to the public as possible. Inge Jens seems to be working on this with her recent Puls issue. There must be a way to get Scholl archives unblocked so the truth can start to be known. Not merely for me, but for anyone interested in knowing what really happened 58 years ago.
May 31, 2001
It has been interesting, asking young people how they think they would respond to Nazi pressure to join Hitler Youth. Whether they think they would cave and join to be part of the "in" crowd, or whether they would do like the White Rose and take a stand for justice.
I think what impresses me so much is the honesty I encounter. I expected them to say, "Oh no, not me, I would never have been part of something like that." But many, many say, "I probably would have gone along with all my friends and joined Hitler Youth."
This honesty means a lot. It actually provides a springboard for real discussion, perceptive thinking. This is a legacy of the White Rose that has lasting value.
May 18, 2001
Speaking tonight at the Fulbright dinner. It's always intriguing to plan for these events, not knowing what people know, wondering about questions. For those who have never heard the White Rose account, it's generally a moving experience to watch them hear it for the first time. The bigger challenge is speaking to a group that knows the legend and not the real story. We'll see how this goes tonight!
May 10, 2001
Fritz Hartnagel died last week. I cherish every single one of the survivors of the White Rose (including "survivors" like him who were not technically part of the movement). But especially Fritz Hartnagel.
Sophie Scholl appeared to have reconciled herself to marrying a man content to raise chickens. She was not happy that Fritz did not like to read or study, that he seemed to duck issues important to her. Reading the published excerpts of her letters to him, you almost wonder what she saw in him.
Till you meet Fritz Hartnagel and sense his great goodness, eyes that burn, quiet passion for justice simmering beneath the surface. He talked little and never sought the spotlight.
I wish he had talked more, had shared all the Sophie stories he knew, that he lived. The little he did tell me, opened her up as a person like I had never seen her before. I could hear her giggling on his arm, and see his eyes smiling as he watched her dance. He and Elisabeth Hartnagel nee Scholl genuinely loved Sophie -- as a person, not as a historical relic of a distant past. How they knew her, how deep their affection!
And Fritz did not become a farmer, he did not raise chickens. He became a judge, one who tried to uphold the rule of law in Germany, during post-war years when Nazi judges still held sway. He fought for conscientious objectors and against nuclear weapons. He stood up for his friend Walter Jens, and in it all claimed, "I am only doing my job -- nothing special about me."
Rest in peace, Fritz Hartnagel. Your memory truly is for a blessing.
May 3, 2001
There is an issue with the White Rose that I cannot seem to get past. Revisionism. Not the revisionism of Holocaust deniers, for no one telling the White Rose story has so far claimed that the Shoah did not happen.
In some ways, this revisionism is more insidious. Some of the story-tellers have created a legend that simply is not true. They tell their tales as if they were present when they walked along the Isar, when they printed leaflets late at night, when they debated political issues that impacted their actions. And they were not.
Sadly, the revisionism blurs the view of the real story. The whole basis of the White Rose revolved around the need for people of all political and religious persuasions -- socialists, federalists, monarchists, communists, Catholics, Lutherans, Russian Orthodox, anthroposophists, secularists, and atheists -- to do whatever it took to overthrow Hitler and restore justice to German soil. That was not a premise many agreed with in 1943, though it was as valid then as it is now. It's a shame when brick walls are erected to blot the view of the full ~ and richly beautiful ~ tale.
I feel sometimes like I am beating my head against a brick wall. Some of the revisionists have the money, the political clout, to perpetuate their half-truths. The few survivors who have had the guts to stand up to these two have traditionally wound up ignored, unwelcomed.
It is easy to see why. It is far more comfortable to have a larger pool of "good guys", to ignore evidence that indicts people who now say the right thing.
Wonder on occasion if I am crazy to tackle this project, to stand up for the truth of the matter. To nail down evidence that delineates what happened when and who was there. It is not a case of wanting to "bring down" anyone. Only to set the record straight and do what I can to write history in its proper words. Ironically, that is what Hans Scholl swore he would do if he survived the war...
All I can do is keep putting facts into that database, so that in the end, Truth can once again win.
April 26, 2001
Invitation this week to speak at my local Fulbright chapter's banquet, on the subject of the White Rose. Question was, would I mind talking about them instead of addressing the matter of international education. As much as I believe in international education, it's second priority to "my" White Rose kids. Hope they are planning on a three-day weekend.
Finding a couple of voices who are on the same path, looking for ways to bring German and Jewish communities together to talk in peace. Since emotions are hard to argue with, this road is not easy to travel. I am thankful for each person who comes to the table with an open mind. And heart.
April 19, 2001
Eight days and counting till the release of Changing Seasons, my first poetry book! Hope that when it's the 100th book about to be released, I'll be as excited as I am about this second one. It is a gift all its own, to be thrilled by intangibles and made happy by privileges.
Holocaust Remembrance is celebrated today. In the middle of gorgeous Spring, I hope we can all take a moment to remember those who died ~ not in a war, or for principles they held dear, or because they represented the opposition. Remember those who died simply because they were Jewish, at the hands of some who knew how to hate. As we remember, we can pray that it will never ever happen again. That nie wieder ~ never again ~ is in our hands.
April 5, 2001
Hope that by this time next week, I can write in this journal about all the wonderful dialog I've put down on paper, or the translations finished and "in the book." But at least I can look back on the last seven days and know they have been good, they have hardly been wasted. Tax returns and the like keep me out of trouble ... that's the prevailing theory.
And it is finally, gloriously springtime. From last night to this morning, it's like the earth exhaled and trees greened. Forsythia's showing faintly yellow. Before long, there will be such a dazzle of color! Perfect time to be a writer. Cannot imagine being anything else.
Great fun when all the hard work on White Rose detail begins to pay off. Involved this week in an ongoing discussion with Armin Ziegler, who has devoted quite a bit of time and energy to researching Eugen and Jenny Grimminger. We have been comparing notes on a vague date -- when Hans and Schurik went to Chemnitz to meet Falk Harnack.
Since the date is never specifically stated, we both have made assumptions that led to our separate conclusions. Interesting now to take those assumptions and the facts that support them, to see if we can arrive at a date that really makes sense. So far, no luck. But puzzles like this are worth the effort.
June 21, 2001
First day of summer. Such a glorious time of year. Energy to create, to think, to be. Sometimes, words are too much.
June 14, 2001
Beginning to think that the most critical issue for White Rose research at this point is to get as much of the primary source documentation available to the public as possible. Inge Jens seems to be working on this with her recent Puls issue. There must be a way to get Scholl archives unblocked so the truth can start to be known. Not merely for me, but for anyone interested in knowing what really happened 58 years ago.
May 31, 2001
It has been interesting, asking young people how they think they would respond to Nazi pressure to join Hitler Youth. Whether they think they would cave and join to be part of the "in" crowd, or whether they would do like the White Rose and take a stand for justice.
I think what impresses me so much is the honesty I encounter. I expected them to say, "Oh no, not me, I would never have been part of something like that." But many, many say, "I probably would have gone along with all my friends and joined Hitler Youth."
This honesty means a lot. It actually provides a springboard for real discussion, perceptive thinking. This is a legacy of the White Rose that has lasting value.
May 18, 2001
Speaking tonight at the Fulbright dinner. It's always intriguing to plan for these events, not knowing what people know, wondering about questions. For those who have never heard the White Rose account, it's generally a moving experience to watch them hear it for the first time. The bigger challenge is speaking to a group that knows the legend and not the real story. We'll see how this goes tonight!
May 10, 2001
Fritz Hartnagel died last week. I cherish every single one of the survivors of the White Rose (including "survivors" like him who were not technically part of the movement). But especially Fritz Hartnagel.
Sophie Scholl appeared to have reconciled herself to marrying a man content to raise chickens. She was not happy that Fritz did not like to read or study, that he seemed to duck issues important to her. Reading the published excerpts of her letters to him, you almost wonder what she saw in him.
Till you meet Fritz Hartnagel and sense his great goodness, eyes that burn, quiet passion for justice simmering beneath the surface. He talked little and never sought the spotlight.
I wish he had talked more, had shared all the Sophie stories he knew, that he lived. The little he did tell me, opened her up as a person like I had never seen her before. I could hear her giggling on his arm, and see his eyes smiling as he watched her dance. He and Elisabeth Hartnagel nee Scholl genuinely loved Sophie -- as a person, not as a historical relic of a distant past. How they knew her, how deep their affection!
And Fritz did not become a farmer, he did not raise chickens. He became a judge, one who tried to uphold the rule of law in Germany, during post-war years when Nazi judges still held sway. He fought for conscientious objectors and against nuclear weapons. He stood up for his friend Walter Jens, and in it all claimed, "I am only doing my job -- nothing special about me."
Rest in peace, Fritz Hartnagel. Your memory truly is for a blessing.
May 3, 2001
There is an issue with the White Rose that I cannot seem to get past. Revisionism. Not the revisionism of Holocaust deniers, for no one telling the White Rose story has so far claimed that the Shoah did not happen.
In some ways, this revisionism is more insidious. Some of the story-tellers have created a legend that simply is not true. They tell their tales as if they were present when they walked along the Isar, when they printed leaflets late at night, when they debated political issues that impacted their actions. And they were not.
Sadly, the revisionism blurs the view of the real story. The whole basis of the White Rose revolved around the need for people of all political and religious persuasions -- socialists, federalists, monarchists, communists, Catholics, Lutherans, Russian Orthodox, anthroposophists, secularists, and atheists -- to do whatever it took to overthrow Hitler and restore justice to German soil. That was not a premise many agreed with in 1943, though it was as valid then as it is now. It's a shame when brick walls are erected to blot the view of the full ~ and richly beautiful ~ tale.
I feel sometimes like I am beating my head against a brick wall. Some of the revisionists have the money, the political clout, to perpetuate their half-truths. The few survivors who have had the guts to stand up to these two have traditionally wound up ignored, unwelcomed.
It is easy to see why. It is far more comfortable to have a larger pool of "good guys", to ignore evidence that indicts people who now say the right thing.
Wonder on occasion if I am crazy to tackle this project, to stand up for the truth of the matter. To nail down evidence that delineates what happened when and who was there. It is not a case of wanting to "bring down" anyone. Only to set the record straight and do what I can to write history in its proper words. Ironically, that is what Hans Scholl swore he would do if he survived the war...
All I can do is keep putting facts into that database, so that in the end, Truth can once again win.
April 26, 2001
Invitation this week to speak at my local Fulbright chapter's banquet, on the subject of the White Rose. Question was, would I mind talking about them instead of addressing the matter of international education. As much as I believe in international education, it's second priority to "my" White Rose kids. Hope they are planning on a three-day weekend.
Finding a couple of voices who are on the same path, looking for ways to bring German and Jewish communities together to talk in peace. Since emotions are hard to argue with, this road is not easy to travel. I am thankful for each person who comes to the table with an open mind. And heart.
April 19, 2001
Eight days and counting till the release of Changing Seasons, my first poetry book! Hope that when it's the 100th book about to be released, I'll be as excited as I am about this second one. It is a gift all its own, to be thrilled by intangibles and made happy by privileges.
Holocaust Remembrance is celebrated today. In the middle of gorgeous Spring, I hope we can all take a moment to remember those who died ~ not in a war, or for principles they held dear, or because they represented the opposition. Remember those who died simply because they were Jewish, at the hands of some who knew how to hate. As we remember, we can pray that it will never ever happen again. That nie wieder ~ never again ~ is in our hands.
April 5, 2001
Hope that by this time next week, I can write in this journal about all the wonderful dialog I've put down on paper, or the translations finished and "in the book." But at least I can look back on the last seven days and know they have been good, they have hardly been wasted. Tax returns and the like keep me out of trouble ... that's the prevailing theory.
And it is finally, gloriously springtime. From last night to this morning, it's like the earth exhaled and trees greened. Forsythia's showing faintly yellow. Before long, there will be such a dazzle of color! Perfect time to be a writer. Cannot imagine being anything else.
Clearing cobwebs
I like that concept... clearing cobwebs! Bright sunshine and cloudless skies can (and usually do) contribute greatly to cobweb-clearing. Add in good food and people you love, and it's hard to ask for more.
J&S showed up today shortly before noon. We drove up to Malibu, one of those places where nature and human creativity have carved out a haven for art, simple beauty, and way-too-expensive (but fun) grownup toys. Reminded that they live in a part of this world where hate still reigns, where the Holocaust is denied, and human life is not valued more than oil wells and mosques. They may pay half what we do for gasoline, but I wouldn't trade places with them.
Fun to hug necks and catch up on too many missed memories.
Also reminded as I began to pen these words that those students of the White Rose also enjoyed days much like today. Ammersee and Chiemsee may have substituted for Malibu, but the 'concept' is the same.
Occasionally, we simply must allow Nature to breathe new life into our Being.
J&S showed up today shortly before noon. We drove up to Malibu, one of those places where nature and human creativity have carved out a haven for art, simple beauty, and way-too-expensive (but fun) grownup toys. Reminded that they live in a part of this world where hate still reigns, where the Holocaust is denied, and human life is not valued more than oil wells and mosques. They may pay half what we do for gasoline, but I wouldn't trade places with them.
Fun to hug necks and catch up on too many missed memories.
Also reminded as I began to pen these words that those students of the White Rose also enjoyed days much like today. Ammersee and Chiemsee may have substituted for Malibu, but the 'concept' is the same.
Occasionally, we simply must allow Nature to breathe new life into our Being.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
History: Excerpted posts from 2001
Occasionally, and before the RuthSachs.com Web site disappears, I will copy old posts from my author's journal to this site. Here are some excerpts from early 2001:
March 29, 2001
Smiles enough, and laughter the last seven days. Putting aside White Rose has been like opening the windows on a gorgeous spring day, letting in the fresh air. Mark Twain has that effect on you. I've simply got to finish White Rose, so I can go back to Joanie and Sid.
Have practiced writing in different voices this week. Nothing publishable. In fact, I need to shred anything that made it to the printer. It is simply a delicious exercise, thinking out loud from another point of view.
I think sometimes we've got to back away from the things that normally consume our lives and stand in the sunshine a while. Clears out cobwebs hidden by the dark. This I will do!
March 22, 2001
Early this week, I found myself struggling. I would look at the Otl Aicher book that has very little left to translate, and think I could not bear to write another word. I finally got out some Mark Twain I had not read in years. In the ensuing laughter, I knew that every once in a while, when you deal with such a dark subject, you simply have to take a break and step completely away without feeling guilty.
So I have managed to do exactly that. Working on a few short, bright, airy pieces, nothing more than happy fluff. Nothing serious, or long.
Maybe in a week or two, I can return to that dark place that does hold such light, a little refreshed and ready to tackle it head-on.
March 15, 2001
Not a writing week! Stephen King may say that every writer should write ten pages a day, but odds are, he doesn't have to deal with car repairs and telephone people. Only one-and-a-half pages this week. For the whole week. Sometimes you just have to be thankful for what you do get done and quit obsessing over the work you wanted to do.
Oh well. At least the imminent trip to the garage turned into a new car instead. Fun shedding the staid, business-image automobile for something a little more me.
March 8, 2001
Varied week, lots of little things accomplished. Sometimes a break from the darkness of the Third Reich is very much in order.
Finished one article for Children's Writer, started another. Doing these makes me understand a little more here or there about the corners of writing that I am still discovering, the niches that are out there, still unexplored.
Also started translation work for hagalil.com, that excellent German Jewish Web site. Focusing first on contemporary German Jewish life, because so much Shoah material is already available in English. It's a breath of fresh air to write about today's struggles, joys, and perplexities, instead of always looking to the past for inspiration.
Looking to the "future" too, as a very strange and funny dream may have solved the way to get Joanie to talk again. Maybe I can write a chapter or two there next week, get her story moving. Need to look up something about Jupiter, so I can get the commentary right. I like the days I work on Joanie's Letters, because I find myself laughing as I write.
March 1, 2001
White Rose work this week has taken me well beyond the usual confines of thinking about them in terms of resistance to Hitler. Their words resound in our own politics.
I am wondering about collecting things I find here and there, bits of wisdom across the centuries, on the horror of war. How is it that our sages tell us always and again that war is hell, yet each generation goes out and has to learn that anew? Such somber, dark reflections this week, but it can not be any other way after translating Otl Aicher's eyewitness account of what he saw.
I'd like for us to start defining heroes a little better. Remove professional sports figures from the pedestal first, those who simulate war, taking the sport out of it. How can we write the word hero so it's understood as the people who make us more whole? This has been a week for questions.
February 22, 2001
Today is the 58th anniversary of the execution of Christoph, Hans, and Sophie. Guess it's appropriate that this week has been filled with nothing but White Rose.
Nearly done entering Otl Aicher's memoirs. He gives such a clear view of who Sophie was. "She had hair like I like hair. She had a body like I like bodies." He speaks so frankly, no masks trying to be politically correct. Researching him a little has been fun too. Wonder why no one ever picked up on the fact that he was in Munich that week to talk to them about working with the resistance? It's been there in black and white for so long.
Finley came out Tuesday. We looked at the CD-ROM software that Brian recommended. It's exactly right. Now the only question remains, how to sort through the piles in the conference room to choose only those things that other people besides me will be interested in?
February 15, 2001
Finally got Hans and Sophie, 1933-1942 in the database. (2,200 entries and more to come!)
Went through ups and downs doing this. Sophie's honesty is refreshing, especially when it follows a section of Hans that is purposely deceitful. Wish Scholl archives could be forced to let us read the letters he wrote "girls" besides Rose Naegele at the same time he was writing her. Actually, at this point, I would be happy to read un-edited versions of letters to Rose!
Letter from Dr. Schmorell. More details on his wife's father's role in protecting many of the ones who were in the army, and her memories... He wrote that he had been worried that I had abandoned the White Rose project. If only he knew how close I came to doing just that last year.
Bomb scare this week at Valley Forge Post Office. Is that #16?
Thinking about the Joanie Letters. Am I getting close to figuring out her relationship to Sid? If so, I can finally get past Chapter Four. Should Kirk disappear, or start dating Mandy (maybe that's the answer)? Joanie has simply quit talking. Hmm, maybe this is part of her transformation, that she has to stop talking and just "do" for a while. She is 18, after all. I'm sure she will start talking again once she and Sid are in Israel. Hard not to talk when you're there.
February 8, 2001
Took a break from the Hans and Sophie Scholl entries. I would probably be finished by now if I were not having to deal with conflicted emotions over Hans' letters.
Short week, with unexpected snowstorm on Monday. Decided to stay home, though at the time they were just saying an inch. Got eight inches! The delightful interruption to routine made it easier to take a break from everything else.
Organizational issues. How am I going to be able to manage the piles of photographs and other documents that are for the proposed CD-ROM? Right now, I have two stacks on the floor, and others in the bookcase. I have to start thinking about weeding out some of the information.
Dinner with Sara Lieberman. I think I am getting spoiled.
February 1, 2001
What a nice week! Arlene's here from Phoenix, so Mom and I lunched with her at King Street Grille. Why is "Hans and Sophie" taking so long? I wonder.
Very nice response from Susanne Hirzel. Wish I had been able to meet her in 1995. One of the few I missed. Her book makes her terribly vulnerable. She hides none of her questions, none of her pain. I hope I can honor that sacrifice in my own work.
January 25, 2001
Still talking about the possibility of a documentary. Good to have friends to brainstorm with. I still want the documentary to be the first step to a feature film or mini-series. Dan thinks the story is made for a documentary only. But even this isn't easy. A simple one-hour program with the basic information, or an in-depth approach? The latter costs more.
And I still want the mini-series, Hallmark Hall of Fame style! I know I am stubborn.
Tracked down lots of details this week. Hans Scholl spoke so disparagingly of the "French doctor" who committed suicide the day before Paris fell. But it felt like his usual shallow assessment of the situation. So searched till I found her: Sophie Morgenstern. Child psychiatrist. Freudian school. Instincts were right. He clearly passed judgment without having half the facts. A character trait he never lost.
Also became curious about where he was in France, especially after knowing where Willi and Fritz were. Never intended to get bogged down in the military aspect of this story, but turns out that their joint perspectives are fascinating. Fritz was in the northern "prong", Willi in the central, Hans in the southern. Hitler's "scythe" makes more sense when you read about it from inside the sweep.
Now, is that information, including Winston Churchill's braggadocio speech on June 4, 1940, appropriate for the scope of what I am doing? I don't know.
Eichmann book came today. Rosen did a great job. Only two typos in the whole book, that I found at least.
January 18, 2001
Talked to Dan and Peter and Finley about documentary possibilities. The brainstorming has begun!
Finished Willi Graf, 1933 - 1942, except for the photocopies of handwritten letters. I like that "young man" even more now than I did when I started this project seven years ago. There is just something so decent and honorable about Willi Graf. His decency knows nothing of blind duty. There's simply a sense that he followed his conscience and always tried to do what was right. People like him are rare enough in any age.
January 11, 2001
Incredible letter from Lilo Ramdohr. I enjoy finding out that the "insides" of a person are as lovely as their "outsides", and she qualifies.
White Rose Status Report as of January 1, 2001
Finley's database has been amazing. Everything from May 1, 1942 through October 12, 1943 is in. What is that, like 1300 entries? I've had good success in shaping the report so the information is useful. Nice feeling to be able to add ten entries at random dates, re-generate the report and sometimes be astounded at the difference a little new information can make.
I am learning too that this database is helping me pinpoint exact dates. Susanne Hirzel may have written, for example, that something happened at the beginning of October. So I put it in as October 1, just to have an anchor date. Then, when I compare her memories to Sophie's diary to Dr. Muth's letter, I can determine when it was. Sometimes by process of elimination (if Susanne was "here" on October 4, she couldn't be "there" too), sometimes by finding an exact match to a described activity.
So, what's left to do in the database? Willi Graf, 1933 - 1942 (actually two books worth, because Anneliese Knoop-Graf gave me a treasure, the photocopies of letters in his own handwriting, and not all are published). Hans and Sophie's letters, what we are allowed to read of them at least, 1933 - 1942. Otl Aicher's memoirs. Going back through Lilo Ramdohr's memoirs with a fine-tooth comb to make sure I didn't miss anything. Albert Riester's memoirs. The Ulm/Hitler Youth information from Dr. Lechner. And whatever I learn from Dr. W next week.
"What's left" actually sounds overwhelming on the face of it. But it's nothing compared to what's already in. This is the home stretch!
March 29, 2001
Smiles enough, and laughter the last seven days. Putting aside White Rose has been like opening the windows on a gorgeous spring day, letting in the fresh air. Mark Twain has that effect on you. I've simply got to finish White Rose, so I can go back to Joanie and Sid.
Have practiced writing in different voices this week. Nothing publishable. In fact, I need to shred anything that made it to the printer. It is simply a delicious exercise, thinking out loud from another point of view.
I think sometimes we've got to back away from the things that normally consume our lives and stand in the sunshine a while. Clears out cobwebs hidden by the dark. This I will do!
March 22, 2001
Early this week, I found myself struggling. I would look at the Otl Aicher book that has very little left to translate, and think I could not bear to write another word. I finally got out some Mark Twain I had not read in years. In the ensuing laughter, I knew that every once in a while, when you deal with such a dark subject, you simply have to take a break and step completely away without feeling guilty.
So I have managed to do exactly that. Working on a few short, bright, airy pieces, nothing more than happy fluff. Nothing serious, or long.
Maybe in a week or two, I can return to that dark place that does hold such light, a little refreshed and ready to tackle it head-on.
March 15, 2001
Not a writing week! Stephen King may say that every writer should write ten pages a day, but odds are, he doesn't have to deal with car repairs and telephone people. Only one-and-a-half pages this week. For the whole week. Sometimes you just have to be thankful for what you do get done and quit obsessing over the work you wanted to do.
Oh well. At least the imminent trip to the garage turned into a new car instead. Fun shedding the staid, business-image automobile for something a little more me.
March 8, 2001
Varied week, lots of little things accomplished. Sometimes a break from the darkness of the Third Reich is very much in order.
Finished one article for Children's Writer, started another. Doing these makes me understand a little more here or there about the corners of writing that I am still discovering, the niches that are out there, still unexplored.
Also started translation work for hagalil.com, that excellent German Jewish Web site. Focusing first on contemporary German Jewish life, because so much Shoah material is already available in English. It's a breath of fresh air to write about today's struggles, joys, and perplexities, instead of always looking to the past for inspiration.
Looking to the "future" too, as a very strange and funny dream may have solved the way to get Joanie to talk again. Maybe I can write a chapter or two there next week, get her story moving. Need to look up something about Jupiter, so I can get the commentary right. I like the days I work on Joanie's Letters, because I find myself laughing as I write.
March 1, 2001
White Rose work this week has taken me well beyond the usual confines of thinking about them in terms of resistance to Hitler. Their words resound in our own politics.
I am wondering about collecting things I find here and there, bits of wisdom across the centuries, on the horror of war. How is it that our sages tell us always and again that war is hell, yet each generation goes out and has to learn that anew? Such somber, dark reflections this week, but it can not be any other way after translating Otl Aicher's eyewitness account of what he saw.
I'd like for us to start defining heroes a little better. Remove professional sports figures from the pedestal first, those who simulate war, taking the sport out of it. How can we write the word hero so it's understood as the people who make us more whole? This has been a week for questions.
February 22, 2001
Today is the 58th anniversary of the execution of Christoph, Hans, and Sophie. Guess it's appropriate that this week has been filled with nothing but White Rose.
Nearly done entering Otl Aicher's memoirs. He gives such a clear view of who Sophie was. "She had hair like I like hair. She had a body like I like bodies." He speaks so frankly, no masks trying to be politically correct. Researching him a little has been fun too. Wonder why no one ever picked up on the fact that he was in Munich that week to talk to them about working with the resistance? It's been there in black and white for so long.
Finley came out Tuesday. We looked at the CD-ROM software that Brian recommended. It's exactly right. Now the only question remains, how to sort through the piles in the conference room to choose only those things that other people besides me will be interested in?
February 15, 2001
Finally got Hans and Sophie, 1933-1942 in the database. (2,200 entries and more to come!)
Went through ups and downs doing this. Sophie's honesty is refreshing, especially when it follows a section of Hans that is purposely deceitful. Wish Scholl archives could be forced to let us read the letters he wrote "girls" besides Rose Naegele at the same time he was writing her. Actually, at this point, I would be happy to read un-edited versions of letters to Rose!
Letter from Dr. Schmorell. More details on his wife's father's role in protecting many of the ones who were in the army, and her memories... He wrote that he had been worried that I had abandoned the White Rose project. If only he knew how close I came to doing just that last year.
Bomb scare this week at Valley Forge Post Office. Is that #16?
Thinking about the Joanie Letters. Am I getting close to figuring out her relationship to Sid? If so, I can finally get past Chapter Four. Should Kirk disappear, or start dating Mandy (maybe that's the answer)? Joanie has simply quit talking. Hmm, maybe this is part of her transformation, that she has to stop talking and just "do" for a while. She is 18, after all. I'm sure she will start talking again once she and Sid are in Israel. Hard not to talk when you're there.
February 8, 2001
Took a break from the Hans and Sophie Scholl entries. I would probably be finished by now if I were not having to deal with conflicted emotions over Hans' letters.
Short week, with unexpected snowstorm on Monday. Decided to stay home, though at the time they were just saying an inch. Got eight inches! The delightful interruption to routine made it easier to take a break from everything else.
Organizational issues. How am I going to be able to manage the piles of photographs and other documents that are for the proposed CD-ROM? Right now, I have two stacks on the floor, and others in the bookcase. I have to start thinking about weeding out some of the information.
Dinner with Sara Lieberman. I think I am getting spoiled.
February 1, 2001
What a nice week! Arlene's here from Phoenix, so Mom and I lunched with her at King Street Grille. Why is "Hans and Sophie" taking so long? I wonder.
Very nice response from Susanne Hirzel. Wish I had been able to meet her in 1995. One of the few I missed. Her book makes her terribly vulnerable. She hides none of her questions, none of her pain. I hope I can honor that sacrifice in my own work.
January 25, 2001
Still talking about the possibility of a documentary. Good to have friends to brainstorm with. I still want the documentary to be the first step to a feature film or mini-series. Dan thinks the story is made for a documentary only. But even this isn't easy. A simple one-hour program with the basic information, or an in-depth approach? The latter costs more.
And I still want the mini-series, Hallmark Hall of Fame style! I know I am stubborn.
Tracked down lots of details this week. Hans Scholl spoke so disparagingly of the "French doctor" who committed suicide the day before Paris fell. But it felt like his usual shallow assessment of the situation. So searched till I found her: Sophie Morgenstern. Child psychiatrist. Freudian school. Instincts were right. He clearly passed judgment without having half the facts. A character trait he never lost.
Also became curious about where he was in France, especially after knowing where Willi and Fritz were. Never intended to get bogged down in the military aspect of this story, but turns out that their joint perspectives are fascinating. Fritz was in the northern "prong", Willi in the central, Hans in the southern. Hitler's "scythe" makes more sense when you read about it from inside the sweep.
Now, is that information, including Winston Churchill's braggadocio speech on June 4, 1940, appropriate for the scope of what I am doing? I don't know.
Eichmann book came today. Rosen did a great job. Only two typos in the whole book, that I found at least.
January 18, 2001
Talked to Dan and Peter and Finley about documentary possibilities. The brainstorming has begun!
Finished Willi Graf, 1933 - 1942, except for the photocopies of handwritten letters. I like that "young man" even more now than I did when I started this project seven years ago. There is just something so decent and honorable about Willi Graf. His decency knows nothing of blind duty. There's simply a sense that he followed his conscience and always tried to do what was right. People like him are rare enough in any age.
January 11, 2001
Incredible letter from Lilo Ramdohr. I enjoy finding out that the "insides" of a person are as lovely as their "outsides", and she qualifies.
White Rose Status Report as of January 1, 2001
Finley's database has been amazing. Everything from May 1, 1942 through October 12, 1943 is in. What is that, like 1300 entries? I've had good success in shaping the report so the information is useful. Nice feeling to be able to add ten entries at random dates, re-generate the report and sometimes be astounded at the difference a little new information can make.
I am learning too that this database is helping me pinpoint exact dates. Susanne Hirzel may have written, for example, that something happened at the beginning of October. So I put it in as October 1, just to have an anchor date. Then, when I compare her memories to Sophie's diary to Dr. Muth's letter, I can determine when it was. Sometimes by process of elimination (if Susanne was "here" on October 4, she couldn't be "there" too), sometimes by finding an exact match to a described activity.
So, what's left to do in the database? Willi Graf, 1933 - 1942 (actually two books worth, because Anneliese Knoop-Graf gave me a treasure, the photocopies of letters in his own handwriting, and not all are published). Hans and Sophie's letters, what we are allowed to read of them at least, 1933 - 1942. Otl Aicher's memoirs. Going back through Lilo Ramdohr's memoirs with a fine-tooth comb to make sure I didn't miss anything. Albert Riester's memoirs. The Ulm/Hitler Youth information from Dr. Lechner. And whatever I learn from Dr. W next week.
"What's left" actually sounds overwhelming on the face of it. But it's nothing compared to what's already in. This is the home stretch!
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