It is both a concern and a duty of the school community to ensure that the memory of their namesakes does not fade. Since February 22 fell during the holidays this year, the entire school community gathered early in the morning on March 2 in the school's foyer, where white paper roses made by the students themselves were first laid down at the memorial plaque for Hans and Sophie Scholl. District Administrator Dr. Theophil Gallo also participated in the traditional commemorative event marking the 80th anniversary of the death of Hans and Sophie Scholl.
Principal Sascha Matheis found clear words in his welcome: "Hans and Sophie Scholl still serve as good role models for young people today. The memory of them holds a firm place in our school life and has now become a tradition."
Then the two student representatives Marie Schallhammer (9b) and Eliana Abanin (8b) unveiled a banner with the following quote from Sophie Scholl as the inscription: "I, for my part, want nothing to do with National Socialism." A call to everyone who reads this sentence to take it to heart and internalize it, because "even today we repeatedly witness National Socialist activities," the two student representatives warned.
District Administrator Dr. Gallo took the time to once again delve into the history and the work of Hans and Sophie Scholl, who, together with other members of the “White Rose,” tried to resist the inhumane murder carried out by the Hitler regime. “Unfortunately, these young people lost their lives and with them the fight of their courageous resistance, but they achieved a lot for future generations. Their words and deeds remain unforgettable to this day, thanks in part to events like this. We are shaken awake to stay alert to what we perceive and do. We must not lull ourselves into a false sense of security that history will not repeat itself. I thank the school community for ensuring that the namesakes of the school are honored and for carrying forward the exemplary values of civil courage associated with Hans and Sophie Scholl.”
After the Landrat's speech, the students of the two fifth-grade classes, together with the two teachers Kira Schneider and Daniel Weyrauch, set off towards the Blieskastel city center. There, they distributed over 300 white roses to the public and once again drew attention to the importance of resistance during the Second World War with this action.
Background: The sibling pair Hans and Sophie Scholl and other members of the resistance group "White Rose," founded in the summer of 1942, were executed in 1943 in the fight for justice and freedom under Hitler's Nazi regime. The day of execution of Hans and Sophie Scholl as well as Christoph Probst marked its 80th anniversary on February 22 of this year. Also not spared at that time were Prof. Kurt Huber and Alexander Schmorell, both executed on July 13, 1943, and Willi Graf, executed on October 12, 1943.
