Recovered memories (2002)
Not all heroes are good, and not all good people are heroes; not all villains are bad, and not all bad people are villains. - Denise Heap.
While moving posts from WordPress to Substack, I uncovered a ton of memories. Beginning in 2000/2001, I documented my White Rose research for an ancient blog, a blog that has long since disappeared into the abyss of an Internet that only wants new-new-new.
It was not a daily diary, not even close. Merely highlights throughout the year, moments when we reached milestones or learned something that blew our socks off.
Here then is calendar year 2002 in snapshots for you to enjoy.
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. Finalizing entry of another 1.5 million words or so, and then I start writing their history. To many writers to date, 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!
2024 note: I translated over 2 million words for that crazy Access database, which served as basis for White Rose Histories, Volume I and Volume II. Before the 2025 updates are released or White Rose History, Volume III is started, I need to clean up rough drafts of another 2 million translated words and input into a (hopefully more user-friendly) database.
There’s probably no other work about the White Rose that is more grounded in fact, that has been examined according to rigorous historical methodology.
February 14, 2002
Center for White Rose Studies finally has been chartered as a nonprofit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Long time coming. It’s got to be worth the effort.
February 28, 2002
All right, now I can admit it out loud. In December 2001, I had nearly gotten to the point of walking away from 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 Kurt Huber and Willi and Schurik and Harald and Hans Leipelt gave their lives for.
March 21, 2002
White Rose stationery (available through Exclamation! Publishers, with profits going to the White Rose general operating 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!
Note from 2024: This project was discontinued because sadly, the art of letter-writing, sending birthday cards, holiday greetings, has fallen by the wayside.
If you are an old fogie like me and you think we should bring this back, please contact me! We still have the files for these cards, so could reboot if there is enough demand. Please note: Gen-Z, you can be old fogies too, if you want to restore that long-lost art of communicating with something tangible. No shame in that!
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.
April 5, 2002
Mom is on her way to 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, not with all the omissions like the set purchased in 1995. No more relying on handwritten notes or partial transcripts, hoping I got it right.
April 19, 2002
Final Rundbrief [newsletter] 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. We’re not going to the moon, after all.
2024 note: From 1995-2013, I wrote these Rundbriefe to “my” White Rose families, keeping them up-to-date with my research, asking them questions. I treasure these personal moments with people I respect so greatly.
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.
2024 note: It’s still there, and still affordable. Rebranded as Hotel am See, Familie Lidl. Absolutely nothing fancy, but it’s been in their family since the 1600s.
April 26, 2002
We’d missed interviewing Lilo Fürst-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 Alex 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-Hütte/Lenggries, The Bridge (British?) Museum/Starnberg, and Am Kalvarienberg 1/Bad Tölz 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.
2024 note: In October 2023, finally located the two missing places (in Bad Tölz and Starnberg) and wrote about how exciting that was in this post entitled Found Places.
April 29, 2002
Full days behind us, full days ahead. Dinner with the Schmorells – early asparagus! Few people realize that Hertha Schmorell’s father was the Commanding Officer of the Second 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 took the S-Bahn 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. I’ve been staying there for the past twenty years, since the 1980s! 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 and fact-checker 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.
2024 note: Hotel Rieth is still there, still affordable, still wonderful. It’s my hotel of choice when I go to Stuttgart.
May 1, 2002
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 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.
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 I got to visit 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 [descendants] 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.
2024 note: Hotel Gendarm is still there, but not quite as affordable.
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 Fürst-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 Tübingen. Of course, twenty years later I discover that Dr. Kreuzer is a friend of Dr. Huber.
And I also understand why Professor Kurt Huber was so beloved, if not revered, in 1943.
2024 note: First impressions are not always correct.
June 28, 2002
The local newspaper in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania 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.
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.
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, 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!
2024 note: The joys of digital publishing! The bulky and expensive 3-ring binder has been replaced with digital downloads. But both White Rose History, Volume I and Volume II are still “the unfinished story,” because most of those same archives are still closed.
August 23, 2002
Yea! All backorders 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.
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.
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 history easily could have been written differently.
November 22, 2002
The poet C.K. Williams 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 – now more than ever – that not all heroes are good, and not all good people are heroes; and that not all villains are bad, and not all bad 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.
2024 note: This will be the topic of an upcoming post. You’d think that after over twenty years, we’d have stopped painting history in black and white. But no.
And I have re-added the heroes-villain statement to our Center for White Rose Studies Web site. Tackling this thorny issue head-on. Why is it even a thorny issue?
December 6, 2002
Mission Statement and White Rose (and Other Resistance) 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.
2024 note: An honest-to-goodness donation page will be added to the site as soon as a few IT snafus can be resolved. In progress. Hopefully the Bloomerang donation page will be functioning before the end of November 2024.
December 31, 2002
Finally, the last entry of a most difficult year. Dealing with people who believe 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.
I love Armin Ziegler’s comment to this debate. We need to write about resistance to the history of resistance, he joked in an email. Yes.
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 unpleasant as the crazy debate over historical accuracy – even that can strengthen my work. I have to believe that.
© 2002, 2024 Denise Elaine Heap. Please contact us for permission to quote.
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