Freiheit! The White Rose Graphic Novel by Andrea Grosso Giponte

In this graphic novel, the story of a group of German resistors called The White Rose is portrayed.

The story opens on February 18, 1943, at the University of Munich. Hans Scholl and his younger sister, Sophie have entered a building at the university to drop off leaflets they have written and printed. The White Rose, comprised of Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans Scholl, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, Alexander Schmorell and Kurt Huber are determined not to leave Germans in peace.

Nine months earlier, in May 1942, while travelling to Munich to meet Hans, Sophie is asked for her identity papers on the train. At Hans's apartment she discovers they have a huge library of books, even ones written by a German Jew named Heinrich Heine. As they walk through the woods later on, Hans reads a passage from Gottfried Keller. Alex believes this is good for their flyers.

At a lecture by Professor Kurt Huber in June, 1942, he tells students that Fichte invites the Germans "to think, to be responsible, not to endure". He warns his class that Fichte "warns us not to be surprised by the sweetness of servitude. The danger is precisely that or not feeling the weight of oppression. Suffering the poison with a slow addiction. Almost unconsciously." After class Sophie finds  a flyer on the desk and shows her friend Marie who tells her to hide it. But Sophie is determined to show her brother Hans. The leaflet urges the German people "to work against the scourge of humankind, fascism and any similar system of totalitarianism." Sophie tells her friend, her boyfriend Fritz has asked her to marry her. When she returns to the apartment, Hans is not there but she sees a book open on his desk. The title is "The Awakening of Epimenides" by Goethe. Sophie rides her bike over to Alex's house where she finds Christoph and Hans operating a small printing press, making leaflets.

Has tells her to leave and forget what she has seen, but she reminds him the Gestapo are already watching their family. This leads Sophie to decide to join Hans and his friends in their resistance because she feels being honest is what makes a person totally free.

They discuss how to get their leaflets to other cities. Alex has issues with some of the ides in the leaflets especially those that call for sabotage. He feels only the army can rid Germany of the Nazis, but Hans feels they cannot wait. They decide to mail the leaflets. The leaflets come to the attention of the Gestapo. When Hans goes to buy two hundred stamps, he is pursued by the Gestapo but gets away. 

Then Hans and Sophie's father, Robert is reported to the Gestapo by his new secretary for making treason remarks about Hitler. At the Scholl family home in Ulm, Munster, Hans decides against writing a request for clemency. At this time Fritz visits to take Sophie out before he returns to the front in Russia. However, Sophie is unhappy over Fritz's participation in the war. 

As Hans, Alex, Willi and the others prepare to return to the Eastern Front, the are told by Professor Huber to keep in touch. Sophie is assigned to work in a munitions factory in Ulm. Meanwhile at the home of Christoph and Herta Probst in Ruhpolding in November of 1942, Christoph is urged to spend more time with his young family and to look after his wife.

Along the Ludwigstrasse in Munich, February 1943, Hans paints the word Freiheit or "Freedom" in bold white letters. The Sixth Army has lost the Battle of Stalingrad. Later Sophie tells Hans they have almost two thousand copies of the leaflet to distribute. Hans decides they will go to the university and spread the leaflets in the hallway during class. It is a decision that will have devastating consequences for all those in the White Rose.

Discussion

The dramatic story of the White Rose, a group of young German dissenters is boldly portrayed by Italian artist and graphic novelist, Andrea Grosso Giponte in this well-done graphic novel. Their story is introduced by a short note at the front of the novel which provides the backstory to the situation in Germany and the four young people whose consciences called them to action. 

The opening panels are of Sophie and Hans at the university releasing the leaflets. The story then flashes back to nine months earlier, as the White Rose begins to act on their beliefs that Hitler must be resisted, and the German people must be woken from their moral stupor and encouraged to rise up against their evil government. Done in muted earthy tones, Giponte's panels are at times extremely realistic, appearing to be like photographs, seamlessly leading the reader from one event to the next.

Giponte captures some of conflicts members of the White Rose experienced; Alex is concerned about the suggestion that armament plants and war industries be sabotaged, while Sophie worries about endangering their family especially after the arrest of their father. At first their acts of defiance are small such as printing the leaflets but they grow bolder; Sophie works slowly at the munitions factory while Hans paints the word freedom on a building. Even Christoph Probst's increasing involvement places stress on his marriage.

Although the members of the White Rose are guillotined, the graphic novel ends on a positive note, portraying the British use of their leaflets which were dropped by the millions over Germany in July, 1943. Giponte has reproduced the text of each of the six leaflets, translated into English by Arthur R. Schultz, so readers can explore the ideas in the leaflets. The leaflets are explicit in their condemnation of Hitler. From the fourth leaflet,
"Every word that comes from Hitler's mouth is a lie. When he says peace, he means war, and when he blasphemously uses the name of the Almighty, he means the power of evil, the fallen angel, Satan.  His mouth is the foul-smelling max of hell, and his might is at bottom accursed." In the fourth leaflet, the writer vows, "We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace!"

A very well done, engaging graphic novel about the White Rose resistance group that will appeal to readers of all ages. Many may find themselves wanting to look up German philosophers like Johann Gottlieb Fichte and the German poet, Heinrich Heine.

Book Details:

Freiheit: The White Rose Graphic Novel by Andrea Grosso Giponte
Walden, New York:  Plough Publishing House     2021
111 pp.