Arrests for bündische activities

The reasons behind my philosophical alienation from the League of German Girls, and therefore the NSDAP, beginning around 1938, have as primary basis the fact that my sister Inge, and my brothers Hans and Werner were arrested in the autumn of 1938 (sic) by officials of the Secret State Police [Gestapo] because of so-called bündische [Note 1] activities. They were kept in custody for several days or weeks.

I am still of the opinion even now that the proceedings against us as well as against other children [Note 2] in Ulm were completely unjustified. My brother Werner belonged to a bündische group between 1932 – 1943 [sic] when he was 10 – 12 years old. That was probably the reason behind the subsequent [legal] proceedings against us.

I would like to add as an additional and (in the end) the most important reason for my antipathy to the movement: I perceive the intellectual freedom of people to be limited in such a manner as contradicts everything inside of me [Note 3].

In summary, I would like to state that I personally would like to have nothing to do with National Socialism.

==========

Note 1: Bündische activities were those youth activities outside the purview of the Hitler Youth organization. These did not have to be subversive to be illegal. Boy Scouts and related organizations were considered “bündisch”. – In addition, in the original document there is a typo here: The writer typed bündig instead of bündisch. The former means binding, valid, or conclusive.

Note 2: Specifically used the word children, not youth.

Note 3: Grammatical construction of original is similarly awkward.

==========

Source: First interrogation of Sophie Scholl, February 18, 1943