One time she assisted with the distribution of leaflets, but the People’s Court does not charge her particularly with that crime. It happened as follows: She was going out with the Scholl sister, who was carrying a briefcase. She stopped at a mailbox, opened the briefcase, and began putting letters in the mailbox. Schertling helped her by raising the lid of the mailbox. This happened so suddenly and unexpectedly, that she did not think at that time that she was helping to undermine the State. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: April 1943
Cross-examination: Heinrich Guter
Guter attempts to excuse his failure to report on the basis of camaraderie. And indeed, we wish to raise our youth [to value] camaraderie, but in this case, it is uncalled for. One cannot grant camaraderie to people who exclude themselves from camaraderie with their treasonous actions. There are higher duties to the entire community at stake here.
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Cross-examination: Susanne Hirzel
Susanne Hirzel makes an open and good impression. This court believes her statement, that she did not know that her brother was involved in treasonous activities. But it is unforgivable that she did not look to see what actually was contained in that package of several hundred “letters” with allegedly harmless internal-political content. That would have been expected of her. Continue reading
Cross-examination: Hans Hirzel
His family wished to raise young Hirzel to be a respectable German. He is clearly sickly. He has endured a series of grave illnesses and leans to an intellectual preoccupation which in reality is nothing more than word play and a passion for experimentation. Barely even aware of what he was doing, this boy came under the influence of a vulgar girl – Sophie Scholl – and allowed her to take advantage of him. His confused quasi-philosophical attempts to explain his actions – although he was not in agreement with the leaflet – indeed appear not to be dishonest. But they do testify to his eccentricity. Continue reading
Cross-examination: Kurt Huber
In addition, Huber says he believed he was doing something good. However, we will not revert to the same mistake that the interim Weimar government made, wherein they deemed traitors to be men of honor and sent them to minimum security fortresses as “conscientious objectors”. The days wherein anyone could run around promoting his own political “beliefs” are past! For us, there is but one standard, and that is the National Socialist. We measure every man thereby!
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People’s Court receipt of Götz’s letter
/Stamp: People’s Court, Received 4/19/43/ Continue reading
Cross-examination: Alexander Schmorell
Schmorell babbled out some kind of an excuse that because his mother was Russian, and he was half-Russian, he somehow wanted to unify Germans and Russians. This led to such an abysmal aberration, which can be seen from his statement during the trial that he had decided that – as a German soldier – he would “fire upon neither Germans nor Russians”!!! National Socialist jurisprudence of course requires us to consider the personality of the perpetrator. Continue reading
Defendants allowed to speak
The accused made statements regarding their persons. …
The accused gave their statements regarding the matter: Continue reading
Deppisch appointed as Huber’s defense counsel
The court then appointed Dr. Deppisch, Attorney-at-Law, as court-appointed defense counsel for the accused Huber.
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Justizrat Roder resigns
After the leaflets had been read aloud, Mr. Roder J.R. [Justizrat] resigned from his position as defense counsel for the accused Huber. He said that he had never had knowledge of the contents of the leaflets before that moment, and that he could no longer defend Huber.
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Freisler reads leaflets into record
The presiding judge read the verdict of the People’s Court against Scholl and 2 others dated February 22, 1943 aloud – 1H 47/43 – as well as the leaflets that had been written or distributed by the accused. However, he read only excerpts from the 4 leaflets of the “White Rose” [Note 1]. Continue reading
Defense counsel named for three women
Dr. Diepold was appointed attorney for the accused Gisela Schertling, Dr. Deppisch for the accused Katharina Schüddekopf, and Mr. Klein for the accused Traude [sic] Lafrenz. … Continue reading
Indictment read into the record
The deputy of the Chief Prosecutor of the Reich submitted the indictment.
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Defense counsel introduced
1.) The accused, being led forth from investigative custody,
2.) As defense counsel [Note 1]: Continue reading
Trial gets underway
Present as judges:
President of the People’s Court, Dr. Freisler, Presiding
Director of the District Court Stier
SS Gruppenführer and Major General of the Waffen-SS Breithaupt
SA Gruppenführer Bunge
SA Gruppenführer and Deputy Secretary of State Köglmaier Continue reading
Gisela Schertling arrest record, Rudolstadt
Information from the Criminal Records of the Attorney General’s Office in Rudolstadt
According to the files, no previous convictions. Continue reading
Proof of Service: Summons to Trial
[Cover sheet for transmittal letter to all defendants.]
People’s Court receives Petzl’s POA
/Stamp: Reich Attorney General’s Office of the People’s Court
Received April 17, 1943/ Continue reading
Request for trial information
Telex.
From To STL [State Police Headquarters] in Munich
Received on: [blank] At: [blank] Recorded by: [blank] Continue reading
Petition to serve as Schertling defense counsel
Attorney-at-Law, Karl Götz
Elisabeth Str. 48/0
Admitted to the Bar before the Higher Regional Court of Munich and Regional Courts Munich I and II Continue reading
Deisinger Power of Attorney for Alexander Schmorell
Power of Attorney in the Matter of [blank]
Is herewith granted to Attorney-at-Law and Tax Attorney Dr. S. Deisinger, Munich, Nuβbaum Street 12 / Second Floor, Telephone [Illegible]. Continue reading
Proof of service (indictment): Willi Graf
Attestation
Of the delivery of a letter addressed as follows
[Illegible]: Bureau of the People’s Court, Berlin W9. Continue reading
Cornelius Street prison, proof of service
Director of the Prisons and the Investigative Prison, Munich
The Cornelius Street Jail
Telephone: 5797970
Director: [Illegible]
Munich, April 15, 1943 Continue reading
Walter Petzl Power of Attorney (Grimminger)
Dr. Walter Petzl, Attorney-at-Law
Ritter-von-Epp Platz 12/II
Tel: 10479
Munich 2, April 15, 1943 Continue reading
Proof of delivery (indictment): Alexander Schmorell
Attestation
Of the delivery of a letter addressed as follows
[Illegible]: Bureau of the People’s Court, Berlin W9. Continue reading
Proof of service (indictment): Siegfried Deisinger
6J 24/43 [illegible]
IH 101/43
/Stamp: People’s Court, received April 15, 1943, [Illegible]/
/Initials: [Illegible]/ Continue reading
Petzl Power of Attorney (Grimminger)
[This entire document is handwritten.]
Power of Attorney. Continue reading
Diepold request for information
Munich, April 14, 1943
[Illegible] [Note 1]
People’s Court, Berlin, [Illegible] Council Continue reading
Confirmation of court room for trial
Telex No. 542
From To [Note 1] STL [State Police Headquarters] in Munich Continue reading
Confusion regarding Katharina Schüddekopf trial
1d JS-So 486/43
Please cite when replying.
Munich, April 13, 1943 Continue reading
Request for Schertling arrest record
[Left-hand side of page:]
With reference to the excerpt on the reverse, send original copy back to: 8J 37/43.
To the Chief Prosecutor of the People’s Court in Berlin, W9 Bellevue Str. 15.
/Postmark: Rudolstadt, April 17, 1943/
/Stamp: Postage free [postage paid, official government business]/
/Stamp: Attorney General’s Office of the People’s Court, Received April 18, 1943/
[Right-hand side of page:]
In original document, with the request: unlimited – limited – in a matter of a misdemeanor – in accordance with § 35 StRVO (please cross out whatever does not apply).
Location and date: Berlin, April 13, 1943
Signature: By order of /Signed: [Illegible]/, Justice Employee
Office: Chief Prosecutor’s Office of the People’s Court
8J 37/43
/Stamp: District Attorney’s Office, Rudolstadt, April 16, 1943/
To the District Attorney’s Office in Rudolstadt (Strafregister)
/Postmark: Berlin SW11, April 15, 1942 [sic]/
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Source: Schertling/Schüddekopf (3)
Eble’s pre-trial meeting with Grimminger, Hirzels
Fee for pre-trial activity (visits with all of the accused
On April 13, 1943 in Neudeck and Stadelheim) 40 + 20 + 20 Marks = 80 60 Marks
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Source: Eble’s invoice to People’s Court dated April 27, 1943
Bischoff’s memoranda re Schertling
[Note 1] 1) Enter prior convictions of Gisela Schertling.
2) Letter to be written: To Attorney-at-Law Karl Götz in Munich, Elisabeth Str. 48/0. Continue reading
Schertling parents – prison visit
8J 37/43
/Handwritten: With regards to the petition of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Schertling in Pössneck for permission to visit./
To the Warden of Stadelheim Prison in Munich. Continue reading
Freisler decision regarding defense counsel
Criminal case against Schmorell and 10 others
6J 24/43 g
1H [illegible]/43 Continue reading
Freisler approves Deisinger as defense counsel for Schmorell
[Illegible] J 14 / 43 g
[Illegible]
1.) In the criminal case against Schmorell, the choice of the attorney-at-law Dr. Deisinger in Munich, [illegible] 12 for the defendant / accused as above has been approved in accordance with §3 of Article IV of the Law Regarding Revision of the Regulations of Criminal Law and of Criminal Proceedings, dated April 24, 1934. Continue reading
Willi Graf’s arrest records (Cologne)
Information Taken from the Registry of Sentences of the State Attorney General’s Office in Cologne
According to the files
– no – prior convictions Continue reading
Himmler response to Schmorell clemency petition
Reichsführer-SS and Chief of the German Police in the Reich Ministry of the Interior
Berlin SW 11, April 11, 1943
Prinz-Albert-Str. 8
Currently Field Headquarters Continue reading
Telex re Katharina Schüddekopf
Telex.
From STL [State Police Headquarters] In Munich
Received on April 10, 1943 – At: 1:42 pm – Recorded by: Jensen Continue reading
Gestapo memo re Eugen Grimminger
Secret State Police [Gestapo]
State Police Headquarters Munich
Vol. No. 13226/43/II A Sond. [Special Commission]
Munich, April 10, 1943 Continue reading