II E 3/Ach. [Achter] – Munich, February 18 [Note 1], 1943
/Handwritten: Illegible/ – /Handwritten: Arrest!/
Report. Continue reading
Category Archives: Gestapo memorandum
Metternich – temporary custody
On February 18, 1943 around 11 am [Note 1], I along with KS Ammer was responsible for transporting the prisoner named Scholl from the university to the police station. Directly in front of the entrance to the university, Scholl suddenly turned to his right and said to a man something along the lines of: “Tell him I won’t be coming home this evening!” Continue reading
Schmauβ re Gestapo arrest of Scholls
Schmauβ: The University of Munich’s Chief Privy Councilor Hefner immediately advised the State Police Headquarters in Munich of this incident. They immediately occupied the university building (which had been sealed off in the meantime), together with a large number of municipal police officials. Several hundred leaflets with the inscriptions “Fellow Students!” or “German Students” were seized in the university building. Continue reading
The studio key
On the occasion of their apprehension in the university, Sofie Scholl hid the key to this storage in the upholstery of an ottoman in Room 238 of the university.
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Note: As best as we could determine, Room 238 was possibly the women’s restroom. If anyone has better information, please post!
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Source: ZC13267, Geith’s memorandum dated February 21, 1943
Schmauβ re Schmid
Schmauβ: On February 18, 1943 around 11:15 am, Jakob Schmid, who resides at Türken Str. 33/I and is the maintenance man employed by the University of Munich, was making his rounds. He noticed that a large quantity of leaflets were thrown off the third floor platform of the university’s Lichthof. Schmid immediately made his way to the place in question and determined that the student Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie Scholl were the presumptive perpetrators, since no one else was nearby. Continue reading
Mahler re February 18 operation
Mahler: “On February 18, 1943, Hans and Sofie Scholl distributed around 1500 leaflets entitled ‘Fellow Students!’ in the university, as well as between 50-80 pieces of the leaflet entitled ‘German Students!’ Almost all of these were seized.”
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Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Schmauβ re February 16 mailing
Schmauβ: On February 16, 1943, several hundred treasonous leaflets with the title “Fellow Students!” were mailed from several post offices in Munich as so-called “bulk mail” or as regular post. In several of these mailings, the leaflet named above was accompanied by another of the “Resistance Movement”. Continue reading
Mahler re February 16 mailing
Mahler: On February 16, 1943, approx. 1200 leaflets [entitled] “Fellow Students!” were mailed to persons living in Munich. Of these, approximately 800 have been seized to date. In the following days, there were some more individual mailings [of this leaflet].
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Schmauβ re third graffiti operation
Schmauβ: In the night of February 15/16, 1943, the words “Down with Hitler” and “Hitler the Mass Murderer” were painted on Hugendubel Bookstore on Salvatorplatz in 30 to 40 cm high letters [12” – 16”] (total area 1 x 1.5 m [3-1/3’ x 6’]), using black tar-based paint. There were 4 more locations in the downtown area where the inscription “Down with Hitler” along with a crossed-out swastika had been painted. Continue reading
Mahler re third graffiti operation
Mahler: In the night of February 15/16, 1943, the labels “Down with Hitler” and “Hitler the Mass Murderer” were painted between the store windows of the H. Hugendubel Company in approx. 1 m [3-1/3’] high letters. The same night, the inscription “Down with Hitler” was painted on the Bavarian Chancery and on three other buildings.
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Note: Clara Geyer incurred the wrath of Inge Scholl when she insisted that her husband had told her the inscriptions were “Manneshoch” – man-high. But this supports that assertion. The Hitler the Mass Murderer template was a two-parter. So if the letters were 3-1/3′ high, twice that is over 6′ tall, definitely Manneshoch.
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
The American typewriter
It was impossible to determine which specific German system the typewriter in question utilizes. Currently, an investigation is underway to determine whether it could be a foreign-made typewriter. In this context it is interesting to note that in the opinion of the State Police Headquarters in Vienna it is possible that the typewriter in question is a foreign-made model (Remington and Underwood brands). Continue reading
Schaefer’s 11 Feb 1943 memorandum
Secret State Police [Gestapo]
State Police Headquarters Munich – Munich, February 11, 1943
Vol. No. 13 226/43 II A/Sond. [Special commission – Robert Mohr]
/Stamp: CONFIDENTIAL!
VERY URGENT!/
a.) To the Headquarters of Reich Security – Berlin. Continue reading
Max Stefl
The State Police Headquarters in Vienna reported that Dr. Max Stefl [Note 1], a resident of Munich, was temporarily in Vienna at the critical time in question [when the leaflets were distributed there]. Stefl is a former National Librarian, born September 15, 1888 in Nuremberg. He currently resides at Lotzbeck Str. 3/I in Munich. His personal history, degree of education, and intellectual and political attitudes make him a good match for the profile of the perpetrator [of the distribution activities] or of the writer of the contents of the leaflet. Continue reading
Mahler re another graffiti operation
Mahler: In the night of February 9/10, 1943, the expression “Down with Hitler” was painted on an advertising pillar on Kanal Street in black tar-based paint. The same night, “Down with Hitler” was written on the front door of the house at Eindorfer Street 102 with white chalk.
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Note: Unless the Gestapo simply overlooked the Kanal Street graffiti the day before, this was not White Rose work. Nor was anything in white chalk. These were copycats.
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Schmauβ re second graffiti operation
Schmauβ: In the night of February 8/9, 1943, the words “Down with Hitler” with a crossed-out swastika were painted on the university building, this time using green oil-based paint. The word “Freedom” was painted four times on the university building.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943.
Mahler re second graffiti operation
Mahler: In the night of February 8/9, 1943, the word “Freedom” was painted in green on the entrance of the University of Munich three times in 60 cm [24”] high letters [Note 1], and the inscription “Down with Hitler” (with crossed-out swastika) twice. Continue reading
Graffiti operation February 8/9, 1943
The “Down With Hitler” and “Freedom” graffiti have recently been painted on university buildings in the night of February 8/9, 1943. The same oil-based paints were used for all the graffiti operations (this time it was green), so that both graffiti operations were carried out by the same perpetrator or perpetrators. An investigation of the chemical composition of the paint has been commissioned. Since the perpetrator or perpetrators obviously targeted the university buildings, we have placed the buildings under appropriate surveillance.
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Source: ZC13267, Schaefer’s memorandum dated February 11, 1943
Crime lab report
The criminal labs of the police department of the city of Munich have been able to determine that the leaflets of the so-called “Resistance Movement” were all typed on the same typewriter. This expert opinion has allowed the fairly certain conclusion that the stencils for these leaflets were prepared on the same typewriter as those of the well-known leaflets of the so-called “White Rose” (see Vol. No. IV A 1 d – 3 247/42 in your files). Continue reading
Search for the White Rose February 1943
The large-scale search undertaken subsequent to the telex dated February 5, 1943 with regards to the perpetrators of the distribution of leaflets has been unsuccessful. The search was carried out in the metropolitan area of Munich on February 4 [sic], 1943 with the participation of all available State Police and plain clothes detectives, including cooperation of the security police, train security personnel etc. Continue reading
Trenker memo 5 Feb 1943
/Illegible name/
Secret State Police [Gestapo] – Munich, February 5, 1943
State Police Headquarters Munich
Vol. No. 13 226/43 IIA/Mo. [Mohr] /Stamp: Copy!/ Continue reading
Schmauβ re first graffiti operation
Schmauβ: In the night of February 3/4, 1943, 29 places in Munich were plastered with the words “Down With Hitler” and a swastika that was crossed out twice. The graffiti was applied using a stencil and black tar-based paint. In addition, the word “Freedom” was applied to the university building.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943.
Graffiti operation 3 February 1943
In the night of February 3/4, 1943, the inflammatory slogan “Down With Hitler” was painted in several places in the city of Munich. The slogan was painted on houses, advertising pillars, etc., using a template and black oil-based paint. Size 25 x 15 cm [10” x 6”]. See enclosure 6. It has not yet been determined whether a connection can be proved between this graffiti campaign and the so-called “Resistance Movement in Germany”. Continue reading
Mahler re first graffiti operation
Mahler: In the night of February 3/4, 1943, “Down with Hitler” (with a crossed-out swastika next to it) was painted in 29 different places in Munich, primarily on public buildings. This was done using a template. Black tar-based paint was used. The same night, the word “Freedom” was painted to the left and right of the main entrance of the University of Munich, using black tar-based paint. The letters were 75 cm [30”] tall. The same night, the words “Down with Hitler” were painted on the Dresdener Bank with red paint.
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
“All Points Bulletin” for the White Rose
Since the circumstances imply that this case deals with traveling perpetrators who will likely appear in other southern German locations, I have made the plain clothes police [Note 1] in Munich, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg, and Würzburg aware of the material contents of the observations to date and requested their cooperation in the war-time search efforts (train inspections). Continue reading
BMW leaflet investigation
In the meantime, the following determinations have been made regarding the leaflet “January 30, 1933 – January 30, 1943” [Note 1]:
The envelopes used – so-called window envelopes – are manufactured exclusively by G[eorg] Steibl Company, Munich, Sand Str. 21-24. The last delivery of that type of envelope to the BMW Company took place on January 22, 1943. Inquiries about transport, delivery, etc., have been initiated. Continue reading
Scattering operation, denunciation 28 January 1943
In the meantime, a female student who lives in Munich has come forward. She saw one of the perpetrators distributing leaflets in the courtyard of her landlady’s [house] located at Kaulbach Str. 24, the evening of January 28, 1943 around 11 pm. She was able to give a relatively good description of this person. [Note 1] Continue reading
Scattering operation 28/29 January 1943
The number of leaflets seized from the distribution activities of January 28-29, 1943 comes to around 1300 pieces. A general map has been made available to give an overview of the range of the area covered by these distribution activities within the metropolitan area. Hence it follows that the main train station of Munich is practically the exact center of this operation; the distribution activities appear to extend in nearly equal distances north and south of this point. Continue reading
Schmauβ re scattering operation
Schmauβ: In the night of January 28/29, 1943, approximately 1300 leaflets of the so-called “Resistance Movement” were distributed in the city of Munich. The leaflets had been produced by duplication process.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943.
Mahler re scattering operation
Mahler: During a distribution operation carried out by Scholl and Schmorell on January 28/29, 1943, around 5000 of these leaflets were disbursed, with around 2400 leaflets seized.
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Scattering operation 28 Jan 1943
In addition, on January 28, 1943 at 11:30 pm the first leaflets were found in two different places in southern neighborhoods of the city, and were turned in to the police. It can therefore be concluded that the distribution of the leaflets could not have begun much earlier than 11 pm. In that case, there would have been so much brisk traffic that the leaflets would certainly have been found had this occurred at an earlier hour. It has not been possible to estimate when the distribution activities ceased the same evening.
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Source: ZC13267, Trenker’s 5 Feb 1943 memorandum
Oskar Wirth hands in leaflet
Schmauβ re Stuttgart
Schmauβ: Publications of the same name [leaflets of the “Resistance Movement”] were posted in standard envelopes on on January 27 and 28, 1943 in Stuttgart.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943.
Mahler re Vienna
Mahler: According to his report, on January 28, 1943 approximately 1000 leaflets were mailed in Vienna, and “unknown” were turned in (“found”). The same day, approximately 250 leaflets were mailed in Vienna for addressees in Frankfurt am Main, and 146 were turned in (“found”).
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Schmauβ re other cities
Schmauβ: Publications of the same name [leaflets of the “Resistance Movement”] were posted in standard envelopes on January 27, 1943 in Vienna, on January 27 and 28, 1943 in Stuttgart, and likewise on January 27, 1943 in Linz/Danube.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943.
Leaflets – Vienna January 1943
In his February 5, 1943 memorandum, Trenker noted:
[T]hese leaflets appeared in Vienna on January 27, 1943.
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Source: ZC13267, memorandum linked above.
Mahler re Stuttgart
Mahler: According to his report, on January 27 and 28, 1943 approximately 800 leaflets were mailed in Stuttgart, and 670 were turned in (“found”).
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Mahler re Salzburg and Linz
Mahler: According to his report, on January 26, 1943 approximately 100 – 150 leaflets were mailed in Salzburg, and 40 were turned in (“found”). The same day, approximately 100 leaflets were mailed in Linz, and 46 were turned in (“found”).
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
Schmauβ re Salzburg
Schmauβ: Publications of the same name [leaflets of the “Resistance Movement”] were posted in standard envelopes … on January 26, 1943 in Salzburg.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943
Schmauβ re Augsburg
Schmauβ: Publications of the same name [leaflets of the “Resistance Movement”] were posted in standard envelopes on January 25, 1943 in Augsburg.
Source: ZC13267, Schmauβ’s report dated February 20, 1943
Mahler re Augsburg
Mahler: According to his report, on January 25, 1943 approximately 200 leaflets were mailed in Augsburg, and 86 were turned in (“found”).
Source: ZC13267, Mahler’s report dated February 19, 1943.
