Latest news with #WhiteRose
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Tell Hitler that all the French s*** on him': Nazi death row victims' undelivered letters of defiance are revealed after 80 years
Undelivered letters written by Nazi death row victims have been discovered after 80 years. More than 50 messages penned by men and women who were put to death at the notorious Stadelheim prison in Munich were found in the Bavarian state archives. Although most condemned inmates wrote to their families, two French prisoners chose to pen a virulent message of defiance to the Nazi authorities. René Blondel and Victor Douillet appeared to write to the director of Stadelheim, telling him: 'You can send this letter to Hitler and tell him: all the French s*** on you.' The start of the letter is not clearly legible, it either says 'Mr Director', or - in a sign they could have been writing directly to Adolf Hitler - 'Mr Dictator'. Another was written by 19-year-old Jan Stepniak just minutes before he was guillotined. He told his aunt and grandmother: 'I am writing you one last letter, because today, on 2/11/42 at 5 in the afternoon, my life will come to an end. 'As you know, I will meet death an innocent man, because this is just the way we Poles are punished.' More than 50 letters that feature in 844 'execution files' held in the Bavarian state archives have been identified and digitised. Between 1933 and 1945, more than 1,000 executions were carried out at Stadelheim. For most killings, the guillotine was used. Among the most high-profile inmates executed at Stadelheim were Hans and Sophie Scholl, the brother and sister who led the White Rose resistance movement. Many of the condemned came from the likes of Poland, France and Czechoslovakia, all of which suffered terribly under Nazi occupation. Another unearthed letter was written by Johannes Fleischmann, who was handed a death sentence in November 1941 after being accused of crimes including burglary. He wrote to his mother: 'When the judgment is enforced, I will be able to say with a clear conscience: I am the alleged thief, but the court is the murderer.' Another victim, Maria Ehrlich, had just turned 81 when she was put to death in 1944. She was sentenced for 'subversion of the armed forces' in October 1943. She wrote in one of four letters: 'Dear Wenger! I am writing to you my final letter. In three hours I will be dead. 'I am grateful for my life. I believe that my death will benefit my fatherland and my home city. 'I have helped many people, so all that is left is to stand before God. 'Finally: Yesterday, February 9, was my 81st birthday. It has been my turn to go for some time. 'Many kisses, and greetings to everyone – especially the children. Your Marie.' The Bavarian authorities are now working with experts at the Arolsen Archives, which specialises in documenting Nazi crimes, to find the families of the people the condemned addressed their letters to. Floriane Azoulay, the director of Arolsen, said: 'People on death row tended to use their final hours to say goodbye to loved ones. 'Our mandate today is to find the addressees of the letters and the relatives in order to fulfill the last wishes of the unjustly condemned and to right this historical wrong. 'This can be of incredible importance for the families.' Bernhard Grau, director general of the Bavarian State Archives, said: 'The Nazi past will not let us rest! Giving the victims of the regime of injustice a name and a voice is more important than ever. 'We are delighted to have found a partner in the Arolsen Archives who allows adding more information to the source material in our archives and so helps track down any living descendants of the victims.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jewish Story Partners Nonprofit Selects 26 Documentary Grantees to Receive $545,000
Jewish Story Partners (JSP), which works to 'stimulate and support the highest caliber of independent films that expand the Jewish story,' has selected 26 documentaries to receive $545,000 in a major new round of grants, TheWrap can exclusively reveal. The new grantees for JSP, which was launched in 2021 with the support of Kate Upshaw and Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons Foundation, have crafted narratives that explore the current state of U.S. democracy, antisemitism, the mission to help build a more peaceful society and the conversations that are taking place following the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Among the titles are 'The Day After,' 'Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny,' 'The Paradox' and 'White Rose.' There were more than 220 applications submitted by filmmakers. The funding round was curated by filmmaker Amy Berg, Impact Partners' Geralyn Dreyfous and Michael Renov, a USC professor of critical studies and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. 'With its capacity to humanize the 'other' through storytelling, cinema is unparalleled in its ability to build empathy and understanding across divides and counteract ignorance and hate,' JSP Executive Director Roberta Grossman and Head of Granting and Programs Caroline Libresco said in a statement. 'With public funding for the arts and humanities under threat, we are proud to support such an extraordinary group of new documentary films that will stimulate crucial conversations and allow complex truths to emerge.' In addition, JSP shares that it is collaborating with the Jewish Film Institute (JFI) to choose one participant in the JFI Filmmaker in Residence program to receive additional support for documentary film as part of the annual JFI-JSP Momentum Award. 'It was meaningful for us to delve into this powerful slate of documentaries that strike at the core of discussions most relevant to Jewish life and culture today,' the jury said in a statement. 'These artful and moving films weave strong threads of reconciliation, unpacking the past— whether within families or collective history—and wrestling with the complex present so we can envision a brighter, more just future.' JSP currently accepts submissions via one open call per year, with applications opening in November and juried decisions made in May. The Fall 2025 Reprise Grant cycle is now open to current JSP grantees only, with a deadline on Aug. 8. Here's a complete list of the 2025 grantees: 'All That We Are' — Directed by Ondi Timoner. Produced by Morgan Doctor, Sigrid Dyekjær and Lauren Heimer. 'Alpha and Omega' — Directed and produced by Ron Frank. Produced by Glenn Kirschbaum. 'The Day After' — Directed and produced by Yuval Orr, and directed by Aziz Abu Sarah. Produced by Liel Maghen, Margaux Missika and Chris Patterson. 'Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls: Another Side of Woody Guthrie' — Directed and produced by Steven Pressman. 'The Grandfather Puzzle' — Directed by Ora DeKornfeld. Produced by Noémi Veronika Szakonyi and Máté Artur Vincze. 'Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny' — Directed and produced by Jeff Bieber and Chana Gazit. Produced by Salme M. López Sabina. 'Leonard Cohen: Behind the Iron Curtain' — Directed by Eric Bednarski. Produced by Birgit Gernböck, Christine Guenther, Amanda Handy, Mark Johnston and Stanisław Zaborowski. 'The Lonely Child' — Directed and produced by Marc Smolowitz. Produced by Alix Wall. 'Offcuts' — Directed and produced by Jacob Fertig. Produced by Jaydn Ray Gosselin. 'The Paradox' — Directed and produced by Shimon Dotan. Produced by Dikla Barkai. 'The Sandman' — Directed by Esti Almo Wexler. Produced by Dr. Elad Wexler. 'Sapiro v. Ford' — Directed and produced by Gaylen Ross. Produced by Carol King. 'Shirley Clarke Film Untitled' — Directed and produced by Immy Humes. 'Walking Under Palms' — Directed by Adam Weingrod. Produced by Alexis Bloom and Kobi Mizrahi. 'White Rose' — Directed and produced by Julie Cohen. 'Wilder' — Directed by Kate Novack. Produced by Joanne Nerenberg. The post Jewish Story Partners Nonprofit Selects 26 Documentary Grantees to Receive $545,000 | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How a reading group helped young German students defy the Nazis and find their faith
For three weeks in April 2025, my 'Theology of Christian Martyrdom' class studied how a group of German students and professors from Munich and Hamburg formed a resistance movement from 1942 to 1943 known as the 'White Rose.' These individuals defied Nazi tyranny, they were imprisoned, and many were executed. At the movement's center were Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst and Willi Graf, who were all in their 20s, and Professor Kurt Huber. The Scholl siblings, their friends and their professor were beheaded for urging students at the University of Munich to oppose the Nazi regime. On the surface, the White Rose's 'crime' was the writings, printings and distribution of six anti-Nazi pamphlets urging Germans to resist Adolf Hitler and work to end World War II. However, a closer examination of their pamphlets, along with excerpts from their diaries and letters, reveals that their resistance was rooted in something deeper – a faith anchored in friendship and a humanistic learning. Their time together reading and discussing theological texts deepened their Christian faith. Teaching this class taught me that teachers can inspire students to improve their country's social and political landscape through the study of literature, history and theology. Teachers can help students form their consciences and empower them to act against falsehood and injustice. These young people came from a variety of Christian backgrounds, including Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox traditions. Some had been members of the Hitler Youth as teenagers, while others had served as medical assistants in the German army. They formed strong bonds and underwent personal transformations as students at the University of Munich, where they were mentored by a couple of philosophers, especially Kurt Huber, who was a devout Catholic. The students met regularly and secretly with their professors to study literature, philosophy and theology from the Catholic intellectual tradition, banned by the Nazi regime as part of Hitler's strategy to first stifle and then strangle the Catholic Church in Germany. Based on the students' correspondence and diaries, their covert engagement with Catholic thought became a cornerstone of the White Rose's rejection of Nazi tyranny. In the works of the fifth-century North African theologian Augustine, the 20th-century novelist and playwright Georges Bernanos, and the 20th-century philosopher Jacques Maritain, these students encountered a Catholic intellectual tradition that was responsive to the urgent questions of their time. From Augustine they learned the importance of cultivating an interior life grounded in prayer. Bernanos stressed the importance of embracing one's humanity to confront evil. Maritain emphasized the need to strive for a free democratic society. The White Rose movement was concerned not only with the present state of humanity but also with its future, and not only with the individual but also with the communal. In their clandestine meetings and correspondence, they wrestled with the relationship between faith and reason, goodness in the face of evil, the meaning of tyranny, the nature of a just state, and the foundations of genuine liberty. Addressing these serious issues not only matured their intellects but also deepened their hearts; it taught them the importance of prayer. 'Better to suffer intolerable pain than to vegetate insensibly. Better to be parched with thirst, better to pray for pain, pain, and more pain, than to feel empty, and to feel so without truly feeling at all. That I mean to resist,' Sophie wrote in her diary in the early summer of 1942. The personal writings of the White Rose reflect a religious passion, akin to the prayers of saints. For example, in his imprisonment, Graf stated: 'I know my Redeemer liveth. This faith alone strengthens and sustains me.' The impact of Christianity on the inner lives of these young people is a crucial part of their narrative and resistance. Their circle of friendship became a haven in a totalitarian state that sought to isolate individuals, instill fear and transform these estranged and fearful people into part of a mass society. 'We negated the many, and built on the few, and believed ourselves strong,' Traute Lafrenz, the last surviving member of the White Rose and a member of the Hamburg circle, later stated. The most significant intellectual influence on the group may have been John Henry Newman, a 19th-century Catholic convert and theologian who emphasized the primacy of a 'well-formed' conscience. His writings helped them recognize what Catholics like myself see as a moral truth that transcended Nazi propaganda – that each person bears within them the voice of the living God. This voice could not be silenced by state power. Newman insisted that conscience is not merely intuitive but is shaped through learning – from conversations, books and lived experience. With their professors' guidance, the White Rose students were able to cultivate their conscience. If Newman were addressing college students today, I like to believe he would emphasize the significance of their conversations with friends on campus, the discussions held with classmates and professors in the classroom, the newspapers they read, the retreats they participated in, the novels they savored during the holidays, their road trips across the country, and their studies abroad. All of these experiences contribute to shaping their conscience. Newman's defense of broad, active and serious learning offered an appealing counterpoint to Nazi ideology, which sought not only to deprive individuals of their civil rights but also to crush their inner lives and capacity to form meaningful relationships through terror and fear. The power of a well-formed conscience is perhaps best illustrated by Sophie Scholl, who shared Newman's sermons with her boyfriend, Fritz Hartnagel, a Wehrmacht officer who fought for Germany during World War II. In the summer of 1942, horrified by the brutality he witnessed, Hartnagel wrote to Scholl that Newman's words were like 'drops of precious wine.' In another letter, he wrote: 'But we know by whom we are created, and that we stand in a relationship of moral obligation to our Creator. Conscience gives us the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.' After the war, Hartnagel became active in the peace movement and supported conscientious objectors. To the members of the White Rose, conscience was a spiritual stronghold – one the state could not breach. I believe that while my students today face different challenges – a society shaped by what I regard as the nihilistic presence of technological power and populism, rather than full-blown totalitarianism – they also aspire to act with clarity and conviction. Newman's view on the formation of conscience resonated with my students as well. What my students share with those young dissidents from over 80 years ago is a commitment to cultivating an inner life, fostering a community of friends and engaging in a vibrant intellectual tradition. They are drawn to the writings that animated Hans Scholl, who, drawing inspiration from the Catholic playwright Paul Claudel, wrote the following just two days before his arrest. 'Chasms yawn and darkest night envelops my questing heart, but I press on regardless. As Claudel so splendidly puts it: Life is one great adventure into the light.' As a teacher, I believe that young people want to engage with an intellectual tradition that helps them discover their vocation and live with integrity, similar to Scholl. They seek to act with a clear conscience amid the uncertainties of their own times. This approach serves as a powerful contrast to any hollow, anti-intellectual and culturally bankrupt tyranny. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Peter Nguyen, SJ, College of the Holy Cross Read more: Spider-Man's lessons for us all on the responsibility to use our power, great or small, to do good Genocide resisters, long overlooked by history, step into the spotlight How individual, ordinary Jews fought Nazi persecution − a new view of history Peter Nguyen, SJ does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
CBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
For sale or lease: one massive Newfoundland fabrication yard with a megaproject history
Two companies with deep roots in Newfoundland and Labrador are competing for the right to either buy or lease the government-owned Bull Arm fabrication site in Trinity Bay. Energy Minister Andrew Parsons says government negotiators are determined to generate maximum value for the province from a potential deal. Otherwise, he says, "we will walk away" from negotiations with DF Barnes Services Limited and NARL Marketing LP. "Best case scenario: we find something that works for the companies and makes sense for the province and sees more work happening out there. Worst case scenario: we continue to hold it as a public asset," said Parsons. DF Barnes and NARL Marketing emerged as the top two proponents following a request for proposals, and now the companies are making their pitches to either buy or lease the 25-square kilometre site, which includes 10 kilometres of paved roadway, 20,600 square metres of enclosed fabrication facilities, and marine infrastructure. The provincial government describes Bull Arm as Atlantic Canada's largest fabrication site, and it has a rich history when it comes to the development of the province's offshore oil industry, beginning with construction of the Hibernia oil project in the early 1990s. It also served as a crucial fabrication and construction site for other oil projects such as Hebron, Terra Nova and White Rose. At various times, the workforce has swelled to several thousand people during peak construction activities, with the province being paid millions annually in lease payments by oil companies such as ExxonMobil Canada. But the site has been underutilized in recent years, and industry players have been showing interest in acquiring the facility. Parsons says negotiations with the two proponents are in the early stages, and he could not give a timeline on when a deal might be reached. But with Premier Andrew Furey set to depart politics, a race underway to select his successor, and a provincial election expected sometime this year, a swift decision on the fate of Bull Arm is unlikely. Parsons would not speculate on a preferred outcome, but says a deal could include a cash sale, or an agreement that guarantees job creation and economic development. "If somebody can secure that, that's something we would look at," he said. Parsons says Bull Arm is a world-class site with great potential in the oil and gas and renewable energy industries. But with the federal government placing an increasing emphasis on Arctic security, he says Bull Arm is also well-positioned for activities such as ship-building and vessel repair. "We really are that gateway to the north," said Parsons.
BBC News
19-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Nottingham students strut as fashion project marks milestone
A project to cut down on clothing waste and save students money is hoping to expand after a "fantastic" first Trent University (NTU) said it launched the Professional Student Wardrobe project with charity White Rose to offer students free access to professional clothing for interviews and recruitment said the scheme has stopped 3,023kg of clothing from going into landfill, saving 11,711.52kg of carbon dioxide emissions, and distributed 2,850 items of clothing to students, saving them about £34, first anniversary of the scheme was marked by a celebratory display on 3 April. Donation boxes for clothes have been placed on all NTU campuses, with the university also working with other organisations receiving surplus clothing across the city, such as the Nottingham Women's Rose collected and prepared donations for display in the Wardrobe Shop on NTU's city than 100 students have been employed over the past year, the university said, with their work including co-ordinating donations, social media and "running the day-to-day operations".Debra Easter, NTU's director of employability services, said the university was proud of the project's success."In the last year, we've given hundreds of students access to professional clothing, used to further opportunities through training and skills development, as well as leading to employment," she said."We're excited about what comes next – more collaborations and plans to help even more students. This is a fantastic initiative that is just at the beginning of its journey."
