Davenport- Beginning Sunday January 8th 2012, the German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport, Iowa, will be featuring the exhibit "The White Rose." The exhibit explores one of Germany's most famous civilian resistance groups, formed by a small group of university students in Munich during 1941-42. The leaders were brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl and friends. Using only their ingenuity and youthful fearlessness, they outwitted the Nazis to issue several leaflets that urged their fellow students and citizens of Munich to resist Nazi tyranny. These leaflets were the first to print accusations that the Nazis were systematically
exterminating Jews and other minorities. Nearly all of the original White Rose students and their professor Kurt Huber were captured after a furious Gestapo manhunt, given a sham trial, and then brutally executed. After the war the Scholl's sister, Inge, worked diligently to tell the story of the sacrifice made by the group. Sophie Scholl has been voted the "most admired woman in German history" in numerous public polls for decades.
This record of civil and personal courage is one of the brightest spots during a very dark time; you will be heartened and astonished to learn how it unfolded. This exhibit comes to GAHC on a national tour from the White Rose Foundation in Munich. GAHC's partner in this exhibit and companion programming is the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.