Sophia Magdalena Scholl was a German student and anti-Nazi political activist, active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany.

Based upon letters between Scholl and her boyfriend, Fritz Hartnagel (reported and analyzed by Gunter Biemer and Jakob Knab in the journal Newman Studien), she had given two volumes of Cardinal Saint John Henry Newman’s sermons to Hartnagel when he was deployed to the eastern front in May 1942.

Her correspondence with Hartnagel deeply discussed the “theology of conscience” developed in Newman’s writings. This is seen as her primary defense in her transcribed interrogations leading to her “trial” and execution.

Although neither Sophie nor her brother Hans were Catholic, Hans had been inspired by reading a sermon by the Catholic Bishop of Munster, Clemens von Galen, protesting against Nazi atrocities. “Finally a man has had the courage to speak out!” he exclaimed.

The White Rose group of students read Augustine and Aquinas and were deeply impressed by Cardinal Newman’s writings on conscience. Indeed, Christoph Probst (pictured above) was received into the Church just hours before his execution.