Holidays

From January 30, 1933 through May 8, 1945 (and beyond), life went on. Weddings, funerals. Births, parties. Graduation, new jobs. Being drafted, dying on the battlefield. Christmas, Chanukah. Pesach, Easter. Hitler's Birthday, Tisha b'Av.

Even as Jewish Germans were loaded on to cattle cars for trips east, to their deaths, non-Jewish Germans hardly missed a beat. Even as Jehovah's Witness believers faced arrest for refusing to swear the oath of loyalty to Hitler, aligned Christians were inducted into Hitler Jugend. Even as forced laborers were taken to Germany to work in mines or factories, German university students who had proved their Aryan status graduated and entered professional fields.

It's one of the most difficult parts of the White Rose story, seeing the students celebrate holidays with little thought to the horrors around them. They eventually became aware. And awareness inspired action.

I hope these pages provoke you to think about our own celebrations, while immigrants and refugees are being rounded up, while we bomb the literal hell out of countries on our president's whim.

Christoph Probst's Christmas: Hope ever more, and trust. Always and forever, Christoph Probst looked to the future, to the time after the war when life would once again be good. (12/24/2025) Free.
December 1942: Roses at Christmas. The Scholls seemed pleased with the way things went, not noticing that Hans and Sophie seemed underwhelmed. The Christmas meal, the tree, opening presents. They wanted to get on with “the work." Willi Graf, Traute Lafrenz, Alexander Schmorell, Hans and Sophie Scholl. (12/23/2025) Free.
Lilo’s three Christmases. The pain of this dear woman was indescribable. And yet, with what superhuman greatness she bore that sorrow! ‘What kind of poor souls are they who must carry out such a death sentence?’ (12/22/2025) Free.