Unplowed ground

Every once in a while, I will link to our open Call for Papers, White Rose topics that remain open and have remained open for decades. My database may contain about 5 million translated words. My histories may be thorough. My ongoing work may be persistent in attempts to ram through brick walls carefully constructed by the Scholl Corporation and its subsidiaries, Franz Josef Müller and Jürgen Wittenstein.

But I can only do so much.

Today, instead of linking to that CfP one more time, I am going to put it out here in black and white. Perhaps someone reading this Substack will know someone. Maybe even know someone who knows someone who knows someone, who will then write a book or dissertation or Master’s thesis on something besides Scholl.

It’s a wide-open field! Buckle your seat belts. This is a long post. But if you are working in this field, it should not “feel” long.

I’ve divided the topics into the following categories, with topics in strictly alphabetical order:

Biographical: Specific to White Rose resistance. People of the White Rose whose lives and work have been given short shrift, and whose lives deserve unflinching documentation.
Biographical: General Holocaust studies. List is not even close to complete.
Other resistance movements. White Rose was not the only resistance movement from 1933-1945.
Interdisciplinary studies: Holocaust. Interdisciplinary studies, some related to White Rose, but all related to Holocaust studies.
Non-fiction unrelated to Holocaust studies. Although our beginnings were in Holocaust studies, we have expanded our horizons.

Biographical: Specific to White Rose resistance.

Heinz and Willi Bollinger. Two of the almost-faceless White Rose members who seem to have led fascinating lives, and whose friendship meant a great deal to Willi Graf. If you write this for publication through Exclamation! Publishers, we will point you in the right direction to their archives. WR-Direct.

Borchers and Hartert (MDs). Both have long been touted as like-minded to the White Rose resistance efforts. But we have our doubts, due to their high-ranking medical positions during the Third Reich, as well as due to the problematic backgrounds of those who serve as their character witnesses via mutual Persilscheine during the denazification process. (“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours...”) If we know more about them, then we will know more about the individuals who claimed that Dr. Borchers and Dr. Hartert were anti-Nazi. WR-Other.

Professor Bumke. He is not completely unknown in American circles, as one of the most famous biographies of Prof. Bumke was written by an American. However, several people we interviewed sat through Prof. Bumke’s lectures and disagreed with the positive portrayal of him as a closet doubter or dissident. It may be time for a review of conventional wisdom. This could also be used as a jumping-off point for a discussion of German medicine from 1933-1945, perhaps even the connection between the medical school in Munich and medical experiments performed on prisoners at Dachau. WR-Other.

Rudolf Degkwitz. He was the de facto leader of a resistance cell in Hamburg and Traute Lafrenz’s mentor. (A White Rose note: Hamburg resistance was predecessor to, not successor of, the White Rose group in Munich.) His writings survived the war, yet relatively little is known about him, though postwar he became a fairly famous medical doctor. Could also be used as focal point on Hamburg resistance, not White Rose. WR-Other.

Harald Dohrn. Usually referred to as the father-in-law of Christoph Probst. However, Dohrn’s influence on Christoph Probst has been marginalized, when it should have been emphasized. He was a dissident long before there was a White Rose. Hellerau! WR-Direct.

Klaus (alt., Claus) Dohrn. May be one of the most fascinating people on this list. Published an anti-Nazi newspaper in the 1930s and was forced to emigrate to England. Klaus had little connection to White Rose, except for his personal relationship with Christoph Probst long before there was a White Rose. Was Klaus anti-Nazi or simply defending the Catholic Church? What form did his resistance take? WR-Other.

Manfred Eickemeyer. He was allowed to write his own “history” post-war, because of his White Rose arrest for lending them his studio. But: What kind of work did he do for the Generalgouvernement? Is it even possible to figure out where he really stood politically? Hints about Eickemeyer’s life swing both directions in his Gestapo interrogations. WR-Direct.

Wilhelm Geyer. Only if you have new material. While there is very little English-language material about him, and while he is “the invisible man” in White Rose circles, his life has been thoroughly documented by German art historians. (Note: He and his family are among our favorites!) Book-length treatment should include as much as possible about the political activities that caused Julius Streicher to label him Germany's most dangerous artist. WR-Direct.

Robert Gradmann. A Hirzel grandfather and prominent citizen of Württemberg. Significant influence on Hans and Susanne Hirzel, despite his apparent Nazi leanings. If Susanne’s words are true, he was a nationalist, not a Nazi. This would be a good investigation into that grey area. WR-Other.

Gerhard Graf (Willi Graf’s father). Specifically more about his role in the establishment of the Nazi Party in the Saarland. We know generally what he did, because Willi’s attorney used Gerhard Graf's ardent and tangible support of the NSDAP in the Saarland as part of his clemency proceedings. (And Willi then refused the clemency offer he was given.) It could only be enhanced by comparison of that record to primary source materials, e.g., the League of Nations lawsuit. WR-Other.

Pastor Ernst Hirzel, father of Hans and Susanne Hirzel, and pastor of the Martin-Luther-Kirche in Ulm. The journal he kept throughout the war has never been published, though the church still has the original. We know that Ernst Hirzel signed the Bonhoeffer-Niemoeller confession even after it meant financial hardship and loss of status, yet he did not like or approve of their “radical” actions. Understanding him could go a long way to comprehending the psyche of the many fence straddlers in Germany under Hitler. WR-Other.

Hans Hirzel. Could be a two-parter: To 1945, and post-war. He is probably the single most puzzling person associated with the White Rose story. If published through Exclamation! Publishers, we would provide you with materials you cannot get elsewhere. WR-Direct.

Magdalena Hirzel. She clearly knew the Scholls from their time jointly spent in Forchtenberg. What did she know? Why did she dislike the Scholls so intensely?

Walter Hirzel. According to Susanne Hirzel, he went from being a nationalist who supported Hitler, to a nationalist who was fired for opposing Hitler’s views. Is this an accurate portrayal of his life? His biography would also add knowledge to the operation of the Gau, since his political career was on the state — not national — level. WR-Other.

In-depth interviews with Jewish families who told their stories in Zeugnisse zur Geschichte der Juden in Ulm. (Most live in the USA, a few in Israel.) If you do not have access to this book, please contact us. If published through Exclamation! Publishers, we will help you with this project. — You may end up talking to children and grandchildren. Hoping they kept family documents and photos. WR-Other.

Marcia Kahn, primarily her assistance to Inge Scholl during Inge’s fundraising tours throughout postwar America, and subsequent falling out with Scholl. Understanding Ms. Kahn could contribute to understanding U.S. apprehensions (both during the war and after it) about those who were or who claimed to have been part of the resistance. WR-Other.

Keller, Prior of the Benedictine Cloister in Beuron. The description of this man comes from an unreliable source, so you may find he wasn’t that at all. He has also been held up as someone who was anti-Nazi, but most certainly was not. WR-Other.

Hermann Krings. Friend of Willi Graf. After the war, philosophy professor. He participated in Neudeutschland, but did not join White Rose efforts. Yet he was safe haven for Willi Graf. A thorough biography of Krings could help us understand those who agreed with resistance efforts, but who chose not to participate. Note: Hermann never claimed “inner emigration”! WR-Other.

Traute Lafrenz. One of our personal favorites (for her life both then and now), much too little is known about her. The book by Peter Waage yields little new information that was not already found in my histories. WR-Direct.

Trude Maisch-Schefold, Ulm. She was “just” a music teacher (Hans and Susanne Hirzel), but she made an enormous impression on their lives. Interestingly, Maisch-Schefold also taught according to the Dalcroze Method. Harald Dohrn was the other educator associated with the White Rose who did so, while Lilo Ramdohr studied under someone in Munich who taught according to Dalcroze. An interdisciplinary application of this biography could be the study of Dalcroze methodology in and after the Third Reich. How did it change? Did it? WR-Other.

Bishop Meyser of Bavaria. A religious leader who was not unnoticed by White Rose students. WR-Other.

Robert Mohr. Looking for specific information about his Einsatzgruppen activities. What career path did he take in the NSDAP? How was he able to convince people postwar that he was a sympathetic character when he definitely was not? Book-length treatment should deal with the light judgments handed down to Gestapo agents in postwar trials. To understand more about the reasons he is problematic, check out his postwar memorandum. WR-Other.

Carl (alt., Karl) Muth. Before, during, and after his association with a few “members” of the White Rose. Most references to Muth focus solely on his mentorship of Hans and Sophie Scholl plus Otl Aicher, yet the man had lived a full and meaningful life before he met Otl. Troubling in recent years: Revelations regarding Werner Bergengruen, a close friend of Muth, as well as the NSDAP writings of some who wrote for Muth’s publication. Grey area? WR-Other.

Any of the Nathan family from Ulm: Especially August (father), Luise (and no, she was not blond and blue-eyed, that’s a Scholl legend), and Erich. Could be combined with a biography of the Dannhauser family, since Nathans were a liberal, assimilated German-Jewish family, while Dannhausers were shomer Shabbat. Life in Ulm and emigration to England (and Israel for the Dannhausers) should be focal points. WR-Other.

Hermann Ramdohr. He resigned his judicial position after Hitler came to power and in so doing strongly influenced Lilo Ramdohr (whom the Nazis deemed one of the more dangerous people in the White Rose). Yet little is known of his life. And what is known is contradictory. Grey? WR-Other.

Professor Fritz-Joachim von Rintelen. The real story, not the Wittenstein legend. Tilitzki covers a brief summary of Rintelen’s career. Even that summary destroys Wittenstein’s narrative. He was a professor in Munich. Christian Tilitzki's incredible volume about philosophy professors during the Weimar Republic and Third Reich should be your starting point. WR-Other.

Gisela Schertling. The betrayal and the redemption. She was singlehandedly responsible for most of the White Rose arrests, yet in prison she recanted and was nearly singlehandedly responsible for acquittals at the third White Rose trial on July 13, 1943. After the war, she dedicated her life to atonement. Since her father published the local newspaper in Pöβneck-Thüringen, there should be a good or at least decent paper trail about her life as child and teenager. If published through Exclamation! Publishers, we can direct you to unpublished materials about Gisela. WR-Direct.

Günther Schmich. The story of a so-called “half-Jewish” Catholic priest during the Third Reich has got to be worth telling, especially since he was Willi Graf's friend. WR-Other.

We want a riveting, “unauthorized,” well-researched, biting, nailed-down, kryptonited biography of Inge Scholl. You will need a Teflon-coated backbone of steel, perhaps a couple of body guards. Scholl Family Business attacks anyone who challenges their legend. WR-Other.

And we can tell you right now: Anyone who will research the life of Werner Scholl in-depth is “in”! It is very odd that the first Scholl to practice active resistance has been completely ignored by Inge. And by White Rose establishment. Exclamation! Publishers would accept this project in a heartbeat. You will need to know Russian and have access to Russian archives, as well as German and US. WR-Direct?

Katharina Schüddekopf. Like Bollingers, Käthe has been anonymous too long. According to Traute Lafrenz — who counted Käthe among her dearest friends — she was far more important to White Rose than has been reported so far (what we know of those those activities are in White Rose History, Volume II). Who was this brilliant young woman? She deserves a full biography. (Likely the smartest person, except for perhaps Traute, in the group.) WR-Direct.

Josef Söhngen. And not just White Rose activities. Like Eickemeyer, he got to write his own autobiography postwar. His proclamations of dissidence and affiliation with White Rose do not seem to mesh well with how he was known during the war. Many open questions remain about this enigmatic gay man who seemed to be a magnet for those in the White Rose (and outside the White Rose) who repressed their “illegal” sexual orientation. WR-Direct.

Bishop Sproll of Rottenburg. We know only that he was evidently a “rogue priest” — and nothing more. Was he really? WR-Other.

Ernst Wiechert. With special emphasis on his 1935 speech in Munich. How well did he operate in Nazi Germany? His works were not completely banned. We need to know more about this fence-straddler. Or was he truly a dissident? WR-Other.

Bishop Wurm of Württemberg. In Susanne Hirzel's memoirs (Vom Ja Zum Nein), Bishop Wurm seems to vacillate between courage and cowardice. WR-Other.

Biographical: General Holocaust studies.

Ferdinand Dietrich. According to Inge Scholl, close friend of the Scholl family. Dietrich visited the Scholls after the execution of Hans and Sophie, offering them his support. Dietrich was also antisemitic, stirring up the first pogrom in Crailsheim in 1933. A medical doctor, Dietrich also served on the T-4 committee. Even after the war, Dietrich advocated for eradication of “useless eaters” in Germany! Robert Scholl and Ferdinand Dietrich wrote Persilscheine for one another.

Kurt Hahn. Famous educator before the war. With the support of Prince Maximilian of Baden, Hahn founded Schule Schloss Salem, an elite boarding school not far from the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Note: No book length queries, as there are already several thorough biographies about Hahn’s life. We would, however, welcome essays or white papers that would appeal to high school and undergraduate students, especially ones focusing on the evolution of sentiment from the time he founded Salem, to his forced emigration to the UK, most especially his public criticism of the Nazi regime in general, and Adolf Hitler in particular.

Friedrich Mussgay. Chief of the Stuttgart Gestapo, close personal friend of Robert Scholl (according to Inge Scholl). Mussgay was responsible for the roundup and deportation of Stuttgart Jews to Riga and other places east where they were murdered. He suicided after the US Army reached Stuttgart.

Other resistance movements.

Father Jean Bernard. But not the movie version. Please also ask the hard questions, including: Why was he released in August 1942, and never re-arrested?

Max Stefl. The #1 Prime Suspect when the Munich Gestapo began its investigation into the White Rose leaflets because of his known resistance work. Stefl traveled between Munich and Vienna. Additionally, he sublet rooms to people associated with White Rose, though not in its inner circle. What was Stefl’s actual connection to resistance?

Helmut (“Helle”) Hirsch. German-American-Jewish youth who tried to assassinate Hitler. Why is so little about the actual plot known? Where are the arrest, interrogation, evidence, trial documents? Who was the double agent who betrayed him?

Helmuth Hübener, Rudolf Wobbe, Karl-Heinz Schnibbe. Hübener was the youngest person executed by the Nazis for resistance efforts. The three boys were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If published through Exclamation! Publishers, I can help you with good primary source materials.

The BMW leaflet writers. These people bugged the Gestapo in Munich, as the interrogators were certain the BMW leaflet writers were associated with White Rose. Which they were not. They used stationery from the BMW plant in Munich to mail their seditious message. As far as we have been able to ascertain, they were never caught. The leaflets were called 30.1.33-30.1.43: Ten Years of National Socialism. Please someone accept this challenge!

August Landmesser. More about the man who stood alone among longshoremen, not raising his arm in the Hitler salute.

Hans Steinbrück, Bartholomäus (Barthel) Schink, Günther Schwarz, Gustav Bermel, Johann Müller, Franz Rheinberger, Adolf Schütz, Roland Lorent, Peter Hueppeler, Josef Moll, Wilhelm Kratz, Heinrich Kratina, Johann Krausen, ages 16 to 57, from Ehrenfeld. Sometimes called the Edelweiss Pirates. Not a sentimental version. Hard-hitting please.

Hans Wolfgang von Gronau. This one is personal. His daughter Marie Luise Pieratt geb. Gronau was first German teacher for many of us. She told us about growing up in Nazi Germany with a father who would not let her join BDM, and who would bring his co-conspirators to their home. As a teenager, she hated him. As an adult, she admired him beyond words. He was a famous aviator, the German version of Charles Lindbergh. New York City even gave him a ticker tape parade in 1930. I never fully believed her until Dr. Armin Mruck said, “What?! You knew Marie-Luise von Gronau?!”

The Hamburg group around Rudolf Degkwitz. Degkwitz is on our list of biographical publications, but we want to know more about this predecessor group to White Rose. They were actively involved in resistance work long before White Rose leaflets were thought of. More about them.

The Chemistry students in Munich around Heinrich Wieland (Hans Leipelt et al). Successor to White Rose resistance, yet distinct. How did they function? What were their strengths and weaknesses? No legend. Nothing feel-good-y.

Please note that for now, we are not interested in the July 20, 1944 resistance movement, as it has been well-documented. However, we would be interested in primary source documents, or in well-researched biographies of lesser-known members.

Interdisciplinary studies: Holocaust.

Analysis of all three White Rose trials by someone well-versed in National Socialist “law.” They seem to differ from a legal standpoint, and it could be interesting to understand why. (Also the bündische trials...) To expand past White Rose, please compare any Nazi-era trials, for example: Lenient sentences versus death penalty; difference between judges, Freisler versus the rest of Germany; jurisdictional differences.

Similarly: A comparison of the legal strategies employed by the various defense counsel at the three White Rose trials plus the subsequent one surrounding the chemistry department and the trials for the group in Hamburg. Was any of it legitimate? Was there a noticeable difference between the defense that was paid for (e.g., defense counsel retained by the Schmorell family) and court-appointed counsel? As above, please also query legal strategies unrelated to White Rose trials.

Aachen. Overlap between Borchers family, Schmorells, and “Trumpf Chocolate Factory” in Aachen. Why is this connection so dark and unexplored?

Study of the literature (both secular and religious) that was read by the friends of the White Rose, other resistance movements, or by the general population. This is a vast topic, so no bidding wars are necessary. Did what they read make a difference in their individual approaches? See Stephanie Richards-Wilson's "PhD dissertation" for how not to write about this topic!

Same for the music they listened to (with same comment about diversity), as well as concerts and theater productions they attended. Please specify pop music, classical music, theater, movies, and other (e.g., variety clubs).

White Rose architectural topic. We would love to have an architecture + history major track the changes in Munich, Stuttgart, and Ulm from 1937 to 1945 (but especially to October 1943). Read blueprints to know exact layouts of major structures (university, Justizpalast, Stadelheim Prison, the Kaserne, the various White Rose residences in all cities with street and house plans) as they knew them. And what changed with the bombings: When neighboring houses were destroyed and to what extent. Anneliese Knoop-Graf and Hertha Schmorell noted that this aspect of White Rose history is the most distorted, because despite best intentions, survivors can only remember the physical buildings as they have seen them in recent years. This detail has been all but lost. Especially due to the movies that have been made...

In short, Blumberg. This place affected Sophie Scholl deeply. It’s where she was suicidal. All three books in our History bibliography are in German, and all are ... glossed over. To be kind. For White Rose query, please focus on Blumberg while Sophie Scholl lived there. But we do not wish to limit topic to her experience only. Blumberg provides a brilliant case study for failed NSDAP mining, forced labor, and rural resettlement policies.

The Vollmoeller (alt. Vollmöller) industries (especially Vollmoeller Mode in Berlin) during the Third Reich. Stuttgart-Vaihingen and Berlin locations, and others if you find them.

Euthanasia/eugenics, in particular researching various friends and family members that White Rose “survivors” have described as sacrificed to this program. What is true and what is not? And specifically addressing the work done at the facility in Zwiefalten. White Rose queries should focus on what they knew, but we also welcome studies specifically of Zwiefalten, and also of the effects of the T4 program on German society. (Wittenstein put a lot of disinformation out there about Zwiefalten, since he knew the family that ran it.)

Comparison of Hitler Youth organizations across Germany. For White Rose, please focus on comparisons between Munich, Stuttgart, Ulm, and Saarbrücken. Comparisons of other regions are also welcome.

Was there any correlation between Nazi pogroms and Jewish holidays (including Shabbat)? For White Rose, please focus especially on Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart, and Saarbrücken, and what the students of the White Rose saw firsthand. This topic should not be limited to White Rose, however, as “knowing” is a large part of Holocaust education.

Nail down an oft-repeated legend. It is said that during a Hitler speech in Ulm in 1933, someone cut the cables to his microphone, and he vowed not to come back to the city. But Susanne Hirzel noted that he did return much later; she does not recall a speech, just an appearance. This is too good to leave dangling. Will it float [TM David Letterman]?

The actual relationship between Harnack and Bonhoeffer resistance groups. They were cousins, but was there really an overlap in their resistance efforts? If so, what did it look like?

Policies regarding private ownership of automobiles from 1938 - 1945. Believe it or not, this is a Streitpunkt in more than one part of White Rose history. Beyond White Rose, it provides insights to NSDAP attitudes towards private ownership of assets like automobiles.

White Rose topic: Military analysis. Detlef Bald missed a perfect chance to render this topic moot. He chose to believe Wittenstein’s docs without asking questions about authenticity, and blew it. So: We would very much like to see a military analysis of who in the White Rose saw what when. For example, follow Hans Scholl’s movements through Belgium, Luxembourg, and France in 1940. Track Willi Graf over his extended assignment with the 252nd. And so on. Help those of us who are not military historians understand the real role that being part of the Wehrmacht had on the individuals in the White Rose (or other resistance efforts throughout Germany). If you are willing to tackle every single soldier of the White Rose and do the tedious-dusty archives work, this could be a phenomenal project. Read Bald’s book first (check it out at a library, or buy it used) to know what NOT to do.

White Rose topic: Military records. If you can find the complete military records of our White Rose soldier-students… Just the excerpts in Willi Graf’s clemency file provided eye-opening insights into his military service. NJ1704, Volume 14.

Military history, not White Rose. Again, this is part of the “knowing” study. What was communicated from the various fronts to friends and family back home? How did men in the same units respond to the atrocities and horrors they witnessed? Here, you may wish to take Fritz Hartnagel’s movements as baseline.

Lutheran and Catholic church holidays in Bavaria, Württemberg, and the Saarland during the Third Reich. What became of them? Were any discontinued? Dates changed? How did Hitler-mania affect the celebration of religious holy days?

White Rose topic only: Religion. We will look at proposals that deal with religion and the White Rose, but know in advance that these stand the least chance of acceptance. The topic has been done to death, and 99% of the time, the author has gotten it wrong. I would recommend that if you are Catholic, you do Lutheran aspects of White Rose in particular and German resistance in general, and if you are Lutheran, the Catholic aspects, and so on. Emotion seems to get in the way of unbiased scholarship when you mix religion and German resistance (especially White Rose). If you think YOU can get it right, then query away!

Religion, not White Rose. Most interested in primary source documents, not opinion pieces. How did a person’s religious beliefs affect their attitudes to the NSDAP and its policies? Why did some people continue to follow, while others saw events as counter to their faith? How did religion in 1933-1945 impact religion in postwar Germany? If not postwar Europe in general?

The role and function of the Studentenkompanie, especially in Munich.

Another military question, regarding ranks and duties: What were the requirements for promotion to sergeant, and then to the next level? What was the requirement for promotion to NS-Führungsoffizier in the Wehrmacht? In general, what sort of paperwork had to be filed? If you can find the paperwork that Scholl, Schmorell, Graf, Wittenstein et al filed for their respective promotions (and the paperwork that Hans Scholl filed for his two attempts to become a higher-ranking officer), all the better. For non-White Rose queries, a general understanding of qualifications required would be a good addition to Holocaust studies.

The RAD camp in Krauchenwies. We got pictures only and interviewed two people onsite. It deserves at least an essay! As White Rose topic, Krauchenwies while Sophie Scholl was there. As non-White Rose topic, Krauchenwies RAD camp in general. Please feel free to expand this topic to a comparative study of RAD camps.

White Rose topic: Skiing. Not everything can be dreadfully serious. We would love to see research into all the various places they went skiing. Similarly, a paper about the products they call by name in diaries and letters would be fascinating and un-boring. What did these serious students do for fun? Anyone that can track down the Drei Burschen Hütte in Lenggries, you’re in! (We do know that is not the NAME of the ski hut. But which hut was it? And the Alpenverein does not know.)

Fun as non-White Rose topic. What did young people do for fun between 1933-1945? What activities did youth in resistance avoid?

Psychology of the White Rose. Profiles of each individual student, what made them tick, what their strengths and weaknesses were. Note that Scholls must wait until censorship is lifted, so don’t even query for them.

White Rose topic: Political like-mindedness. Lilo Fürst-Ramdohr believes that their political like-mindedness was not actually the decisive factor in the friendships that came to be called the White Rose. She argues that all except Scholls came from extremely dysfunctional families where they could not communicate with parents whom they could not trust (and I contend that Hans and Sophie Scholl also did — Inge just masked it with well-woven legend postwar). This may be a project that will have to be tackled one family at a time, although the overarching concept could also be addressed with all families considered. But we believe that ultimately, this study will be the key that unlocks the most White Rose secrets and finally allows us to understand the nature of informed dissent, civil disobedience, and what draws most people to act in unison with a select group of friends.

Non-fiction unrelated to Holocaust studies. But horribly relevant.

How the immigration process changed post-Ellis Island. What did it look like before and after?

Citizenship requirements in the US, from the beginning to now. How has this legal concept evolved?

Biographies of female PhDs in STEM subjects prior to 1960. This was triggered by finding grandfather's high school yearbooks from the early 1920s and learning that a girl from his high school earned her PhD in mathematics in Chicago.

Identify the regions — cities, towns, counties — that voted for Eugene Debs. And then track their voting patterns today. Another topic suggested by that grandfather’s high school yearbooks. Apparently his very small home town went for Debs, and now is on the NAACP watch list for its racist and discriminatory actions.

The role of music and art in informed dissent. This topic grew out of the observation that almost all White Rose students were musicians or artists. And that in turn evolved into a discussion regarding possibility that musicians and artists tend to lean into social reform.

Primary source documents related to Phi Beta Kappa requirements for foreign languages and mathematics. I happen to agree that both are important, but why is this part of Phi Beta Kappa requirements?

Use of humor related to informed dissent and political considerations. We would be more interested in historical uses, not current, with current political humor used solely or primarily as comparison. Using historical political humor can make discussions easier and less… loud.

Queries

General note: Because we are handing off Exclamation! Publishers, we can only publish short-short essays that could be included in Passing the Torch: Essays. If you have a book-length project, do submit it. Just know that we will save the projects we believe are good, for hand-over to purchase of our indie imprint.

We accept queries for short-short essays of approximately 450 words, short essays 1800-3600 words, white papers 4500-13,500 words, and short or long book treatments 13,500-150,000 words.

We also accept queries for our irregularly published Leaflets of Our Resistance. General description of LOOR is here. LOOR Volume I and Volume II can be found on our online store here.

I personally enjoy publishing grad students’ works in progress. If you have a senior honors paper, Master’s Thesis, or PhD dissertation that you’re slaving over, please contact me. If I think it’s something readers of this Substack may benefit from, I may even “guest publish” it here, with your permission, of course. It’s a great way to put thoughts-in-process out there for comment and input.

Please “save” this post if you’re tasked with advising graduate students in Holocaust education departments. If they say “Scholl,” please say NO and point them here. Gentle reminder that everyone now writing about “Scholl” while those archives are still blocked? Will likely be embarrassed once they’re open.

If you know of deep research already done in one of these subjects, please let me know! Also if you query, we will expect work based largely on primary documents, but analyzing extant secondary publications as well. You know, real scholarship.

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Post © 2025 Denise Elaine Heap. Original Call for Papers posted 2012. Please contact us for permission to quote. Image credit: Farmer plowing at plowing competition 2004 in Fahrenwalde, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, © 2004 Ralf Roletschek, Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.

To know what is already known (so you don't reinvent any wheels), please read our White Rose histories--fully footnoted with these questions referenced in appropriate text. To order digital version of White Rose History, Volume I: Coming Together (January 1933-April 30, 1942), click here. To order digital version of White Rose History, Volume II, click here. WRH1 is © 2002, 2003, 2007 by Denise Elaine Heap. WRH2 is © 2002, 2007 by Denise Elaine Heap.

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