'''Alexander Schmorell ''' was a medical student in Munich during World War II, and one of the founding members of the anti-Nazi group, the White Rose. Along with the other members of the White Rose, he tried to rally popular support amongst Germans to try to resist Hitler and the Nazi regime. He was arrested in February 1943, and was executed on [[July 13]], 1943 at Stadelheim Prison in Munich.

==Early years==Alexander Schmorell was born in Orenburg, Russia, on [[September 16]], 1917 ([[September 3]] on the founding members [[Julian Calendar]]), and was [[baptism|baptised]] in the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]. His father, Hugo Schmorell, a doctor, was German, although he had been born in Russia, and had lived there most of his life, except for a time when he studied medicine in Germany. His mother, Nataliya Vvedenskaya, was Russian, and was the anti-Nazi group daughter of a Russian Orthodox [[priest]]. When Alexander was two years old, his mother died of typhus. His father remarried in 1920. The White Rosewoman whom he married, Elisabeth Hoffman, was also German, but, like Hugo Schmorell, she had also grown up in Russia. Along with the other

members Hugo Schmorell and his family left Russia in 1921 in order to flee the Bolsheviks. With them came Feodosiya Lapschina, Alexander's nanny, under the pretense that she was the widow of Hugo Schmorell's brother. (For this reason, she was buried with the White Rosename Franziska Schmorell.) The family settled in Munich, and soon afterward two children, Erich and Natascha, he tried to rally popular support amongst Germans to try were borne of this union.

to resist Hitler and Although the family was now in Germany, the language of the house remained Russian. In fact, even with the Nazi regimemany years she stayed in Germany, Feodosiya Lapschina never learned very much German. He Elisabeth Schmorell was arrested [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], as were Alexander's siblings, but in February 1943large part due to Feodosiya Lapschina's influence, Alexander remained Orthodox, and was his stepmother made it possible for him to attend Orthodox religion classes in Munich.

executed on 13 July 1943 at Stadelheim Prison in MunichIn the Nazi mindset, the Slavs belonged to the great horde of ''untermenschen'', that is, people who supposedly were barely human. This was a mindset that Alexander could never accept. At one point, he had been part of the Scharnhorst Youth, but once they became part of the Hitler Youth (''Hitler Jugend''), he eventually stopped attending.

==Life==Alexander Schmorell was born in Orenburg, Russia, on 16 September 1917 (3  September old-style) and was baptised into the Russian Orthodox Church. His father,  Hugo Schmorell, a doctor, was German, although he had been born in Russia, and had  lived there most of his life, except for a time when he studied medicine in Germany.  His mother, Nataliya Vvedenskaya, was Russian, and was the daughter of a Russian  Orthodox priest. When Alexander was two years old, his mother died of typhus. His  father remarried in 1920. The woman whom he married, Elisabeth Hoffman, was also  German, but, like Hugo Schmorell, she had also grown up in Russia.  Hugo Schmorell and his family left Russia in 1921 in order to flee the Bolsheviks. With  them came Feodosiya Lapschina, Alexander's nanny, under the pretense that she was  the widow of Hugo Schmorell's brother. (For this reason, she was buried with the  name Franziska Schmorell.) The family settled in Munich, and soon afterward two  children, Erich and Natascha, were borne of this union.  Although the family was now in Germany, the language of the house remained  Russian. In fact, even with the many years she stayed in Germany, Feodosiya  Lapschina never learned very much German. Elisabeth Schmorell was Roman  Catholic, as were Alexander's siblings, but in large part due to Feodosiya Lapschina's  influence, Alexander remained Orthodox, and his stepmother made it possible for him  to attend Orthodox religion classes in Munich.    In the Nazi mindset, the Slavs belonged to the great horde of "untermenschen", that is,  people who supposedly were barely human. This was a mindset that Alexander could  never accept. At one point, he had been part of the Scharnhorst Youth, but once they  became part of the Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend), he eventually stopped attending.  When he was to be sworn in to military service, he nearly had a breakdown, and told  his commanding officer that he could not do it; he could not swear absolute loyalty to  Adolf Hitler. He asked to be released from military duty. He was not released, yet,  amazingly, there were also no repercussions for his refusal to take the oath. Before  getting involved with the White Rose, he served in Czechoslovakia and in France.  He began his university study in Hamburg in 1939, but by the fall of 1940 he was  studying closer to home at Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität in Munich. It is around this  time that he met Hans Scholl, who with whom Alexander would, with him become the founders of found the White  Rose.

By 1942, Nazi control of Germany was nearly total. World War II was raging around  Germany on all sides. German forces had taken over most of Europe, and German  troops were far into Russia and as far as the north of Africa. By this time Hitler's plans  for the "cleansing" of Europe were well underway, and Nazi death camps were up and  running. It was no secret that any perceived enemy of Hitler's was also liable to be  arrested and sent to one of these prisons. Not only that, but the practice of " Sippenhaft" was also widespread, that is, the family and friends of anyone suspected  of opposing Hitler would also be arrested.  The events surrounding White Rose was were one of the few instances contexts in the German history of Germany during the  Third Reich where people took the chance to speak out against what Hitler was doing.  In the summer of 1942, Hans Scholl and Alexander Schmorell, got ahold of obtained a  duplicating machine, and composed four leaflets under the name "''The White Rose"  '' which called on Germany's people to rise up and resist Hitler. The distribution of these   four leaflets was fairly limited and was centered around Munich. This was not the first  time that leaflets had been distributed in Germany, —for example, some of the homilies  of Bishop Clements von Galen which had denounced Hitler's euthanasia program had  been written down, typed out, and sent around Germany anonymously. However, the  leaflets of the White Rose went further, calling for Germans to realise what was  happening, and to resist by any means possible. Contained in the second leaflet, in a  passage written by Alexander Schmorell, is the only known public outcry by any  German resistance group against the Holocaust.  During the summer of 1942, Hans Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, and Willi Graf were  sent to Russia as medics. For Alexander, it was a homecoming of sorts - this was the  first time in his life that he could remember experiencing Russia for himself. He told  others that there was no way that he could shoot at a Russian, though he said he  couldn't kill Germans either. In Russia, he provided a link for his friends to the Russian  people. He sought contact with regular people, doctors, and Orthodox priests; he,  Hans, and Willi attended Orthodox liturgies (wearing Nazi uniforms, no less!) When they returned to Munich in October of 1942, the activities of the White Rose  were redoubled. This time, more people were directly involved, including Sophie  Scholl (Hans' sister), Professor Kurt Huber, and Traute Lafrenz. Through Alexander's  friend, Lilo Ramdohr, contact was established with Falk Harnack, younger brother of

Arvid HarnackDuring the summer of 1942, who had been arrested Hans Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, and Willi Graf were sent to Russia as medics. For Alexander, it was a homecoming of sorts—this was the first time in connection his life that he could remember experiencing Russia for himself. He told others that there was no way that he could shoot at a Russian, though he said he couldn't kill Germans either. In Russia, he provided a link for his friends to the Russian people. He sought contact with the Red Orchestra regular people, doctors, and Orthodox priests; he, Hans, and Willi attended Orthodox [[Divine Liturgy|liturgies]] together (and who wearing Nazi uniforms, no less!).

When they returned to Munich in October of 1942, the activities of the White Rose were redoubled. This time, more people were directly involved, including Sophie Scholl (Hans' sister), Professor Kurt Huber, and Traute Lafrenz. Through Alexander's friend, Lilo Ramdohr, contact was established with Falk Harnack, younger brother of Arvid Harnack, who had been arrested in connection with the Red Orchestra (and was also connected associated with the Bonhoeffers).

In January of 1943, the publication of the fifth leaflet was ready. This time, the members of the White Rose risked their lives to distribute the thousands of leaflets all over greater Germany. Alexander's journey brought him to Linz, Vienna, and Salzburg.

members of the White Rose risked their lives to distribute the thousands of leaflets all  over greater Germany. Alexander's journey brought him to Linz, Vienna, and Salzburg.  ==The End end of the White Rose== After the fall of Stalingrad, a sixth leaflet was produced. On [[February 18 February ]], 1943, Hans  and Sophie Scholl were caught distributing this leaflet at the University in Munich. They  were arrested, and the a search was on commenced for Alexander Schmorell. With the help of Lilo  Ramdohr and Nikolai Hamazaspian, he tried escaping to Switzerland with a forged  passport, but the way was too difficult, and he turned back to Munich. On [[February 24 February  ]], 1943, he was arrested when a friend of his recognised him in a an air-raid shelter. He  was sentenced to death on [[April 19 April ]], 1943, and was executed by guillotine on [[July 13 July  ]], 1943.

Although the White Rose was not an religious group, per se, it is undeniable that the  faith in God that these young people had was one of the primary reasons that they  acted with the bravery they did. Alexander Schmorell was the only one of the group  who was Orthodox, but the faith they all showed to do what they did is exemplary.  Although Alexander's connection to Orthodoxy has, in various books, been played off  as merely a way for him to stay more connected with his Russian heritage, or a  fascination with ritual rather than with real faith. However, he attended Orthodox  services regularly, and as his friend Lilo Ramdohr said he was somebody who always  had a Bible with him, and demonstrated a lifelong love of Orthodoxy. In his letters to  his family from prison, he writes about the deepening of his faith; that although he is  condemned to die, he is at peace, knowing he served the truth. In his last letter,  written just before his execution, he wrote his family, "Never forget God!!" == Epilogue== Alexander Schmorell was buried behind Stadelheim Prison, in the cemetary cemetery at  Perlacher Forst. After World War II, the American forces came in and built a base  behind Perlacher Forst. When the Americans they left in the mid-1990's1990s, they had to sell  off the buildings and property. One of the buildings left behind was a church.  Coincidentally, at this time, the [[ROCOR]] in Munich was searching for a church  building. They were able to purchase the American church, and in this way, Alexander  Schmorell's home parish is now across the street from where his earthly remains are  buried. He is pictured on the iconostasis there, and will become a saint along with the  New Martyrs of Russia.  == External Links ==*[http://www.katjasdacha.com/whiterose/schmorell.html] Alexander Schmorell*[http://www.katjasdacha.com/whiterose/alexbriefe_e.html] Alexander Schmorell -  Letters from Prison*[http://www.katjasdacha.com/whiterose/]The White Rose*[http://www.jlrweb.com/whiterose/]The White Rose  == Further Reading ==*Fürst-Ramdohr, Lilo, "Freundschaften in der 'Weißen Rose'", Verlag  Geschichtswerkstatt Neuhausen 1995ISBN: 3931231003 *Bald, Detlaf, "Die Weiße Rose: Von der Front in den Widerstand", Aufbau-Verlag  2003ISBN: 3351025467 *Breinersdorfer, Fred, "Sophie Scholl - Die Letzten Tage", Fischer Tb. Vlg. 2005ISBN: 3596166098 *Dumbach, Annette, and Jud Newborn, "Shattering the German Night", Little, Brown, &  Co. 1986ISBN: 0316604135 *Hanser, Richard, "A Noble Treason: The Revolt of the Munich Students Against Hitler"  Putnam Pub Group 1979ASIN: 0399120416

*Kulturinitiative eBy providence, at this time, the [[ROCOR]] in Munich was searching for a church building.V They were able to purchase the American church, and in this way, Alexander Schmorell's home parish is now across the street from where his earthly remains are buried. Freiburg (Hrg) He is pictured on the iconostasis there, "Die Weiße Rose: Gesichter einer Freundschaft"2004and is expected to be [[glorification|glorified]] as a [[saint]] along with the New Martyrs of Russia.

==Further reading==*Bald, Detlaf. ''Die Weiße Rose: Von der Front in den Widerstand''. Aufbau-Verlag, 2003 (ISBN 3351025467)*Breinersdorfer, Fred. ''Sophie Scholl - Die Letzten Tage'', Fischer Tb. Vlg., 2005. (ISBN 3596166098)*Dumbach, Annette, and Jud Newborn. ''Shattering the German Night'', Little, Brown, & Co., 1986. (ISBN 0316604135)*Fürst-Ramdohr, Lilo. ''Freundschaften in der 'Weißen Rose''', Verlag Geschichtswerkstatt Neuhausen, 1995. (ISBN 3931231003)*Hanser, Richard. ''A Noble Treason: The Revolt of the Munich Students Against Hitler''. Putnam Pub Group, 1979 (ASIN 0399120416)*Kulturinitiative E.V. Freiburg (Hrg). ''Die Weiße Rose: Gesichter einer Freundschaft'', 2004*Храмов, Игор, . ''Ру