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For Sophie, a White Rose Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Fire and Thunder: I hate to archive this one. It is one of my favorites. Someone has really gone in and made this area unsuitable for a cache and I no longer a cache container that will work in this area.

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Hidden : 3/16/2009
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This is a simple park and grab. You will be looking for a 6" long by 1.5 diameter cache container.

There is no information in the long description for finding this cache. This cache started out as a protest against something I felt was not in the best interest of Geocaching. It has served that purpose. I however, have no desire to get rid of the cache. So instead, I will explain the name of the original cache in the long description

This story shows how truly great our Bill of Rights really is. In our country we are free to protest anything we like. We can demonstrate against a war or taxes or even the leaders of our government, without fear of anything more threatening than simple ridicule by those who disagree. It also shows how a simple protest in another time and another place can be heroic.

It was while I was trying to come up with a name for this cache, that I researched the internet, looking for French or British resistance fighters or groups to give the cache more meaning. Instead, I came across the "White Rose", a German non-violent resistance movement.

The White Rose was made up by some University of Munich students and their philosophy professor. Notably, Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans Scholl, Christoph Probst and Professor Kurt Huber. They were joined by others from both Munich and Stuttgart. They conducted a leaflet campaign from June of 1942 to February 1943, that called for the active opposition to the policies of the Third Reich and its leader, Adolf Hitler.

On February 18, 1943, the Scholls brought a suitcase full of leaflets to the university. They dropped copies of the leaflets in the empty hallways during class. With some copies remaining, they then went to the top floor and flung the remaining leaflets in the open air of the atrium. This action did not go unnoticed. The custodian, having seen them throwing the leaflets, detained them and turned them over to the custody of the police and the Gestapo. Other arrest soon followed.

On February 22, 1943, the President of the "People's Court" , Roland Freisler, arrived from Berlin to personally preside over the trial of Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl and Christoph Probst. Freisler had been at the Wannsee Conference and had help to organize the "The Final Solution". The trial lost all semblance of proper legal proceedings. Freisler conducted the trial as if he were in fact the prosecutor, jury, judge and hangman. He humiliated and ridiculed the defendants. The court-appointed defense attorney said simply " Let justice be done."

They were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. There was to be no appeal and they were executed later that afternoon by use of the guillotine.

For more information see: (visit link)

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