Tell Them I Was Brave - The Final Letter of Sophie Scholl

Rendition of Sophie Scholl’s last words

On the night before her execution, 21-year-old Sophie Scholl sat alone in a Munich prison cell. She had just been sentenced to death for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets at her university. Instead of despair, she wrote a letter. Not to plead. Not to beg. But to say goodbye — with clarity, courage, and grace.

This is the story of that letter. And why its words still burn brightly today.

The White Rose: A Student Resistance

Sophie and her brother Hans were members of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group led by university students in Munich. They printed and distributed anonymous leaflets condemning Hitler’s regime and calling for moral awakening.

They were caught in February 1943. Just four days later, they were sentenced to death and executed by guillotine.

Here is the full text:-

Reconstructed Text: Sophie Scholl’s Final Message to Her Parents

(Based on witness recollections)

February 22, 1943

Dear Mama and Papa,

Now I must say goodbye to you.

Thank you for everything. Tell Marie-Luise, little Elisabeth, and all the others that I think of them. And you, dear Papa, thank you for your warm-hearted help.

Above all, I wanted to tell you that even though things have turned out this way for me, I do not regret what I have done. I am certain that everything has meaning.

It is such a beautiful, sunny day, and I must go.

But what does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?

Farewell, and may God bless you.

With all my love,

Sophie

—————

She was executed just hours later, along with her brother and fellow activist Christoph Probst.

Why This Letter Still Matters

Sophie’s farewell isn’t famous just because of who she was — it’s powerful because of what she stood for. Her words, passed down through others, have become a moral document in

Germany’s postwar history. They remind us that the strongest acts of defiance can come from quiet, handwritten lines.

Final Thought

In an age where so much communication is fleeting, Sophie’s final words remain timeless. Her message — that truth and courage matter, even in the face of death — is what Lettre was built to honor.

Even when the letter is gone, the voice can still echo.