Sophie Scholl was executed by guillotine at Stadelheim Prison in Munich, just hours after being sentenced to death for treason.
On February 22, 1943, only four days after her arrest, Sophie Scholl, along with her brother Hans Scholl and fellow White Rose member Christoph Probst, were tried before the Nazi People's Court (Volksgerichtshof), presided over by the notorious judge Roland Freisler. The trial was a sham, lasting only a few hours, with no genuine legal defense permitted. All three were convicted of treason and sentenced to death.
That same afternoon, Sophie was taken to Stadelheim Prison in Munich, where she was executed by guillotine, becoming the first of the three to be killed, followed moments later by her brother Hans and Christoph Probst. She was only 21 years old. Witnesses, including the prison chaplain and executioner, later recounted her extraordinary composure and courage in her final hours; she reportedly told her cellmate, "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually for a righteous cause?"
Her execution transformed her from an unknown student into an enduring international symbol of moral courage and resistance against tyranny. In post-war Germany, Sophie Scholl became one of the most revered figures of anti-Nazi resistance, commemorated through numerous streets, schools, a memorial at the University of Munich, and the 2005 Oscar-nominated film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. Her defiance in the face of certain death continues to inspire discussions on civil courage, ethics, and resistance to authoritarianism worldwide.