Alexander Schmorell by Elena Perekrestov

Author:Elena Perekrestov [Perekrestov, Elena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-88465-456-8
Publisher: Holy Trinity Publications
Published: 2017-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Before the People’s Court

Alexander’s plight caused consternation for his entire family. Remembering the swiftness and ruthlessness of the summary justice dealt to Hans, Sophie, and Christoph, the family attempted to intervene with the authorities on his behalf. On March 17, even before Alexander’s formal commitment to prison, his uncle Rudolf Hoffmann (brother of Alexander’s stepmother, Elisabeth) directed a petition for clemency to Heinrich Himmler. Hoffmann and his two brothers, who cosigned the petition, were members of the Nazi Party in good standing and hoped that their influence might save their nephew from sharing the fate of the Scholls.

Alexander’s parents were themselves in prison at this time. They were released on March 20, and on March 22, they likewise addressed a clemency petition to Himmler.

On the very day that Alexander was committed to prison (March 25), the Schmorells applied for permission to visit Alexander and bring him some groceries. Permission was denied. However, one meeting between Alexander and his parents did take place during the term of his imprisonment.200

Himmler replied to Hoffman in a letter dated April 11.201 He rejected Hoffman’s plea for clemency, and offered instead to give him access to Alexander’s investigative files that he might see for himself that his nephew’s “reprehensible crime, which is surely to be attributed largely to his part-Russian blood, has merited a just punishment.” “Furthermore,” continued Himmler, “at a time when thousands of worthy Germans are risking their lives for the sake of the Fatherland, it would be unjustifiable to commute the execution of the death penalty.” The letter concluded with chilling words: “Occasionally an unworthy individual might be found within a family. However, it is then necessary that this person be eliminated from the national and family community!”202

Thus, the death sentence had already been determined prior to the trial, which took place on April 19.

Falk Harnack, who was to stand trial with Alexander, remembered the days before the trial thus:

Because the case was being brought before the People’s Court, where no penal code had any legal force, but rather only arbitrariness ruled, each one of us prepared ourselves for the death penalty. Slowly one overcame the fear of death. Only one emotion plagued all of us: the thought of not having done enough against the villainous system. One had the feeling that one was giving up one’s life too cheaply.203

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.