White Rose Foundation

The Weiße Rose Stiftung e.V. (White Rose Foundation) is a registered non-profit association based in Munich, Germany. Its statutory purpose is to keep alive the memory of the White Rose, the student resistance group that opposed the National Socialist dictatorship, and to promote civic courage, individual responsibility, and democratic consciousness in the present day. The foundation operates the DenkStätte Weiße Rose, a permanent exhibition located at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, and organizes travelling exhibitions, events, and historical-educational projects about the White Rose and its resistance. The foundation was established on 30 June 1987 by Inge Aicher-Scholl, Heinz Bollinger, Heiner Guter, Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, Annelise Knoop-Graf, Franz J. Müller, and Marie-Luise Schultze-Jahn. Its creation was closely linked to the 1987 founding of the White Rose Foundation in Washington, D.C., which had been initiated by the Jewish religious philosopher Michael Wyschogrod following protests against the 1985 Bitburg cemetery visit by US President Ronald Reagan and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Franz J. Müller served as chairman of the German foundation until 2004. The foundation's office is located at LMU Munich. The Weiße Rose Stiftung is supported by a network of German cities—Munich, Hamburg, Ulm, Saarbrücken, Berlin, Freiburg, Stuttgart, and later Gräfelfing—known as the "Städtegemeinschaft im Zeichen der Weißen Rose" (City Association in the Sign of the White Rose), which provides both ideal and financial support. The foundation's travelling exhibition, "Die Weiße Rose. Der Widerstand von Studenten gegen Hitler," is shown throughout Germany and internationally, with versions available in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Czech, Latvian, and Lithuanian. A central annual event is the Weiße-Rose-Gedächtnisvorlesung (White Rose Memorial Lecture), which commemorates the legacy of the White Rose and all resistance fighters against National Socialism. Past speakers have included Udo Hahn (2021), Katja Wildermuth (2022), and German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2023). The foundation also takes a clear stance against the misuse of White Rose references to undermine democratic institutions, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.

The Weiße Rose Stiftung e.V. was founded on 30 June 1987 in Germany as a registered non-profit association. Its establishment was directly connected to the founding of the White Rose Foundation in Washington, D.C., in the same year. The American foundation had been initiated by Michael Wyschogrod, a Jewish religious philosopher, in response to the 1985 Bitburg controversy, when US President Ronald Reagan and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited a military cemetery where 43 members of the SS were buried. Wyschogrod organized a demonstrative visit by an American delegation of the Jewish Congress to the graves of the White Rose members in Munich, supported by American civil rights activists and the city of Munich. This led to the creation of the White Rose Foundation in Washington to commemorate German resistance against National Socialism in the United States. On the German side, the Weiße Rose Stiftung e.V. was founded as its counterpart by Inge Aicher-Scholl, Heinz Bollinger, Heiner Guter, Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, Annelise Knoop-Graf, Franz J. Müller, and Marie-Luise Schultze-Jahn. Franz J. Müller served as chairman until 2004. The foundation's office is located at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich. The cities of Munich, Hamburg, Ulm, Saarbrücken, Berlin, Freiburg, Stuttgart, and later Gräfelfing support the foundation's work as the "Städtegemeinschaft im Zeichen der Weißen Rose" (City Association in the Sign of the White Rose), providing both ideal and financial support. The foundation operates the DenkStätte Weiße Rose, a permanent exhibition at the Lichthof of LMU Munich, which presents the history of the White Rose and its resistance during the Nazi terror and criminal war, complemented by a section on how the White Rose has been remembered since 1943. Due to limited space, visiting groups are asked to give notice ahead of time. The foundation also organizes travelling exhibitions, including "Die Weiße Rose. Der Widerstand von Studenten gegen Hitler," which is shown throughout Germany and internationally and is available in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Czech, Latvian, and Lithuanian. In addition, the foundation conducts historical-educational projects and events. A central annual event is the Weiße-Rose-Gedächtnisvorlesung (White Rose Memorial Lecture), which commemorates the legacy of the White Rose and all resistance fighters against National Socialism. Speakers have included Udo Hahn (2021), Katja Wildermuth (2022), and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2023). The foundation also takes a public stance against the misuse of references to the White Rose resistance group to undermine democratic institutions, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.

• 2023

  German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivers the White Rose Memorial Lecture.

• 2022

  Katja Wildermuth, director-general of Bayerischer Rundfunk, delivers the White Rose Memorial Lecture.

• 2021

  Udo Hahn, director of the Evangelical Academy Tutzing, delivers the White Rose Memorial Lecture.

• 2004

  Franz J. Müller ends his chairmanship of the Weiße Rose Stiftung e.V.

• 1987

  White Rose Foundation founded in Washington, D.C.; Weiße Rose Stiftung e.V. founded in Germany on 30 June by Inge Aicher-Scholl, Heinz Bollinger, Heiner Guter, Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, Annelise Knoop-Graf, Franz J. Müller, and Marie-Luise Schultze-Jahn.

• 1985

  Protests against the Bitburg cemetery visit by US President Ronald Reagan and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl; Michael Wyschogrod initiates a delegation visit to the graves of White Rose members in Munich.

Non-profit memorial and educational foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy of the White Rose resistance and promoting democratic values.

• DenkStätte Weiße Rose permanent exhibition

  Permanent exhibition at the Lichthof of LMU Munich about the history of the White Rose and its resistance, with a section on remembrance since 1943.

• Travelling exhibition 'Die Weiße Rose. Der Widerstand von Studenten gegen Hitler'

  Travelling exhibition shown throughout Germany and internationally, available in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Czech, Latvian, and Lithuanian.

• Weiße-Rose-Gedächtnisvorlesung (White Rose Memorial Lecture)

  Annual lecture commemorating the legacy of the White Rose and all resistance fighters against National Socialism.

1. 1Weiße Rose Stiftung e.V. – official websiteweisse-rose-stiftung.de
2. 2Weiße Rose Stiftung – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Weisse Rose Stiftung – Wikidatawikidata.org