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In Munich 1942-43, handbills appeared—some in mailboxes— some left secretly on parked cars—others still, surfaced in city phone booths. The words condemned Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime and called Germans to passive resistance. The message, penned and distributed by a handful of student-soldiers and other youthful associates who had come of age during the twelve-year catastrophe of the Third Reich, hoped to stir the conscience of a nation. The regime had tempted them with promises of power and prosperity. In time, the youths made their way through a labyrinth of propaganda, confusion, and personal conflict, arriving at the threshold of their own inner convictions—a passage bringing them to a destination called the White Rose.

Among the recipients of the Leaflets of the White Rose were teachers the group hoped would spread the call to resistance. A university professor accepted their challenge. Sixty years later, an American teacher felt compelled to learn and follow the story, not knowing when she began, that it would lead her to the spirit of the White Rose that lives yet today. Along with three fellow educators, Ruth traveled to Germany to dialogue with schools now named for members of the White Rose. On a quiet country lane or a busy city street, teachers toil daily, urging students to think critically, stay informed, and develop skills that will nurture and renew the freedoms the White Rose could only imagine. Journey to the White Rose in Germany is an invitation to encounter a past that inspires the present and the future.

About The Author:

Ruth Bernadette Melon recently celebrated more than three decades as a New Jersey middle school educator. During her tenure, she taught Humanities, World Cultures, and writing. Now enjoying the “writing life,” she considers herself a life-long learner. Having received a BA in English from Rutgers University and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College in Maryland, she is currently a candidate for a D.Litt degree with a concentration in writing. Ruth was named a 2003 Morris County Teacher Fellow by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Ruth lives with her husband Ira in New Jersey and enjoys the frequent company of her children and the larger family circle.