Christoph Probst
Encyclopedia
Christoph Hermann Probst (born 6 November 1919, Murnau am Staffelsee
– 22 February 1943, Munich
) was a German student of medicine
and a member of the White Rose
(Weiße Rose) resistance group.
White Rose was the name of a resistance group in Munich in the time of the Third Reich. The group, founded in June 1942, consisted of students from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, and distributed leaflets against the Nazis' war policy. Christoph Probst belonged, along with the Scholl siblings
, Willi Graf
and Alexander Schmorell
to the tightest circle, into which university professor Kurt Huber
also came.
The members of White Rose put together, printed and distributed, at the risk of their lives, six leaflets in all. On 18 February 1943, the Scholls were distributing the sixth leaflet at the university when they were discovered by the caretaker
, who delivered them to the Gestapo
.
On 22 February 1943, Christoph Probst and the Scholls were tried and sentenced together at the Volksgerichtshof by judge Roland Freisler
, who was known for often determining sentences even before the trial, and all three were sentenced to death by guillotine
. Their sentences were carried out on the very same day at Stadelheim Prison
in Munich.
Their grave may be found in the graveyard
bordering the execution place, "Am Perlacher Forst".
researcher, fostered contacts with artist
s who were deemed by the Nazis to be "decadent". After his first marriage with Karin Katharina Kleeblatt, Christoph's mother, broke up in 1919, he married Elise Jaffée, who was Jewish. Christoph's sister, Angelika, remembers that her brother was strongly critical of Nazi ideas that violated human dignity.
Probst went to boarding school
at Marquartstein
and Schondorf
, which was also not conducive to fostering Nazi German ideas, and at 17, he completed his Abitur
. After military service
, he began his medical studies with great earnestness. Aged 21, he married Herta Dohrn, by whom he had three children: Michael, Vincent and Katja.
Christoph Probst came rather late into the White Rose as he did not belong to the same student corps as Hans Scholl
, Alexander Schmorell
and Willi Graf
, and stayed for the most part in the background, as he had to think of his family. He did not write any of the White Rose's leaflets, only the design for the seventh one which Hans Scholl
was carrying with him when he and his sister Sophie
went to the university on 18 February 1943 to distribute leftover copies of the sixth leaflet.
When the Scholl siblings were arrested at the university, the Gestapo thereby had proof against Christoph Probst, who because of it was executed on 22 February 1943, along with Hans and Sophie Scholl, even though he had asked for clemency during interrogation and the trial for the sake of his wife and three children, aged three years, two years and four weeks (Herta Probst was sick with childbed fever).
Murnau am Staffelsee
Murnau am Staffelsee is a market town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany.Murnau is situated on the edge of the Bavarian alps, approx. 70 km south of Munich. Directly to its west is the Staffelsee lake.-History:Murnau was first documented in...
– 22 February 1943, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
) was a German student of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and a member of the White Rose
White Rose
The White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor...
(Weiße Rose) resistance group.
White Rose
Geschwister Scholl
Die Geschwister Scholl refers to brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl, who were members of the White Rose, a student group in Munich that was active in the non-violent resistance movement in Nazi Germany, especially in distributing flyers against the war and the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler...
, Willi Graf
Willi Graf
Willi Graf was a member of the White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany....
and Alexander Schmorell
Alexander Schmorell
Alexander Schmorell was one of five Munich University students who formed a resistance group known as White Rose which was active against Germany's Nazi regime from June 1942 to February 1943.-Early life:Schmorell's father, a medical doctor, was a German born and raised in Russia...
to the tightest circle, into which university professor Kurt Huber
Kurt Huber
Kurt Huber was a member of the White Rose group, which carried out resistance against Nazi Germany.-Early life:...
also came.
The members of White Rose put together, printed and distributed, at the risk of their lives, six leaflets in all. On 18 February 1943, the Scholls were distributing the sixth leaflet at the university when they were discovered by the caretaker
Property caretaker
A Property caretaker is a person, group or organization that cares for real estate for trade or financial compensation, and sometimes as a barter for rent-free living accommodations...
, who delivered them to the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
.
On 22 February 1943, Christoph Probst and the Scholls were tried and sentenced together at the Volksgerichtshof by judge Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court , which was set up outside constitutional authority...
, who was known for often determining sentences even before the trial, and all three were sentenced to death by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
. Their sentences were carried out on the very same day at Stadelheim Prison
Stadelheim Prison
Stadelheim Prison, in Munich's Giesing district, is one of the largest prisons in Germany.Founded in 1894 it was the site of many executions, particularly by guillotine during the Nazi period.-Notable inmates:...
in Munich.
Their grave may be found in the graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
bordering the execution place, "Am Perlacher Forst".
Background
Through his father, Hermann Probst, Christoph came to know cultural and religious freedom, and to treasure them. Hermann Probst was a private scholar and SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
researcher, fostered contacts with artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s who were deemed by the Nazis to be "decadent". After his first marriage with Karin Katharina Kleeblatt, Christoph's mother, broke up in 1919, he married Elise Jaffée, who was Jewish. Christoph's sister, Angelika, remembers that her brother was strongly critical of Nazi ideas that violated human dignity.
Probst went to boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at Marquartstein
Staatliches Landschulheim Marquartstein
Staatliches Landschulheim Marquartstein is a Gymnasium with a science and technology and a language branche. One quarter of the 850 pupils live in the boarding school while the rest is coming from the surrounding area around Marquartstein in the Chiemgau....
and Schondorf
Schondorf
Schondorf am Ammersee is a municipality in the district Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria, Germany and is a member of the municipal association Schondorf am Ammersee The municipal association based in Schondorf.- Geographical Location :...
, which was also not conducive to fostering Nazi German ideas, and at 17, he completed his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
. After military service
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, he began his medical studies with great earnestness. Aged 21, he married Herta Dohrn, by whom he had three children: Michael, Vincent and Katja.
Christoph Probst came rather late into the White Rose as he did not belong to the same student corps as Hans Scholl
Hans Scholl
Hans Fritz Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany.-Biography:...
, Alexander Schmorell
Alexander Schmorell
Alexander Schmorell was one of five Munich University students who formed a resistance group known as White Rose which was active against Germany's Nazi regime from June 1942 to February 1943.-Early life:Schmorell's father, a medical doctor, was a German born and raised in Russia...
and Willi Graf
Willi Graf
Willi Graf was a member of the White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany....
, and stayed for the most part in the background, as he had to think of his family. He did not write any of the White Rose's leaflets, only the design for the seventh one which Hans Scholl
Hans Scholl
Hans Fritz Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany.-Biography:...
was carrying with him when he and his sister Sophie
Sophie Scholl
Sophia Magdalena Scholl was a German student, active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans...
went to the university on 18 February 1943 to distribute leftover copies of the sixth leaflet.
When the Scholl siblings were arrested at the university, the Gestapo thereby had proof against Christoph Probst, who because of it was executed on 22 February 1943, along with Hans and Sophie Scholl, even though he had asked for clemency during interrogation and the trial for the sake of his wife and three children, aged three years, two years and four weeks (Herta Probst was sick with childbed fever).