About the work
Scholl – Die Knospe der weißen Rose ("Scholl – The Bud of the White Rose") is a German musical with music by Thomas Borchert and book and lyrics by Titus Hoffmann. It was premiered on 14 April 2023 at the Stadttheater Fürth; a new production followed at Theater Magdeburg in 2026. Unlike many accounts, the piece does not centre on the arrest and death of the Scholl siblings but on the "budding" inner development of young people toward resistance against National Socialism. It received several nominations for the German Musical Theatre Prize.
Plot
Told in retrospect by the resistance figure Traute Lafrenz, the musical looks back on the New Year of 1941/42, which the siblings Hans, Sophie and Inge Scholl spend with friends at the remote Coburger Hütte in the Tyrolean mountains. Between skiing, forbidden world literature and nocturnal conversations, in flashbacks and nightmarish premonitions, it gradually unfolds how carefree young people become determined opponents of the regime. At its centre stands Hans Scholl's growing realisation that he can no longer keep silent in the face of injustice.
Cultural significance
Scholl is regarded as one of the most ambitious new German musicals of recent years and proves that even difficult subjects of contemporary history can carry on the musical stage. The critically acclaimed work received nominations in several categories for the German Musical Theatre Prize; its live album even drew notice from record critics. With its focus on the "bud" — the beginnings of resistance — the piece also performs remembrance work for a young audience.