Fritz Hartnagel

Friedrich "Fritz" Hartnagel (born February 4, 1917 in Ulm; died April 29, 2001 in Stuttgart) was a lawyer and soldier of the Wehrmacht during World War II. In the 1950s, Hartnagel, then a judge in Stuttgart, campaigned against the rearmament of the Federal Republic. He was Sophie Scholl's (unofficial) fiancée.

Early Life and Relationship with Sophie Scholl

When Hitler first came to power Hartnagel was entranced by him and his vision for Germany. He volunteered for an officer career in the spring of 1936 after an early Abitur and was a professional officer of the Wehrmacht until the end of World War II.

In 1937, Hartnagel met Sophie Scholl at a dance event. Under Scholl's influence and after experiences on the front (including in the Battle of Stalingrad), Hartnagel changed from an enthusiastic soldier to an opponent of war and Nazi dictatorship. He supported the resistance activities with news about the course of the war and war crimes and with amounts of money (including 1000 Reichsmarks) although he never officially joined any reistance movements.

After the execution of Hans and Sophie on the 22nd February 1943 Hartnagel assisted the Scholl family. After the remaining Scholl family members were put into Sippenhaft (clan arrest), Hartnagel appealed for clemency for the Scholl family. After they were released, he supported them financially.

After the War

On April 14, 1945, Hartnagel was captured by US troops and kept as a prisoner of war until September 1945. In October 1945, he married Sophie's sister Elisabeth Scholl, who he had grown close to after Sophie's execution.

In 1946, Hartnagel began law studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich (the same college Sophie Scholl had gone to.) He completed his studies and became a judge. He died on April 29, 2001, at the age of 84.