Martyr Alexander Schmorell

Description

New Martyr Alexander Schmorell (1917–1943) is a modern Orthodox Christian martyr who was part of a group of Russian and other Eastern Orthodox believers who resisted the Nazi regime during World War II. His life and eventual martyrdom have been a source of inspiration for many, especially among those in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), and he is honored as a New Martyr for his courageous stance against the tyranny of the Nazis, as well as for his deep faith in Christ.

• Born: Alexander Schmorell was born on September 16, 1917, in Orenburg, Russia, to a Russian Orthodox family. His father was a doctor, and his mother was of German descent, which provided him with a mixed cultural background.
• The family moved to Germany when Alexander was a child, following the Russian Revolution and the political unrest in Russia. They settled in Munich, Germany, where Alexander grew up.
• He was a gifted student, and during his youth, he became involved with the Orthodox Christian faith, which would deeply influence his later actions and beliefs.
• Schmorell attended medical school in Munich and was studying to become a doctor when he became deeply involved in anti-Nazi resistance activities during World War II. His exposure to Orthodox Christianity and its teachings helped him develop a deep moral conviction against the brutal regime of Nazi Germany.
• Alexander became a member of the White Rose (in German, Weiße Rose), a small, but profoundly impactful, resistance group that was involved in distributing anti-Nazi leaflets and calling for the overthrow of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The group was primarily composed of students from the University of Munich, including Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and other young intellectuals.
• As a member of the White Rose, Alexander Schmorell worked with his fellow students to produce and distribute leaflets that denounced Nazi atrocities, including the invasion of the Soviet Union, the persecution of Jews, and the genocide committed by the Nazi regime. The leaflets also urged Germans to resist the Führer and the war.
• Schmorell’s anti-Nazi activities were motivated not only by his Russian Orthodox Christian faith but also by his moral outrage over the inhumanity and cruelty of the Nazis, including their treatment of Jews and other minorities.

• The White Rose group was eventually betrayed, and in February 1943, Schmorell and his fellow resistance members were arrested by the Gestapo after distributing their sixth leaflet.
• On February 22, 1943, Schmorell was tried for treason and condemned to death. Despite the brutal interrogation, he remained steadfast in his opposition to the Nazis and his faith in Christ.
• Execution: On July 13, 1943, Alexander Schmorell was executed by guillotine in Munich. He was just 25 years old at the time of his death.

• Alexander Schmorell was posthumously honored as a New Martyr by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). His martyrdom is recognized not only for his resistance against the Nazis but also for the profound Orthodox Christian faith that motivated his actions. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia canonized him as a saint in 2012, alongside other members of the White Rose, acknowledging the group’s bravery and faith.
• The Feast Day of Alexander Schmorell and his fellow New Martyrs is celebrated on July 13, the day of his execution.