20 planned
Portraits
These six portraits began as a pair of two. They started with a vision from Michael Schiessl, who wanted to capture the spirit of doing the right thing by commemorating the martyrdom of German heroes during WWII, with a particular focus on those from Berlin.
The technique begins with a traditional-medium hand sketch on paper of each martyr’s original photograph. Using photoshop and illustrator, the same sketch is then altered, tweaked, and minimalized to achieve the ‘simplistic’ look of the final versions.
We would like to honor a total of 20 martyrs. We appreciate your interest in this project thus far.
Sophie: 9.5.1921 – † 22.2.1943
Alexander: 16.9.1917 – † 13.7.1943
We show the White Rose Friendship Group from Munich, people who risked their young lives as students in the fight against the German Nazi regime, 75 years after the war ended. Sophie Scholl and Alexander Schmorell are depicted in these portraits. Their medium of protest at the time was leaflets, through which they exposed atrocities. As a result of their leaflet distribution in Munich, especially at the university, they were persecuted and executed among other supporters by the Nazi regime.
Eva-Maria: 31.1.1921 – † 5.8.1943
Erich: 25.1.1885 – † 30.6.1934
In their unique ways, Erich Klausener and Eva-Maria Buch spoke out against the regime. Eva-Maria was executed for defending fellow Red Orchestra members. Erich Klausener was assassinated after openly condemning the period’s violence and oppression.
Lieselott: 27.9.1910 – † 1943
Hellmuth: 6.6.1901 – † 8.8.1944
We show the White Rose Friendship Group from Munich, people who risked their young lives as students in the fight against the German Nazi regime, 75 years after the war ended. Sophie Scholl and Alexander Schmorell are depicted in these portraits. Their medium of protest at the time was leaflets, through which they exposed atrocities. As a result of their leaflet distribution in Munich, especially at the university, they were persecuted and executed among other supporters by the Nazi regime.
Alice: 17.9.1903 – †9.8.1943
Pfarrer Albert: 1894 – †22.8.1944
Alice Reis forced by the Germans to leave her Bloemendaal convent — as the Jewess forbidden to stay then moved to Almelo. There arrested by the Germans. Held in JDG Westerbork transit camp. From there, transported out to KL Auschwitz concentration camp where in KL Auschwitz II Birkenau subcamp murdered in a gas chamber. Pfarrer Albert Hirsch was arrested by the Gestapo and brought before a special court. He was sentenced to four years in prison for “spreading enemy news”, but then died in the nearby Gollnow prison.
Maria: 07.06.1910 – † 1943
Bernhard: 03.12.1875 – † 05.11.1943
During the National Socialist dictatorship, Bernhard Lichtenberg, a German priest and cathedral provost in Berlin, publicly advocated for the persecuted. In the Roman Catholic Church, he is venerated as a martyr and regarded as a blessed.
Maria Terwiel was arrested on September 17, 1942. As a supporter of the German resistance group “Red Orchestra,” she distributed illegal leaflets and put up stickers against the National Socialist propaganda exhibition. She was in custody for several weeks and was ultimately sentenced to death.
We appreciate your interest in this project thus far.
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