Without Hans Scholl, the White Rose would not have existed. But how did the 23-year-old come to risk his life in the fight against Hitler? Robert Zoske paints a new, fascinating picture of a young man, based on previously unknown documents, who was drawn to both the heroism of National Socialism and a nature-mystical piety, yet whose desire for freedom was his greatest, uncompromising passion. "Live fully or not at all!" Hans Scholl noted, and it is remarkable what experiences condensed in his short life. While he rose to the rank of squad leader in the Hitler Youth, he led a forbidden youth group that undertook adventurous trips and read banned authors. He loved boys and girls, wrote poems and stories. As a medical student, he was particularly interested in philosophy and experienced life as a medical soldier.