Fritz Hartnagel

Friedrich "Fritz" Hartnagel (February 4, 1917 – April 29, 2001) 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 fiancé.

Life Fritz Hartnagel was born to Friedrich Hartnagel (1879–1957) and Barbara Hartnagel née Strobl (1878–1945) on February 4, 1917. 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.

Relationship with Sophie Scholl 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 ) although he never officially joined any resistance movements.

After the execution of Hans and Sophie on February 22, 1943, Hartnagel assisted the Scholl family. After the remaining members of the Scholl family were put into Sippenhaft (kinship arrest), Hartnagel appealed for clemency for them. 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, with whom he had grown close after Sophie's execution. Together, they had four boys. His and Sophie's story was also the basis for the novel “With you there is light”, published in 2016.