Hans Conrad Leipelt
Hans Conrad Leipelt (born
18 July 1921 in
Vienna; died
29 January 1945 in
Munich) was a member of the
White Rose (
Weiße Rose)
resistance group in
Nazi Germany.
Leipelt's father was a graduate in
civil engineering, and his mother a
chemist from a
Christian family with
Jewish roots. In
1925, the family moved to
Hamburg, where Hans did his
Abitur in
1938, and then reported to the
Reichsarbeitsdienst and the
Wehrmacht. He was decorated with the
Iron Cross second class and the
Tank Destruction Badge in June 1940 during the French campaign. He was dishonourably released from duty because he was a
Mischling first grade. In the autumn of
1940, he began his
chemistry studies at the
University of Hamburg, but transferred in the
1941-
1942 winter semester to the
University of Munich, as student of
Heinrich Otto Wieland. This was only possible because Heinrich Otto Wieland had some freedom because he had received the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in
1927. In February
1943, Hans Leipelt received the White Rose's sixth leaflet and, together with
Marie-Luise Jahn, began using a
typewriter to make copies of it to distribute about Hamburg. When they were both collecting money for the executed Professor
Kurt Huber's widow, they were denounced and arrested. Hans Leipelt was sentenced to death on
13 October 1944 in
Donauwörth by the
Volksgerichtshof. Marie-Luise Jahn was given a 12-year labour prison (
Zuchthaus) sentence. Hans Leipelt's execution followed on 29 January 1945 in
Stadelheim Prison in Munich. He was beheaded.
* "Hans Leipelt und Marie-Luise Jahn. Studentischer Widerstand in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus am Chemischen Staatslabor der Universität München" LM Universum von Hans-Michael Körner and Wolfgang Smolka, 2003 Munich, ISBN 3-926163-31-3
