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The Life of St. Alexander

The Holy Martyr Saint Alexander Schmorell (now Saint Alexander of Munich) was born in Orenburg, Russia on September 16, 1917, and was baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1921, his family fled Russia and moved to Munich, Germany. There, he planned to study medicine, as his father was a doctor of German heritage and held German citizenship. Alexander began his formal medical studies in 1939 in Hamburg, but was quickly called into military service where he served as a medic, despite his unwillingness to swear the Hitler Oath, a pledge of personal allegiance to Adolf Hitler that was normally required of all soldiers. 

In 1940, Alexander was studying closer to home in Munich, where he met a man named Hans Scholl with whom he would create the Nazi-resistance group called “White Rose.” The White Rose called upon people to speak out against the Third Reich and the evil acts that Hitler initiated. They accomplished this by printing leaflets under the anonymous entity of the White Rose. Alexander and Hans penned the first four of the leaflets which were then distributed across Germany. The leaflets appealed to Christian morality and German heritage to denounce Hitler and the Nazi regime. 

Around this time, Alexander and Hans Scholl were sent to Russia as medics, and Alexander was able to experience Russia for himself. He was reported telling others that there wasn’t any way that he was to shoot a Russian soldier, nor could he kill the Germans either as he was fighting alongside them and was surely to be killed if found to be turning on his Nazi comrades. Alexander soon began to act as a bridge between the Russian people and his friends. He routinely sought out contacts amongst locals, Orthodox priests, and doctors, and he attended Orthodox liturgies dressed in the Nazi uniform of his military service.  

After the men returned to Munich in October of 1942, the White Rose population had doubled, reaching several new members amongst the founders’ friends, as well as preparing to publish the fifth leaflet which wasn’t finished until January of 1943. Key founder Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie were caught distributing this leaflet at the University in Munich and were executed on February 22, 1943, while Alexander and two other members were executed by guillotine on July 13, 1943. In the wake of Alexander’s execution, Father Alexander Lowtschy, who would later become Archbishop Alexander, renamed the home parish of Alexander from St. Nicholas to the Cathedral of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. Father Alexander also had been allowed to visit Alexander in prison to administer communion to him shortly before his execution took place. 

After World War II, American forces came in and constructed a non-denominational church outside the prison where Alexander was executed, which was ultimately sold off in 1992 by the Americans. In 1993, with interest surrounding the martyr from buyers, the church and land was purchased and lies within the sight of the grave of Alexander Schmorell in the Perlacher Forst cemetery. This also was the location of a mass grave that included around 500 Soviet era people. 

Saint Alexander is remembered for his courage in standing against tyranny and the impact of his Orthodox faith on his actions and convictions. His recent martyrdom was recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia on February 5, 2012, as he was glorified in remembrance during his last moments emphasizing God in his final letters, to which he remained unwavering in his belief, encouraging his loved ones to “never forget God” in his final letters.

The feast day of St. Alexander of Munic is celebrated on July 13th.

To learn more about the life of this great modern saint, consider reading Alexander Schmorell: Saint of the German Resistance or check out this website.

How can Saint Alexander intercede for us?

During his life, St. Alexander faced the hardships of war and oppression, and was challenged to face injustices that morally conflicted with his faith. Although he was enlisted as a part of the Nazi ranks, he continued to prioritized his Orthodox Christian life, and ultimately was led to take a public stance against the teachings of Adolf Hitler through the White Rose. We can pray to St. Alexander to help us in times of peril, persecution, and injustice, especially when our faith in Christ puts us in conflict with the powers of the world.

Discussion Questions:

  1. St. Alexander’s troparion references how we are to imitate his bravery when faced with godlessness in the world around us. How would you define his bravery from what you learned about him? What spirit or attitude did he bring to his resistance to the Nazis?
  2. St. Alexander and his peers were young individuals who risked their lives for a cause they believed in. What does their story tell us about the role of youth in promoting peace today? How can young people be encouraged to take a stand against injustice because of their values as Orthodox Christians?
  3. As we hear in the Divine Liturgy, how does the Beatitude “blessed are the peacemakers” influence our daily interactions and relationships? In what ways can we embody this aspect of Jesus’ teachings within our communities?
  4. Reflecting on the saint’s sacrifice and ultimate execution, how does personal sacrifice play a role in the quest for peace? 
  5. How can the spirit of the Litany of Peace, “In peace let us pray to the Lord,” be translated into our everyday interactions and relationships? What specific actions or attitudes can we adopt to embody this peace?

Learn his troparion

Tone 4

Today a light adorns our glorious city, having within it your holy relics, O Holy Martyr Alexander; for which sake pray to Christ God that He deliver us from all tribulations, for gathered together in love we celebrate your radiant memory, imitating your bravery, standing against the godless powers and enemies.

Pray to him!

St. Alexander, you followed your Spirit-inspired conscience to resist the injustice of the world. Pray also for us that we might find the courage to remain faithful to Christ in every circumstance and condition. And by your prayers, may we never forget God. Amen.

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