 Photograph Dr. med. Erika Pallua. In: private archive of the Pallua family, Hall in Tyrol/Innsbruck. Early Life and Family Background Erika Pallua was born on May 31, 1912, in Schattwald, Tyrol. Her father, Hans Pallua, came from Colle, Santa Lucia (Buchenstein), and worked as a tax supervisor. Her mother, Maria (née Krapfinger), was from Kufstein. Erika grew up in a strictly Catholic family alongside her siblings Gertraud, who later became a music educator in Hall, and Franz Josef, a lawyer and chief inspector at the Austrian Federal Railways. Education After her early years in Schattwald, the family moved to Hall in Tyrol, where Erika attended elementary school between 1919 and 1924. She then went on to attend the municipal girls’ secondary school (Realgymnasium) in Innsbruck, graduating with her Matura diploma in 1932. In the same year, she began her medical studies at the University of Innsbruck. Engagement in Catholic Youth Groups Already during her school years, Erika was active in Catholic youth groups, including under the spiritual guidance of Father Mitzka. During her studies, she co-founded the Catholic student association Finkenschaft together with like-minded peers. Around 1940, this association was banned by the Nazi regime, but Erika maintained contact with other Catholic student groups such as Austria-Innsbruck and Leopoldina-Innsbruck — an act of civil disobedience that carried significant personal risks during that time. Medical Qualifications and Training On June 22, 1938, Erika Pallua was awarded the degree Doctor medicinae. She completed her specialist training in internal medicine at the Gersthof Hospital in the 18th district of Vienna and was appointed specialist physician in 1948. One year later, she also received specialist recognition in dentistry.   Dokument of the Austrian resistance - private archive of the Pallua family, Hall in Tyrol/Innsbruck. Resistance against National Socialism Between 1938 and 1945, Dr. Erika Pallua was part of a Catholic-influenced Viennese resistance group centered around the Gersthof hospital and parish. She maintained close contacts with notable figures such as Dr. Heinz Mayer, youth chaplain of the Gersthof parish, who was executed by the Nazis in 1945. Erika courageously advocated for him — including submitting a plea for clemency directly to Adolf Hitler. Although this plea was unsuccessful, it led to several interrogations by the Gestapo, which she fortunately survived unharmed. The close bond with Heinz Mayer continued even after his death: after his execution, Erika was entrusted with his body. Together with her comrade Dr. Fredl Stampach, she transported it on a simple handcart to the burial site in Döbling — a final act of dignity and humanity. The circle of this resistance group included, besides Erika, Dr. Fredl Stampach, Hilde Fiegl (wife of Leopold Figl), Barbara Fellinger (wife of the internist Prof. Fellinger), the internist Dr. Martha Jörg, Willi Elmayer (Elmayer Dance School), Dipl.-Ing. Albert Hafner (head of the Wagon-Li company in Vienna), Dipl.-Ing. Karl Schadn, and Barbara Issakides (pianist). See also the blog post on Dr. Franz Josef Messner. Postwar Years and Social Engagement After the war, Erika Pallua worked at the Vienna Regional Health Insurance Fund and at the dental clinic on Van-der-Nüll-Gasse, where she remained active until around 1970. At the same time, she was involved in maternal counseling for the City of Vienna until her retirement. Even after ending her professional career, she maintained close contacts with her former companions from the resistance period — especially with Willi Elmayer, who personally wrote to her on birthdays and holidays well into her old age. In 1973, Erika moved permanently to Hall in Tyrol, where she lived with her mother until the end of her life. In the late 1970s, she adopted her two nephews, Anton K. and Johannes D., the sons of her sister Gertraud. Through this, she emphasized her lifelong sense of responsibility toward her family and community. Legacy Dr. Erika Pallua was a courageous, deeply devout woman who actively opposed injustice in a time of great danger. Her work in the resistance and her efforts for humanity and solidarity — both during the Nazi era and afterward — demonstrate extraordinary courage, social commitment, and moral steadfastness. Her story is an important testimony to female civil courage in Austrian contemporary history. Johann Pallua (1881–1968) – A Courageous Opponent of the Nazis Johann Pallua, father of resistance fighter Dr. Erika Pallua, was a known anti-Nazi in Hall, Tyrol. On March 13, 1938 - the day of Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany - he narrowly escaped arrest when SA men tried to take him away. According to family accounts, one SA member intervened, telling his comrades: "Hans Pallua doesn't belong in Dachau - he just sang too many Marian hymns and prayed too much." This unexpected protest saved his life.
His daughter Erika Pallua later became active in the Austrian resistance in Vienna as part of the Caldonazzi-Mayer-Messner group. The family preserves his legacy of quiet defiance against tyranny. (Source: Pallua family history)
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