A Digital Memory of the Tyrolean Resistance

DBANT: Founding Concept of Tyrol’s Digital NS Resistance Archive

Elisabeth Walder, founder and project director of the Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol, in Hall in Tirol in 2025. Photograph: Juliane Meinel, Tannenkirch, Germany.

Founding Concept of the Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol
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The Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol (DBANT) is a long-term research, documentation and educational project. It researches and preserves the life stories of women and men in Tyrol who opposed National Socialism, helped persecuted people, demonstrated civil courage or were themselves persecuted for political, religious or racial reasons.
The archive focuses particularly on people whose names remain largely unknown and whose stories have survived only in scattered archival holdings, private estates, letters, photographs or family memories. It brings these sources together, examines them according to scholarly standards and makes the resulting findings permanently and freely accessible.

Why this archive is necessary

Clandestine meeting

Clandestine meeting of civilian opponents of National Socialism in Tyrol during the Nazi era. AI-generated historical reconstruction; the individuals depicted are not identifiable. The image is intended solely for historical illustration and does not represent a specific documented event.

More than eighty years after the end of National Socialist rule, significant gaps remain in research into regional resistance and Nazi persecution in Tyrol. While prominent individuals and larger resistance groups have already been documented by historians, many local participants and victims of National Socialism remain largely unknown.
The Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol researches and preserves the life stories of women and men who resisted the National Socialist regime, helped persecuted people, demonstrated civil courage or became victims of Nazi persecution and exploitation. Its particular focus is on people whose names and experiences have survived only in scattered archival holdings, private estates, letters, photographs or family memories.
Many of these historical sources remain in private ownership or are dispersed among different archives. With every passing generation, the risk increases that documents will be lost, photographs will no longer be identifiable and personal memories will disappear forever. Their scholarly examination and digital preservation are therefore essential elements of a responsible and sustainable culture of remembrance.
The archive brings these sources together, examines them according to scholarly standards, places them within their historical context and makes the resulting findings permanently and freely available to the public. In this way, individual life stories are preserved while regional structures of resistance, persecution, forced labour and civil courage are made visible.

Objectives of the archive

Historical sources and family archives

Historical records, letters and family photographs symbolise the scattered sources from which forgotten life stories are reconstructed. AI-generated symbolic image; the materials depicted are not original historical sources.

The DBANT pursues the following principal objectives:

• researching previously little-known biographies
• reconstructing regional resistance groups and personal networks
• digitising and preserving historical sources
• scholarly examination of family and private archives
• cooperation with relatives and descendants in Austria and abroad
• free public access to research findings
• development of digital educational and commemorative resources
• long-term preservation of materials for future generations

Scholarly methodology

All biographies and historical articles are based on verifiable sources. These include national, municipal and church archives, court and administrative records, registration documents, historical newspapers, photographs, letters, personal recollections, interviews and scholarly literature.
The sources are critically examined with regard to their provenance, context of creation, evidential value and transmission. Uncertainties and contradictory information are clearly identified.
The principal scholarly approach is biographical microhistory. Individual lives serve as a starting point for revealing broader historical contexts. This makes it possible to reconstruct local resistance networks, forms of persecution and specific acts of civil courage in greater detail.

A living digital archive

The DBANT does not regard itself as a completed collection. Newly discovered archival records, photographs, letters and information provided by relatives or descendants can be examined at any time and incorporated into existing biographies. The archive therefore grows with every newly identified source.
The research findings are published in German and English. The archive is intended for the local population as well as schools, universities, museums, researchers and descendants of former resistance fighters living abroad.

The DBANT’s principal areas of activity

The archive combines several areas of work:

• scholarly biographies
• a digital archive of sources and photographs
• the examination and documentation of private family collections
• international cooperation
• digital maps and historical timelines
• thematic collections and virtual tours
• teaching materials and digital exhibitions
• connections between people, places, sources and events

In the long term, these elements will form a virtual remembrance portal. Historic residences, prisons, courthouses, former Gestapo offices, clandestine meeting places, escape routes, hiding places and other sites of remembrance will be digitally linked to the relevant biographies and historical documents.

Interdisciplinary research approach

The DBANT is also a Digital Humanities and Digital History project. Digital technologies are used not only to publish historical research findings but also to record, preserve and connect biographies, sources, photographs, places and events in a structured manner.
The digital research environment makes it possible to reveal regional resistance networks, continuously incorporate new findings and provide the public with access to scholarly researched and documented sources. Digital maps, timelines, thematic collections and virtual tours will further strengthen this connection between research, documentation and public engagement.

Biographical Microhistory – Digital Humanities – Digital Public History – Citizen Science

The Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol combines the methodological approaches of biographical microhistory with the digital methods of the Digital Humanities, the public engagement and historical communication of Digital Public History, and wider public participation in the spirit of Citizen Science.

Work completed to date

As of 2026, the following work had already been completed as part of the project:

• approximately 250 scholarly biographies in German and English
• approximately 500 German- and English-language articles in total
• around 2,500 digitised photographs
• approximately 4,000 archival sources examined
• five international collaborations, including cooperation with families in Germany, Sweden and the United States
• publication of the book KZ-Dachau – Häftlingsnummer 14354. Dr. Ernst Verdross in 2025

These results have so far been achieved predominantly through the independent scholarly work of project director Elisabeth Walder.

Project director

The Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol was established by Elisabeth Walderand is under her scholarly direction.
She holds a master’s degree in History and a master’s degree in European Ethnology, both from the University of Innsbruck. Her principal research interests include historical biography, the modern regional history of Tyrol, cultures of remembrance and the critical analysis of historical sources.

Summary

The DBANT combines scholarly research, digital source preservation and public history. Its focus is on people whose actions, experiences and fates have previously been insufficiently documented.
The archive preserves their life stories not only for the present. It also creates a permanently accessible research and educational resource for future generations.

Every rediscovered biography expands our knowledge of the resistance in Tyrol – and restores an individual’s place in history

The complete founding concept

The complete founding concept contains detailed information about the archive’s scholarly foundations, objectives, research methods, project modules, legal framework and long-term prospects.

Read the complete founding concept as a PDF

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PDF document in English, current as of 2026

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Privacy Policy

Consent to the scholarly use of family documents – please complete, select the permitted forms of use and sign

This declaration allows you to specify which documents the Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol may examine for scholarly purposes, preserve digitally and publish. Please indicate the permitted forms of use and any restrictions, sign the declaration and send it together with a list of the documents to [email protected].

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

PDF document, 6 pages, in English, current as of August 2026. Please complete the form, select the permitted forms of use, sign it and send it to [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the DBANT?

The DBANT is the Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol. It is an independent research, documentation and educational project devoted to the history of resistance to National Socialism and Nazi persecution in Tyrol.

Who founded the archive?

The archive was established in Hall in Tirol by the historian and European ethnologist Elisabeth Walder. She directs the project and bears scholarly responsibility for its continuing development.

What is the archive’s principal objective?

Its principal objective is to research little-known or nearly forgotten life stories, preserve historical sources and make the resulting findings permanently accessible to a broad public.

Whose lives are documented in the archive?

The archive documents women and men who resisted the Nazi regime, helped persecuted people, demonstrated civil courage or were persecuted for political, religious or racial reasons. Its geographical focus is Tyrol, with particular attention to regional and local contexts.

What sources are used?

The sources examined include court and administrative records, registration documents, historical newspapers, letters, photographs, personal recollections, interviews, family collections and scholarly literature.

How is scholarly quality ensured?

All publications are based on historical source criticism. The provenance, context of creation, evidential value and possible limitations of each source are examined. Uncertainties and contradictory accounts are identified transparently. New findings can be incorporated on an ongoing basis.

What does biographical microhistory mean?

Biographical microhistory examines broader historical developments through individual lives. Personal experiences and actions help us understand resistance networks, mechanisms of persecution and social conditions at the regional level.

Why does the archive work with families and descendants?

Many important documents remain in private ownership. Cooperation with relatives and descendants enables previously unknown photographs, letters and recollections to be identified, placed in their historical context and protected from loss.

How is the project connected to Citizen Science?

The DBANT demonstrates that scholarly historical research can also emerge from public engagement. This requires careful methodology, transparent citation of sources and continuous cooperation with archives, experts and families.

Is the content also available in English?

Yes. The archive publishes its principal content in German and English. This enables it to reach international researchers and descendants of resistance fighters who live outside Austria.

Is access to the archive free of charge?

Yes. The research findings are published online as a freely accessible educational and informational resource. Whenever research findings are used or shared, the source must be cited in full. The citation must acknowledge Elisabeth Walder or the Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol.
Permission must be obtained in advance before images or historical documents are reused. Requests should be sent by email to [email protected]. Many photographs and documents were provided by families and private archives exclusively for publication within this project. Their further distribution or use is therefore not automatically permitted. Copyright, usage rights, data protection requirements and personality rights may also apply.

How can the archive be supported?

Relatives, researchers and historically interested individuals can support the archive by providing information, documents, photographs and biographical details or by facilitating further contacts. Submitted materials are examined before publication and are used only in accordance with the applicable rights.

What future developments are planned?

Plans include interactive maps of historical sites, digital timelines, thematic collections, virtual tours, teaching materials and stronger connections between people, places, sources and events.

Why is the DBANT described as a “living archive”?

The archive is not a completed collection. Every newly identified source and every additional family history can expand or refine existing knowledge. Its digital form allows published biographies and research findings to be updated continuously.

Is the DBANT a Digital Humanities project?

Yes. The Digital Biographical Archive of the Resistance to National Socialism in Tyrol can be situated within the Digital Humanities, particularly Digital History and Digital Public History. It combines historical research and source criticism with digital methods of documentation, archiving, interconnection and public engagement.
The DBANT does more than publish historical content on a website. Biographies, photographs, letters, archival documents, places and events are digitally recorded, described according to scholarly standards and connected with one another. This makes it possible to reveal relationships between individuals, resistance groups, sites of persecution, family networks and historical events.
The archive’s principal areas of digital work include:

• digitisation and scholarly description of historical sources
• structured recording of biographical information
• linking people, places, events and documents
• publication in German and English
• digital maps and historical timelines
• thematic collections and virtual tours
• continuous updating of published biographies
• freely accessible presentation of research findings

The archive therefore combines scholarly biographical research, digital source preservation and public history. It is also a Citizen Science project because families, descendants and private owners of historical documents can contribute to the identification and examination of new sources.
The Digital Humanities are generally understood as an interdisciplinary field in which humanities research questions are combined with digital data, methods and forms of knowledge communication. The historical branch of this field is commonly referred to as Digital History.

Every rediscovered biography expands our knowledge of the resistance in Tyrol – and restores an individual’s place in history.