 Photo Franciscan Brother Konrad (Peter Paul) Walcher. Held in: Archive of the Tyrolean Franciscan Province in Hall in Tyrol. A Life of Service and Silent ResistanceName in Religion: Brother Konrad (von Parzham) Walcher Secular Name: Peter Walcher Born: February 4, 1903, in Hötting-Innsbruck Died: January 9, 1963, in Innsbruck Parents: Franz Walcher and Elisabeth (née Penz) Diocese: Brixen Religious Life and VowsBrother Konrad entered the postulancy of the Tyrolean Franciscan Province (OFM) in Schwaz on April 7, 1929. He received his habit on August 18, 1930, from Fr. Chrysostomus Gfall. He professed his temporary vows on August 19, 1931, under Fr. Simon Reider, and his solemn vows on September 10, 1934, administered by Fr. Innozenz Handle—all in Schwaz. As a lay brother (listed as "jan." for Laienbruder and "serv. sacr." for sacristan), he served the order in numerous monasteries, most notably as a porter. He had a long-standing connection to the Leopoldinum study college in Hall, Tyrol, where he held this responsible position for many years. Timeline of Assignments· 1929: Enters postulancy in Schwaz; pilgrimage to Rome (Dec. 15-24) · 1930-1931: Novice and lay brother in the Schwaz study house · 1931-1932: Lay brother and sacristan in Hall (Leopoldinum) · 1932: Lay brother in Innsbruck (August) and Hall (from November) · 1932-1937: Lay brother and sacristan in Hall (Leopoldinum) · 1938-1940: Lay brother in the Hall convent · 1940: Lay brother and sacristan in Enns (December) · 1941: Conscripted into the Border Guard (Zollwache) · 1941-1945: Military service with the Border Guard in Obernberg am Brenner (interrupted by a short posting in Lienz) · 1945-1956: Lay brother in Hall (on sick leave 1953-1954) · 1956-1961: Lay brother in Innsbruck; later noted as subsyndicus · 1961-1963: On sick leave until his death in 1963 A Witness of Courage During the Nazi EraDuring the National Socialist regime, Brother Konrad (secularly Peter Paul Walcher) faced persecution for his faith and acts of charity. Along with Capuchin Father Franz Josef Kramer from Kitzbühel and others, he was accused of "abetting high treason" and convicted by the Special Court (Sondergericht) at the Regional Court in Innsbruck on February 24, 1941. The charge stemmed from providing a fugitive prisoner named Ennemoser with money (5 and 10 Reichsmarks) and a shirt. The prisoner had presented himself to them as a political persecutee. The court interpreted the amount of aid, which exceeded a typical "alms," as evidence of a political motive and sentenced Brother Konrad to two months of strict arrest. The judgment stated: · "Walcher and also Kramer argued that they paid no attention to what the escaped criminal prisoner Ennemoser said. However, in this case, it gives pause that Ennemoser received both in Hall and in Kitzbühel amounts of money and also clothing that go considerably beyond what corresponds to the average; five and ten Reichsmarks and a shirt are not an average alms. The so unworthy and suspect defendant Ennemoser obtained this excessive alms by presenting himself as politically persecuted. The court is convinced that in this case they acted primarily out of political interest, to help an alleged opponent of the regime. The guilty verdict is therefore justified. In determining the sentence, the following was considered an aggravating factor: the political intention." This verdict illustrates how the Nazi judiciary criminalized Christian mercy, framing any act of charity outside state control as political resistance. Despite this repression, Brother Konrad was not deterred from his serving vocation. LegacyBrother Konrad Walcher spent his life in the quiet but dedicated service of his order as a porter and sacristan. His courageous stand for a fellow human being during a time of injustice stands as a powerful testament to a faith lived through action. He died after a long illness on January 9, 1963, in Innsbruck.
May he rest in peace.
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