Deaf Institute – A House That Writes History

Photo Deaf Institute Mils (1930). Held in: Archive of  the Educational Center for Hearing and Vision Mils.

For over 190 years, it has been a place of education, community, and lived inclusion. Its roots trace back to 1830 in Brixen, where Bishop Johannes Amberg, the first trained teacher for the deaf in Vienna, founded the first "Catholic Normal School for the Deaf" with visionary dedication.
Driven by this pioneering spirit, the institution moved to Hall in Tyrol in 1835 and finally found its permanent home in Mils in 1878. The new building was made possible by the generosity of the population, particularly through significant land donations, and henceforth offered space and support for 80 children. With its own agricultural operation established in 1883, a self-sufficient, vibrant community was created. However, this "shining star" of deaf education was soon to be dimmed. In 1938, the institution was taken over by the National Socialists and used for their purposes until 1945.

Photo Deaf institute Mils. Held in: Archive of ​the Educational Center for Hearing and Vision Mils.

The Institute During World War II: A Target of Destruction (1938–1945)

In 1938, the Deaf Institute was seized by the National Socialists and used for military purposes until 1945. In the final phase of the war, the house served as a barracks and anti-aircraft (Flak) position; heavy guns were aimed at the town of Hall to block the advance of the Allies through the Unterinntal valley. Thus, the institute itself became an instrument of imminent destruction.

The liberation of Hall in May 1945 was the result of the courageous resistance of a group around Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Anton Haller, Anton Demanega, Josef Terrabona, Heinz Ehrenreich-Thöni, Anton Dosch, and Anton Walder. After an SS arrest wave on the night of May 2-3, which claimed Dr. Schumacher as a victim and forced most of those involved into hiding, Captain Johann Baumgartner (1896–1958) took on the decisive role. He organized the city's defense, positioned snipers in the Weißenbachgraben to prevent bridge demolitions, and protected the population from panic.

Through Baumgartner's strategic skill and determined action, it was possible to deter the SS and SD units stationed at the institute and in the Eichat camp from their plans of destruction. On May 3, 1945, the troops withdrew without shelling the town.
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In 1958, the Haller Lokalanzeiger still honored Baumgartner as the man "whose selflessness the town of Hall and its population owe their greatest gratitude. Without his vigorous cooperation, it would likely not have been possible to save Hall from destruction that would have surpassed even that of the major air raids."
The Deaf Institute, once a place of care, had become a symbol of threat during these dark years. Through the selfless efforts of men like Johann Baumgartner, it became possible to preserve the house and the city for a peaceful future.

A Legacy of Responsibility and Progress

From the perspective of the post-war era, a lasting responsibility arises from the inconceivable suffering of the Nazi period. The tireless efforts of self-advocates and their allies led to a fundamental transformation. From the darkest time in history gradually emerged those legal and societal advancements that today enable the self-determined participation and protection of the rights of people with disabilities – from the recognition of Austrian Sign Language to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and legally enshrined inclusion.
This development is the living legacy of all those who suffered under the regime's inhumanity and the mandate that we as a society must continue to fulfill.
(Today: Educational Center for Hearing and Vision Mils.)