"Forgotten Archives" - A Look Back at March 1938 in Solbad Hall

Photograph March 13, 1939. In: Private archive of R. Federspiel Absam

"Forgotten Archives" - Echoes from History 1938 - 1945

"Have you heard the news?" - With these words, a time of upheaval began for the people of Solbad Hall (today Hall in Tirol). On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, and the Nazi takeover abruptly transformed life in this small town.
As recorded in Prof. Egger's city chronicle, the initial euphoria among some citizens soon gave way to disillusionment. Political opponents were arrested, associations dissolved, and even schools were ideologically aligned. The Hitler salute replaced school prayers, the Hitler Youth and League of German Girls dominated daily life, and those who dared to resist disappeared into prisons or concentration camps like Dachau.
But what did the official narrative look like? Nazi propaganda portrayed Hall in a frenzy of celebration - yet behind the cheering facades, a time of persecution began for many.

Newspaper report from March 18, 1938: "Hall in the Spirit of the Führer" (Original article from a pro-Nazi regional newspaper, Innsbrucker Nachrichten, slightly shortened)

The population of Solbad Hall greeted the annexation to the German Reich with tremendous jubilation. As early as the morning hours of March 13th, thousands poured into the streets to celebrate the historic moment. The town hall, decorated with swastika flags, became the focal point of the rallies. In his address, the interim mayor Silvio Jud emphasized the "liberation of Austria" and called upon the people of Hall to stand united behind the Führer.
The youth showed particular enthusiasm: the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls formed impressive marches, and in the schools, instruction was henceforth conducted "in the spirit of National Socialism." The economy also breathed a sigh of relief – many welcomed the hoped-for "turnaround" after years of unemployment and uncertainty.
With the immediate integration into the German administration, a new era of departure begins for Hall. The city now stands, like all of Austria, firmly within the Greater German Reich.

What the Article Conceals

Behind the propagandistic façade of jubilation, the persecution of political opponents and Jewish citizens had already begun. Associations like the Catholic Journeymen's Association were seized, and critical voices were silenced. The apparent "new era of departure" was, for many, a path to oppression and war.
In the next installment from The Forgotten Archive, we will shed light on how life in Hall changed in the following months—and the fates hidden behind the official headlines.

Note:

All archive contributions serve historical processing and remembrance. We invite contemporary witnesses and descendants to share their perspectives with us.
(Sources: City Archive Hall (StAH), File Dr. Ernst Verdross. City Chronicle Prof. Egger. NS Regional Newspaper March 1938, Anno Archive, Online: Innsbrucker Nachrichten, March 18, 1938)