Catholic-legitimist resistance from Hall in Tyrol

Adrian Höck Opräm. (1903–1973)

Adrian Höck was born on February 12, 1903, in Wörgl. He was the parish priest of Hötting near Innsbruck when he was taken into protective custody from July 4 to July 16, 1938, for a votive mass for Dr. Kurt Schuschnigg.
"The parish priest Adrian Höck posted a notice for a votive mass for the former Federal Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg on the church door the day before Corpus Christi and announced it several times from the pulpit. At my request, the Secret State Police thoroughly investigated this case and has now – as can be seen from the enclosed copy – proceeded to arrest the priest."
In 1938, the Catholic priest Adrian Höck founded a legitimist-Catholic resistance group in Innsbruck. A young man from Hall, Karl Pfötscher (1919–1982), was a member of this youth group, which was organized through the parish youth. This legitimist-Catholic organization was uncovered by the Gestapo after Father Höck / Priest Höck had already left for Brazil.

Karl Johann Franz Jakob Pfötscher (1919 - 1982)

Photograf Karl Pfötscher. In private archive of Walder Hall in Tyrol.

In 1938, a young legitimist from Hall in Tyrol was active: Karl Pfötscher (1919–1982), a student. He was a member of the clerical, legitimist "Vergissmeinnicht" (Forget-me-not) group in Innsbruck.
On 5 April 1938, several young men, including Pfötscher, met at the apartment of Professor Siegfried Mayr in Innsbruck. There, they founded the "Youth Movement Freedom Austria." The group organized outings during which political discussions were held.
The outings went to Seefeld, Maria Waldrast, to the Peterbrünnl, and to the Gasthaus Waldhüttl in Innsbruck. At the Waldhüttl, Karl Pfötscher and other members stored weapons. Karl Pfötscher had hidden the weapons from the Austrian Jungvolk and the Front Militia, which had not yet been discovered by the German authorities.
Since the summer of 1938, the youths had been distributing leaflets and writing slogans on house walls. The youths, aged 17 to 24, planned to supply farmers with weapons and to take over militarily important facilities.
The group was betrayed to the Gestapo by one of its members. In October 1938, the group members were arrested and, in some cases, sentenced to multi-year prison terms without a judicial order.
Karl Pfötscher received a protective custody sentence (without a court verdict) of 3 years, 6 months, and 10 days. After his release from prison, he was unable to begin studies at any university within the German Reich until 8 May 1945.

Eyewitness Confirmation

An eyewitness, August Loacker (1876–?), who was also persecuted for his resistance activities, confirmed that Pfötscher had testified about establishing a weapons cache at the Waldhüttl. Loacker can also attest that Pfötscher was actively involved in the resistance against National Socialism in Austria.

​SD Report and Official Note on Karl Pfötscher

The SD Sub-section Tyrol reported to the SD leader of the SS Upper Section Danube in Vienna on the following events during the period from 1 June to 30 June 1939:
"In Innsbruck, a legitimist-Catholic organization was uncovered during the reporting period, which had already assumed considerable size. [...] Among the persons arrested in recent days, mostly aged 17 to 24, are some individuals who had only been released from detention in the spring of 1939 in the matter of 'Free Austria, Gausturm Tirol.' The organization itself is likely to be of larger dimensions and is said to be spread across all of Austria, but especially in Vienna. As an insignia or old fighter badge, a blue wool flower, a forget-me-not, was distributed, and the youth group used the password 'Seidosch'—an abbreviation for Seipel, Dollfuß, Schuschnigg."
The following official note is added regarding the information on Karl Pfötscher:

Official Note

Subject: Karl Pfötscher
Content:
Karl Pfötscher was active in the summer of 1938 in the resistance movement against Nazi rule in Austria. He participated in leaflet campaigns to keep Austrian national consciousness alive among the population of Innsbruck. The leaflets were distributed in the area of the Triumphpforte, Grüner Baum, and Saggen.
In secret, Pfötscher established a weapons cache in the farmhouse of Johann Mair (Waldhüttl). The weapons came from the Austrian Jungvolk and the Front Militia, which had not yet been discovered by the German authorities.
Pfötscher was arrested by the Gestapo in October 1938 and sentenced to 3 years, 6 months, and 10 days of protective custody. A court trial never took place. After his release from prison, he was not enrolled at any university within the German Reich until 8 May 1945.
Pfötscher suffered severe health damage during his imprisonment.

Custody Complaint and List of Accused Members

In the Document Center Berlin (BDC) in Berlin-Zehlendorf, there is a custody complaint from the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office dated January 7, 1939, to the Senior Reich Attorney at the People's Court against Ludwig Mayer and others:
"The Accused:
Karl Pfötscher, born on September 19, 1919, in Hall, Reich national, student, Catholic, unmarried, son of Karl and Josefine Pfötscher, last residing at Innsbruck, Michael Gaismayrstr. 11;
And many others [...]
II. Factual and Legal Assessment of the Case. [...]
Most of the accused were members of clerical or legitimist formations in Austria, among which individuals such as Rudolf Ottylk, Franz Ortler, and Karl Niederwanger held leading positions. [...] They had already gathered on April 5, 1938, at the apartment of Professor Siegfried Mayr. [...] Niederwanger presented various documents in which Otto von Habsburg had been appointed an honorary citizen of individual Tyrolean municipalities. He encouraged those present to participate in the legitimist reconstruction work. [...]
Among the accused, several groups must be distinguished regarding their activity and participation in the banned organization, namely:
The ringleaders - Rudolf Ottylk, Franz Rainer, Franz Ortler
Their masterminds - Count Leopold Künigl, August Loacker, Dr. Albin Oberhofer, Rudolf Raschenberger, Ludwig Mayer (Jew), Ernst Schwarz (Jew), Stefan Kraker, Prof. Siegfried Mayr
The subordinate leaders and ordinary members - Otto Sailer (subordinate leader), Otto Troger, Heinz Mayer (half-Jew), [...] Gerda Markowetz, Erna Tschaikner, Paula Dalla Giovanna [...] Anna Mair [...]
Persons suspected under § 139 of the Reich Penal Code - Josef Sollerer, Kurt Somvi, et al.
Accused for whom a detention order was issued due to lack of sufficient grounds for suspicion - Franz Cajumi, Herbert Steiner, et al.
Karl Niederwanger, who is currently at large and is reportedly supposed to be in France (Paris)."