Marian Congregation of the Gentlemen and Citizens of Hall in Tyrol

The Marian Congregation of Gentlemen and Citizens in Hall in Tyrol was founded in 1606 as a branch of the Marian Congregation of Students at the Jesuit College in Hall.
It was a fellowship of adult men devoted to the veneration of the Virgin Mary, the deepening of the Catholic faith, and active participation in religious and social life. The congregation represented a core expression of Catholic identity and served as a spiritual pillar of the urban bourgeoisie in Hall.

The Photo of the Flag/Banner. Held in: The Archive of the Martial Congregation in Hall in Tyrol.

The Marian Congregation in the Resistance: Citizens and Students of Hall Fight Against National Socialism

Immediately after the Nazi takeover of power in Tyrol in March 1938, the Marian Congregation in Hall was dissolved. Numerous members were arrested – among them Dr. med. Viktor Schumacher (1894–1981), a respected physician from Hall who had been a member of the congregation since 1937 (cf. blog entry on Dr. Viktor Schumacher).

Photo Dr. Viktor Schumacher. Held in: private archive of Andreas Schumacher Hall in Tyrol.

Persecution and Resistance: The Marian Congregation of Hall Under Nazi Rule

Andreas Weber, the former prefect of the Marian Congregation, was imprisoned for the entire Holy Week—from Palm Sunday to Easter Tuesday—and subjected to brutal interrogation. Following this mistreatment, he was prohibited from any further promotional or propagandistic activities on behalf of the congregation. He was threatened with internment in a concentration camp if he were to disobey this order.
After the Nazi seizure of power in Austria, the Marian Congregation in Solbad Hall was officially restricted by the authorities. In 1938, both its procession and its annual foundation festival were banned. The procession was eventually permitted again under strict conditions on March 26, 1939, with its route dictated by the regime. This foundation festival was the last one to be held until 1946, as the entries in the congregation's chronicle only resume from that point onward.
Prefect Andreas Weber resigned from his position on January 15, 1939, as he was under constant surveillance and spied upon by the Nazis. He was succeeded by the former mayor of Hall, Josef Wagner, who also resigned on December 20, 1939. Subsequently, Johann Witsch, a former salt mine smith, declared himself willing to take on the role of prefect. He received vigorous support from Andreas Weber.

Photograph of cooperator (curate) Josef Lambichler, sexton Anton Walder Sr., and Dean Reinthaler. This photograph, held in the private archive of the Parish of Hall in Tirol, depicts three significant figures from the parish's history.

Members of the Marian Congregation in the Resistance Against National Socialism

Numerous members of the Marian Congregation for Gentlemen and Citizens in Hall in Tirol joined the active resistance group around Anton Haller and Dr. Viktor Schumacher following the "Anschluss" (annexation) of Austria in 1938.
The dedicated resistance fighters included:

• Paul Bruch (1897–1962), Master Painter
• Alois Tusch (1898–1963), Plumbing Installer
• Josef Viertl (1905–1991), Pattern Maker (carpenter specializing in models/molds)
• Josef Wagner (1875–1964), Former Mayor of Hall in Tirol
• Anton Haller (1907–1958), Master Shoemaker and member of the congregation since December 1938
• Anton Walder sen. (1870–1943), Sexton of St. Nikolaus Parish, member of the congregation since 1891
• Karl Zanger (b. 1890), Master Mechanic

These men formed part of the Catholic-oriented resistance in Hall, which opposed the Nazi regime—often at great personal risk. Their shared foundation in faith, community engagement, and the Congregation became the basis for their courage and their actions.

The Dissolution and Resilience of the Marian Congregation in Hall in Tyrol

Official Decree for Dissolution

The Catholic associations in Tyrol were dissolved by a decree of Reich Governor (Reichsstatthalter) Franz Hofer on January 15, 1941. This affected nearly 2,151 Catholic communities in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Their assets were confiscated for the benefit of the "Aufbaufonds, Vermögensverwaltung Wien G. m. b. H." Gauleiter Hofer threatened anyone who maintained the Catholic associations, professional leagues, or congregations with a fine of between 150 and 15,000 Reichsmarks and/or a prison sentence of at least one month.

The Ban in Hall in Tyrol

On March 18, 1941, the Marian Congregation for Gentlemen and Citizens in Hall in Tirol was officially banned by the authorities. The chronicle reported:
"Immediately before the main feast of the Annunciation in 1941, the N.S.D.A.P. in Tyrol ordered the dissolution of all religious associations and decreed the confiscation of all their movable and immovable property. With this, the end of our Congregation had come. According to the directive of the enemies of the Church, a final one. In fact, the Congregation seemed coffined and extinguished. But it was, by God's will, only a brief sleep."
In 1941, the association had 245 full members from the town of Hall and 377 associate members from the surrounding area. The Congregation's assets, consisting of valuables, were handed over to the Hall parish church shortly before the dissolution by the Gestapo. The remaining funds were distributed to needy residents of Hall.

Defiance and Clandestine Activities

The chronicle of the Marian Congregation recounted the following:
"The two Gestapo officers who appeared before the Very Reverend Prefect Lambichler had to leave empty-handed. The Prefect, Johann Witsch, was summoned to the Party and subjected to a strict but fruitless interrogation regarding the Congregation's assets by a certain Dr. Wegescher. The silver cross was placed in the first pew on the right in the parish church for public veneration. The silver statue of the Mother of God was placed on the catafalque during requiems for deceased members. The partisan uniforms were ostensibly transferred into the personal possession of each individual member. After the fall of the Nazi oppression, the members hurried back to the banner of Mary with joy and enthusiasm. During the great hardships of the war, members held a communal rosary devotion on Sundays at 2 p.m. in the grace chapel in the parish church."

Post-War Reestablishment

The Marian Congregation for Gentlemen and Citizens in Hall in Tirol was reestablished on August 15, 1945. The chronicle reported in detail on the reestablishment:
"But it was, by God's will, only a brief sleep. As early as 1945, what is proclaimed in Holy Scripture as the fate of all godless powers was fulfilled":
"Before their stem can take root in the earth, God, the Lord, blows upon them and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble." (Isaiah 40:24)
Of the 245 full members from the town of Hall in Tirol and the 377 associate members from the surrounding area, approximately 47 full and 58 associate members had died, fallen in the war, or moved away in the period from 1941 to 1945.

New Leadership

On October 20, 1946, the long-serving prefect, Senior Mine Master (Oberbergmeister) Andreas Weber, was re-elected by a large majority. Mr. Karl Corazza, a savings bank director, was elected as 1st Assistant, and Mr. Johann Witsch, a salt mine smith, was elected as 2nd Assistant.