Sternkorona IV

Josef Pöschl (1898 – 1965) 

Josef Pöschl was an Austrian postal official and resistance fighter against the Nazi regime. Opposed to Nazism for both Catholic and monarchist reasons, he joined the "Gruppe Post" resistance group in 1943. This group prevented the destruction of telecommunication facilities, maintained secret communication lines with the Allies, and operated a wiretapping service, in which Pöschl played a key role. After the war, he continued his career in the postal service and retired as a post office director. (See blog post Josef Pöschl)

Photo: Josef Pöschl, in:  Wopfner ,Helmut (Hrsg.): Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p.101.

Mag. Dr. phil. Rudolf Schiessl (1919-1998)

Rudolf Schiessl (born 1919) was an Austrian teacher and resistance fighter. During his studies, he joined the banned student fraternity Leopoldina. Towards the end of World War II, he became a teacher in Hall and joined the "Haller-Dosch" resistance movement in March 1945. His group rejected armed actions but supported the peaceful return of Mayor Dr. Schumacher by procuring a car for him to protect him from the SS. (see blog post Dr. Rudolf Schiessl)

Photo: Schiessl Rudolf.  In:  Wopfner,Helmut (Hrsg.):  Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p.101. 

Dr. Viktor Schumacher: Doctor, Resistance Fighter, and Saviour of Hall

Dr. Viktor Schumacher (1894-1973), a municipal doctor and councillor in Solbad Hall, was a key figure in the resistance against National Socialism. Immediately after the Annexation in 1938, he saved countless people from persecution by securing secret documents. Despite multiple arrests by the Gestapo, he built up the Hall resistance movement. Having narrowly escaped execution on May 3, 1945, he returned to Hall that same day and was elected mayor of the liberated town. His leadership enabled the peaceful handover of Hall to the Allied forces. (see blog post Dr. med. Viktor Schumacher)

Photo Dr. Viktor Schumacher.  In: Wopfner, Helmut (Hrsg.): Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p.79.

Dr. phil. Ludwig Sölder (1921 – 2010) ​

​Ludwig Sölder (1921-2010), a soldier in the German Wehrmacht, saved two Jewish women – a mother and her daughter – from persecution in Croatia in 1943. He refused to arrest them and instead issued them an official certificate of harmlessness. This courageous act, which he performed despite the mortal danger to himself, enabled the women to survive the Holocaust. In 1995, he was honored for this deed by the State of Israel and the Jewish Community of Innsbruck.
(See blog post Dr. Ludwig Sölder)

Photo Ludwig Sölder.  In: Wopfner,Helmut  (Hrsg.): Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p.160.

Dr. med. Ludwig Hörbst (1903–1981): From Persecutee to Rector

The career of the Tyrolean physician Ludwig Hörbst is a prime example of the upheavals of the 20th century. In 1938, he was dismissed from the University of Innsbruck for political and racial reasons and imprisoned. Despite serving as a military doctor, he was again discharged from the Wehrmacht in 1944. After 1945, he returned to Innsbruck, becoming head of the ENT clinic, dean, and finally, in 1964/65, rector of the University of Innsbruck—a late rehabilitation and a symbol of democratic renewal. (see blog post Dr. Hörbst)

Portrait of Dr. Ludwig Hörbst. (Source: Wopfner, Helmut (ed.): Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888–1998. Thaur 1998, p.115.)

Dr. jur. Andreas Junger (1918 – 1970) : A Life Marked by Vocation, War, and Trauma

The life of Dr. jur. Andreas Junger was shaped by the political turmoil of the 20th century. After attending the Franciscan Gymnasium in Hall and entering the Salzburg seminary, he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht in 1939. Careless remarks on the Arctic Front led to his arrest and transfer to a penal battalion, which left him severely traumatized. Although he successfully completed a law degree after the war, he never fully recovered from his wartime experiences. He died in Reutte in 1970.
 (See blog post Dr. jur. Andreas Junger)

Photo Dr. jur. Andreas Junger. In:  Wopfner, Helmut (Hrsg.): Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p.154.

Dr. jur. Wilhelm Komarek (1877 – 1955): A Life of Setbacks and Principle

The biography of the jurist Dr. Wilhelm Komarek is marked by personal and political upheavals, but also by civil courage and the life-saving power of networks. After his education in Hall, Tyrol, and earning his doctorate, he established himself as a lawyer in Reutte, where he became politically active. A professional setback, exploited by his opponents, forced him to leave.
In Melk, he became a determined opponent of National Socialism, which led to professional reprisals and, after the Annexation of Austria in 1938, to his imprisonment for one year. Only with the help of his student fraternity brothers was he able to build a new life. He retired in 1951 and spent his final years in Hall, Tyrol. His life stands as a testament to resistance against injustice and the importance of solidarity in times of persecution.
(See blog post Dr. Komarek)

Photo Dr. jur. Wilhelm Komarek. In:  Wopfner, Helmut (Hrsg.): Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p.28.

Hermann Krabacher (1897 – 1972)

Hermann Krabacher was born on May 13, 1897, in Tarrenz near Imst, Tyrol. Because of his Catholic-Austrian convictions, he was imprisoned by the Nazis in the Innsbruck Regional Court prison from March 15 to May 30, 1938, following their rise to power.
On May 31, 1938, he was deported to the Dachau concentration camp, where he was held until March 13, 1939. After the end of the war, he became the business manager for the Diocesan Caritas. (see blog post Hermann Krabacher)

Dr. jur. Ludwig Margreiter (1885 – 1964) ​

Ludwig Margreiter was an Austrian lawyer and political figure. Born in Tyrol, he studied law in Prague and Innsbruck, where he was active in Catholic student fraternities. After serving in World War I and enduring captivity as far as Vladivostok, he established a law practice in Zell am See and became vice-mayor. Following the Anschluss (Nazi annexation of Austria), he was arrested twice and eventually forced to leave his home for Vienna. After World War II, he resumed his career and was appointed to the Austrian Constitutional Court in 1945.

Photo Dr. Ludwig Margreiter, in: Helmut Wopfner (Hrsg.), Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998, Thaur 1998, p. 47.

Dr. jur. Franz Nikoladoni (1889-1967): A Legal Career Shaped by Political Upheaval

This abstract outlines the life of Dr. Franz Nikoladoni, an Austrian jurist whose career was marked by the turbulent mid-20th century. After his education in Hall in Tirol and legal studies in Innsbruck, he rose to prominent roles as a state prosecutor and, from 1936-1938, as head of the Upper Austrian Civil Servants Chamber and a leader within the Vaterländische Front. Following the 1938 Anschluss, he was arrested, forcibly retired, and later dismissed from a labour office job for political reasons, eventually finding work in a metalware factory. After World War II, he resumed his legal career, becoming the head of the public prosecutor's office in Steyr and later Senior Public Prosecutor in Linz, demonstrating a remarkable professional resurgence.

Dr. jur. Alfons Troll (1889-1964): A Vorarlberg Life in Law and Politics

This post explores the life of Dr. Alfons Troll, a significant figure in 20th-century Vorarlberg history. It traces his path from his education and early involvement with student fraternities to his political peak as the regional governor (Landesstatthalter) from 1934-1938. The article covers the drastic turn his life took following the Nazi annexation of Austria, which led to his imprisonment and forced withdrawal from public life. Finally, it highlights his post-war resurgence as a respected jurist, serving as President of the Feldkirch Regional Court from 1951-1955, embodying a story of political upheaval, personal resilience, and post-war renewal.

Photo Dr. jur. Troll, Alfons.  In:  Wopfner, Helmut (Hrsg.):  Unsere Sternkorona Hall in Tirol. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1888 – 1998. Thaur 1998, p. 71.