Anton Demanega – A Photographer of Resistance

Anton Demanega was born in Innsbruck 1910. After working as an employee in a local publishing house, he rose to become head of the Tyrolean State Photographic Office. To officially qualify for this role, he completed all required professional exams in photography through a second-chance education program.
He gained early recognition through his widely acclaimed publication The Book of the City of Innsbruck, which appeared in four editions and three languages. His photographic work spanned a wide range – from technical imagery to regional ethnography – yet his true strength lay in capturing works of fine art.
As the long-standing “court photographer” of the Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum, he developed a distinctive style: the objective, precise art photograph – free of romantic embellishment or dramatic lighting. His deliberate commitment to this sober and unadorned approach often stood in contrast to popular trends. While it may have cost him easy acclaim, it preserved the enduring value of his work.
His photographs appeared in professional journals, newspapers, and numerous publications, including major compendiums such as Maximilian in Tyrol and Art in Tyrol, the image guide From Augsburg to Verona (illustrated exclusively with his photographs), and the Crib Book: A Star Shines for Us.
His signature – A. Demanega, Innsbruck – remains a hallmark of photographic integrity, quiet resistance, and an unwavering dedication to truthfully portraying the work of art.

Photograph Anton Demanega (1930 years). In: private archive architect H. Demanega Innsbruck.

Resistance in Hall in Tirol: The Network Surrounding Dr. Viktor Schumacher and Anton Haller

As early as 1938, the shoemaker’s workshop of Anton Haller at Agramgasse 8 in Hall in Tirol served as a discreet meeting place for citizens critical of the regime. Since everyone needed shoes repaired or replaced, the workshop offered an ideal cover for exchanging views on the political situation without attracting attention. Only the closest circle around Dr. Viktor Schumacher and Anton Haller knew exactly who was involved in the activities. Among the first participants in these conspiratorial meetings were those who would later co-found the resistance movement in Hall. To safely identify new members, a shared recognition sign was agreed upon.
In March 1939, several former companions returned from a year of protective custody in the Dachau concentration camp – including Dr. Ernst Verdross, Dr. Anton Klotz, Dr. Manfred Mumelter, and Friedrich Corazza. Their return marked a turning point: with renewed courage and mental clarity, they contributed ideas, strategies, and political foresight to revitalize the resistance in Hall. Together, they began the long-term preparation for a political overthrow.
Between 1941 and 1945, a remarkable resistance network against the Nazi regime developed in Solbad Hall. Central figures included not only master shoemaker Anton Haller (1907–1958), but above all the physician Dr. Viktor Schumacher. Over the course of several years, they managed to build a trusted network of like-minded individuals – and, despite surveillance and repression, remained actively engaged.
Photographer Anton Demanega was drafted into the Wehrmacht in 1940 and served in France and Sicily. After being wounded in 1944, he was sent to a military hospital in Tyrol and subsequently worked as an administrative assistant in Innsbruck until the end of the war in April 1945. Neither he nor his family were members of the Nazi Party; on the contrary – Demanega firmly rejected it. After the war, he lived with his wife and their daughter at Gnadenwald No. 12, as their apartment on Mariahilf Street in Innsbruck had been destroyed by bombing in 1944.

Photograph Anton Demanega (1960). In: private archive architect H. Demanega Innsbruck.

The Dramatic Final Days of the Resistance: Anton Demanega in Action

On May 2, 1945, the inner circle of the Hall resistance movement met at the apartment of Anton Haller to prepare for an armed uprising against the Nazi regime. Among those present were Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Anton Demanega, Anton Dosch, Anton Walder, and the acting mayor, Ing. Walter Jud. The group aimed to enable the peaceful surrender of the town to American forces. Jud was to approach the Americans under a white flag. The resistance also received support from Solbad Hall’s military commander, Captain Johann Baumgartner.
During the night of May 3, Anton Haller and Anton Walder traveled to Innsbruck to hold talks with the Austrian resistance command under Dr. Karl Gruber. Back in Hall, they waited in vain for the agreed signal to be broadcast on the radio. Further strategy meetings took place at Haller’s apartment – again with the involvement of Anton Demanega, who, despite his military service and injury, had been actively working in the resistance since his return.
After the final meeting, Dr. Viktor Schumacher went to his medical practice with Anton Demanega to contact the resistance headquarters in Innsbruck by telephone. During the call, the words “Then we strike now” were overheard by a postal employee and reported to Gauleiter Franz Hofer. That same night, Dr. Schumacher was arrested by the SS.
Thanks to a warning from Captain Baumgartner, the other members of the group were able to go into hiding in time. Anton Demanega found refuge in Hall. The weapons that had been prepared were quickly concealed, while the Gestapo and SS had already begun surveillance operations.

The Liberation of Hall on May 3, 1945

On May 3, 1945, Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Anton Haller, Anton Demanega, Ehrenreich Thöni, and Anton Walder returned to Hall. The resistance combat groups of Hall’s resistance movement immediately took control of key buildings, guard posts, and strategic points throughout the town to prevent looting and chaos.
That same evening, Dr. Viktor Schumacher was elected mayor by members of the resistance movement.
On the morning of May 4, 1945, the peaceful surrender of the town of Hall to the representative of the American military government, Arthur G. Weeks, took place at the town hall. This historic act was witnessed by Dr. Ernst Verdross and Anton Haller. Two days later, on May 6, 1945, Dr. Viktor Schumacher was officially confirmed as mayor by the U.S. military government.
The leading figures of the Hall resistance movement included Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Dr. Ernst Verdross, Anton Haller, Anton Demanega, Prof. Anton Dosch, and Anton Walder. Heinz Ehrenreich-Thöni, for whom no known photograph exists, also played a crucial role. United in purpose, they worked with determination toward the collapse of the Nazi regime and the peaceful handover of the town to the Allied forces.

Photograph Anton Demanega (1960). In: private archive architect H. Demanega Innsbruck.

Anton Demanega – Photographic Testimonies of the Tyrolean Resistance

Photographer Anton Demanega made a significant contribution to the visual historiography of the Tyrolean resistance against the Nazi regime through his photographic documentation. All of the photographs featured in Rudolf Mackowitz’s publication Kampf um Tirol, which depicts key events surrounding the liberation of Innsbruck in the spring of 1945, were taken by him. Demanega’s images are far more than illustrative accompaniments: they serve as visual sources of considerable historical value, enabling a nuanced reconstruction of the final days of the war and the role of the local resistance. Through his photographic work, an essential part of Tyrol’s contemporary history has been preserved for future generations.
 

Photographs in Tyrolean provincial archives.