"Brief Profiles of the Members of the resistance group of Dipl.-Ing. v. Hradetzky"

Introduction

The resistance group surrounding Dipl.-Ing. Anton v. Hradetzky emerged in the Innsbruck and Hall in Tirol region and consisted of former senior civil servants, legal experts, engineers, and intellectuals—many of whom had held leading roles before 1938. After Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany, several members were dismissed from public service or imprisoned. Their resistance took the form of intellectual and organizational opposition: through regular meetings, they developed ideas for Austria’s democratic renewal. In the final days of the war, the group took active steps to secure a peaceful transition of administrative power in Tyrol.

Dipl.-Ing. Anton von Hradetzky (1900-1972)

Dipl.-Ing. Anton ("Nino") von Hradetzky (25 Oct 1900 – 14 May 1972) Resistance Organizer, Engineer, Civil Servant
Even during the First Austrian Republic, Anton von Hradetzky was politically active. In 1934, he survived a bomb attack by Nazis in his Vienna apartment. He was married to Helene (née von Moschen, 14 Dec 1903 – 29 Sep 1994).
Following the Anschluss in 1938, he was arrested and dismissed from civil service. During the Nazi era, he built a vast network of intellectual and political resistance in Tyrol, coordinating contacts between former politicians, civil servants, academics, and members of diverse political factions. In April/May 1945, he played a pivotal role in the Resistance takeover of the Landhaus (Tyrolean government building) in Innsbruck.

Dr. Leo Praxmarer (1910–1983)

Lawyer, Civil Servant, Resistance Fighter
​Dismissed from public service in 1938, Praxmarer became active in Hradetzky’s inner circle. He participated in key meetings and worked to prepare for the political transition. In the final days of the war, he negotiated with high-ranking officials to secure an orderly handover of the Tyrolean administration. After 1945, he resumed his career as a civil servant in Tyrol.

Dr. Anton Klotz (1889–1961)

Lawyer, Journalist, Former Concentration Camp Prisoner
​After returning from Buchenwald concentration camp on May 8, 1941, Klotz joined Hradetzky's resistance group and the anti-Nazi movement in Hall in Tirol. He lived in Hall (Fuxmagengasse 25) and was friends with Dr. Ernst Verdross. Due to his unwavering anti-Nazi stance, the Allies appointed him founding editor-in-chief of the Tiroler Tageszeitung in 1945—a position he held until his death in 1961.

Dr. Ernst Verdross (1892–1963)

Lawyer, Municipal Official in Hall in Tirol, Former Concentration Camp Prisoner
​Verdross worked as a lawyer for the Hall municipal administration before being persecuted for his opposition to the Nazi regime and imprisoned in Dachau concentration camp. Following his return, he became active not only in monarchist resistance circles but also in Anton Haller's resistance group in Hall in Tirol, and later worked with Dr. Anton Klotz in Dipl.-Ing. Hradetzky's resistance network. Together with other former political allies, he contributed to intellectual preparations for Tyrol's post-war political transformation. His legal expertise informed discussions about establishing a future democratic administration. He was the brother of the renowned international law scholar Dr. Alfred Verdross (1890-1980).

Dir. Ing. Wilfried Egger

Engineer, Civil Servant
​Director (Dir.) Ing. Egger was also removed from public service in 1938. A close confidant of Hradetzky, he hosted many resistance meetings at his home. With his technical expertise and administrative experience, he played a key organizational role in the resistance network—particularly in coordinating communication between districts.

Dr. Anton Melzer (1898–1951)

Judge, Writer, Cultural Politician
​Dr. Anton Melzer worked as a jurist and cultural official during the First Austrian Republic. Imprisoned after the 1938 Anschluss, he later joined the resistance. Committed to Austria’s political and cultural revival, he contributed both legal expertise and cultural-political vision to the group’s strategic discussions.

Dr. Robert Skorpil (1894–1985)

Judge, Writer, Cultural Politician
​Skorpil served as a jurist and cultural official during the First Austrian Republic. Imprisoned after the 1938 annexation, he later joined the resistance movement. Dedicated to Austria's political and cultural renewal, he contributed both legal expertise and cultural-political vision to the group's strategic discussions.

Prof. Dr. Franz Mair (1910–1945)

Teacher, Educator, Resistance FighterDr. Mair was deeply committed to the political education of youth. He worked with Karl Gruber's circle of "young activists" while also supporting Hradetzky's resistance group. On May 3, 1945, during the military operation to liberate Innsbruck's Landhaus, he was fatally shot—becoming one of the last Tyrolean resistance fighters to sacrifice his life for freedom.

"Dr. Mair: The Teacher Who Fought—and Died—for Austria’s Future"