Innsbruck 1945: Gestapo Planned Hostage Executions

4/15/2026

Tiroler Tageszeitung, No. 126, 1st year, November 17, 1945, p. 4
“Planned Hostage Murders in Innsbruck in April of This Year (1945). From the Files of the Gestapo”

Gestapo files reveal a prevented Nazi crime in Tyrol

📍 A Forgotten Chapter of Innsbruck’s History

In April 1945, in the final days of the Second World War, the Gestapo in Innsbruck planned the systematic murder of numerous individuals.
Newly analyzed historical records reveal that these so-called hostage killings were already fully prepared – including lists of names, verdicts, and a designated execution site.
That many of those affected survived was ultimately due only to the rapid collapse of the Nazi regime.

⚠️ The Arrests of April 19, 1945

On April 19, 1945, Nazi district leader Dr. Primbs ordered the arrest of numerous individuals.
Among them were primarily police officers:

Alois Schwarzenberger
Hans Paulweber
Peter Mangweth
Hans Klingenschmidt
Seppl Schoch
Alois Kuen
Egon Horst
Leo Makowetz
Georg Ehrenstrasser

Civilians were also targeted:

Chief Public Prosecutor Grünewald and his son
Mayor Schwarz (Volders)
Fritz Moser and Mrs. Moser
Karl Jelinek
Dr. Lunt
Mrs. Maurer

👉 Their alleged “crime”: suspicion of resistance or insufficient loyalty to the Nazi regime.

⚖️ Planned Show Trials and Executions

The detainees were not only to be imprisoned but publicly executed.
The executions were planned to take place at the Reichenau camp in Innsbruck, in the presence of high-ranking Nazi officials – as a final demonstration of power in the last days of the war.
The verdict had already been determined:
Death by hanging – with no possibility of appeal.
This reflected the brutal practices of Nazi special courts.

📝 The Gestapo “Death List"

A document dated April 23, 1945, shows that further executions were being prepared.
Under the title “Guidelines for the Elimination of Dangerous Subversives,” the Gestapo listed additional individuals who were to be:

immediately arrested
brutally interrogated
and subsequently executed

Those affected included:

Dr. Rudolf Mangutsch
Dr. Johann Blaas
Johann Bucher
Johann Planatscher
Ferdinand Müller
Franz Thaler
Alois Kleinschmidt
Dr. Gottfried Uffenheimer
Franz Ringer
Rudolf Hatzl
Karl Heiß
Josef Haselwanter
Josef Fioretti

⏳ Why the Murders Were Prevented

Most of the planned executions were never carried out.
The reason: organizational delays and the introduction of new lists caused postponements – at a time when the Nazi system was already collapsing.
Only a few weeks later, the rule of National Socialism ended in Austria.

🧭 Historical Context

🔚 The “End-Phase Crimes” of the Nazi Regime

The planned hostage murders are part of the so-called “end-phase crimes.”
These occurred in the final weeks of the war and were characterized by:

extreme willingness to use violence
fear of losing power
targeted killings of political opponents

Such crimes took place across many regions of the German Reich.

🏚️ The Reichenau Camp in Innsbruck

The Reichenau camp was a central site of political persecution in Tyrol.
It was intended as the location for the executions – staged publicly as a warning.

Michael and Peter Zwetkoff (EN)

📚 The Importance of Historical Documentation

The information is based on a post-war newspaper article derived from Gestapo files.
Such sources are crucial for uncovering Nazi crimes and documenting the fate of the victims.

🧾 Conclusion

The planned hostage murders in Innsbruck illustrate how far the Nazi regime was willing to go, even in its final days.
That many people survived was not due to mercy – but rather the rapid collapse of the system.
👉 These events serve as a powerful reminder of the dangers of state violence and ideological extremism.

📌 Source

Tiroler Tageszeitung, No. 126, 1st year, November 17, 1945, p. 4
“Planned Hostage Murders in Innsbruck in April of This Year (1945). From the Files of the Gestapo”

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