Josef Egg (1891-1958)

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Anton Haller resistance group in Hall in Tyrol

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Josef Egg (German)

Photograph Josef Egg (1943). In private archive Claudia Weiler Hall in Tyrol.

Josef Egg – Courageous Resistance Out of Conviction

Commitment to Community and Education

Josef Egg was an active member of the municipal council of Hall from the 1930s onward. In his role as director of the boys’ secondary school (Knaben-Bürgerschule), he maintained close contact with parents, teachers, and families. His professional and public responsibilities gave him influence—while at the same time confronting him with serious moral challenges during a period of political oppression.

Attitude toward the Nazi Regime

From an early stage, Josef Egg demonstrated a clear and unwavering opposition to the National Socialist regime. He refused both to swear the required oath to Adolf Hitler and to join the Nazi Party (NSDAP). These decisions demanded considerable personal courage and had far-reaching consequences for his professional and social life.

From Passive to Active Resistance

At first, Egg’s resistance took the form of passive refusal: he declined to conform to the system or support its ideology. From the autumn of 1938 onward, however, he took a further step. Despite increasing sanctions, he actively opposed the authorities by refusing to educate young people in accordance with National Socialist ideology.

Faith as the Foundation of His Actions

Josef Egg’s actions were deeply rooted in his Catholic faith. It provided him with strength and guidance to stand against injustice and remain true to his convictions. His life is a powerful example of civil resistance grounded in personal belief and moral responsibility

A Role Model of Civil Courage

Josef Egg’s life vividly illustrates the courage required to oppose an unjust regime. His path from passive to active resistance makes him an important example of civil courage, integrity, and steadfastness.

Josef Egg – Resistance against the Nazi Regime (1938–1945)

Arrest and Dismissal (1938)

Following the annexation of Austria, Josef Egg became a target of the Nazi authorities due to his firm stance against the regime. From March 13 to April 12, 1938, he was held in protective custody by the Gestapo after refusing to join the Nazi Party (NSDAP) and to swear the oath to Adolf Hitler.
As a consequence, he lost all his leadership positions: he was removed both as director and teacher of the boys’ secondary school in Hall and as head of the vocational training school in Hall in Tyrol.

Transfer and Surveillance

Despite these measures, Josef Egg remained in the school system, though under significantly worsened conditions. From autumn 1938 to 1939, he worked as a secondary school teacher in Landeck, and from 1939 to 1942 in Telfs—each time with reduced salary.
During these years, he was under constant surveillance by the Gestapo. His freedom of movement was severely restricted: he was not allowed to leave his place of residence and was regularly monitored.

Active Resistance in the Underground

Despite ongoing repression, Josef Egg decided to intensify his resistance. In Landeck and Telfs, he founded anti-Nazi resistance groups together with like-minded teachers. In doing so, he took considerable personal risks and deliberately opposed the ruling system.

Return to Hall and Connection to the Resistance Movement

In 1943, Josef Egg was transferred back to Hall in Tyrol/Solbad Hall. There, he immediately joined the local resistance group led by Anton Haller and continued his opposition activities.

Photograph of Josef Egg and his three sons with his wife on the occasion of their silver wedding anniversary (1943).

Education as a Form of Resistance

A central focus of his efforts was the education and awareness of young people in opposition to National Socialist ideology. This goal was shared with the Hall resistance movement, and he pursued it with great determination.
Through his pedagogical work, Josef Egg made a significant contribution to civil resistance: he encouraged critical thinking and conveyed values that stood in clear contrast to the ideology of the Nazi regime.

Personal Losses during the Second World War

In addition to the severe repression by the National Socialist authorities, Josef Egg suffered a profound personal tragedy: the loss of his twin sons during the Second World War.
Otto Egg (1923 – May 22, 1943, killed in action in Nadino, Russia) and Josef Egg (1923 – February 8, 1944, killed in action in Nikopol, Russia) both lost their lives as soldiers on the Eastern Front.
The war in the East, particularly the fighting in the Soviet Union, was among the most brutal and costly theaters of the Second World War. Hundreds of thousands of young men from Austria and the German Reich were conscripted and sent to the front, where many perished under extreme conditions, inadequate supplies, and in devastating military offensives.
For families like that of Josef Egg, this meant not only the burden of political persecution and social pressure, but also deep personal loss. The deaths of his sons vividly illustrate the human cost of the war—and add a further tragic dimension to Egg’s resistance against the Nazi regime.

Photograph Memorial plaque Otto and Josef Egg. Photo in private archive Walder Hall in Tyrol.

Josef Egg – New Beginnings and Postwar Contributions (1945–1958)

Return to Education

After the end of the Second World War, Josef Egg was rehabilitated and reinstated as director of the boys’ secondary school in Hall. This marked not only his return to professional life but also a restoration of the public recognition that had been denied to him during the Nazi era.

Engagement in Local Politics

From 1947 onward, School Councillor Josef Egg once again served on the municipal council of Hall. In this role, he was particularly active in the administrative and legal committee, where he contributed his experience and strong sense of responsibility to the rebuilding of democratic structures.

A Silenced Legacy

It is notable that in the public obituaries following his death, his resistance activities between 1938 and 1945 were not mentioned. This omission reflects a broader pattern in postwar Austria, where resistance to the Nazi regime was often left unaddressed in public discourse.
Only in later decades did a more in-depth engagement with individual stories of resistance begin to emerge. In this context, Josef Egg’s life appears all the more significant today—as an example of civil courage, moral integrity, and quiet resistance in a time of dictatorship.

“Fiducit
Privy Councillor Josef Egg, Dr. cer., Thassilo
Retired State School Inspector, Solbad Hall"

Josef Egg – Biography (1891–1958)

Josef Egg was born on March 11, 1891, in Gries am Brenner, Austria, into a traditional farming family. He attended primary school in his hometown before enrolling in the teacher training college in Innsbruck in 1906, graduating in 1911. He began his career as a teacher in Vals and soon moved to Hall in Tirol, which became his lifelong professional home.

Early Career and World War I

In Hall, Egg worked as a primary school teacher and was also involved in vocational education. During World War I, he served in the military and was discharged as a highly decorated first lieutenant. After the war, he returned to teaching, advanced professionally, and eventually became director of the Bürgerschule (secondary school) in Hall. He also played an important role in vocational training, organizing evening courses and supporting young people—especially from rural backgrounds—in gaining better career opportunities

Professional Recognition and Persecution

For his achievements, Egg was awarded the honorary title of “Schulrat” (School Councillor) before 1938. However, following the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, he was removed from office, imprisoned, and subjected to persecution due to his refusal to support the regime.

Postwar Contributions to Education

After 1945, Josef Egg resumed his work in Hall and became a key figure in rebuilding the vocational school system in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. He was appointed Regional School Inspector for vocational education in 1950 and played an important role in educational development, including supporting school reconstruction efforts in South Tyrol. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the honorary title of “Hofrat” in 1956.

Personal Life and Legacy

Josef Egg was married to Anna Bliem, and they had three sons, two of whom died during World War II. Despite personal loss and the hardships he endured under the Nazi regime, he remained dedicated to education and public service throughout his life.
He passed away on June 29, 1958, in Hall in Tirol. Today, Josef Egg is remembered as a committed educator, a principled opponent of National Socialism, and a key contributor to the reconstruction of Austria’s educational system after the war.

Source: Alemannen Zeitung (issue 42), September 1958, p. 12 ff., in: Archive of the student fraternity Alemannia Innsbruck.