The Dark History of Solbad Hall: Remembering Nazi Persecution and Its Victims

During the Nazi regime, several individuals from Solbad Hall were arrested and deported to concentration camps, which often led to their deaths or their disappearance without a trace. The reasons for these arrests were varied, but all were arrested for deviating from Nazi ideology.
Some were targeted because they owned property coveted by party members. Furthermore, members of economically disadvantaged groups, such as the Yenish and Roma ("Gypsies"), were also arrested and deported to concentration camps.
At the time, the justifications for these arrests were linked to accusations like theft, fraud, or moral crimes. It is crucial to emphasize that within the context of the political persecution of the era, these charges were often used as a pretext to suppress, defame, and harass innocent people.
This dark chapter serves as a solemn reminder of the consequences of hatred, prejudice, and the abuse of power. Remembering these victims is a duty to history and a commitment to ensuring such injustices are never repeated.

Alois Berger (1882 – 1940)

Alois Berger was born on 9 January 1882 in Hall in Tirol and worked as a shoemaker in his hometown. He lived at Mustergasse 7. On 15 June 1938, he was arrested and detained until 23 August of the same year in the Dachau concentration camp under prisoner number 16117. He was arrested a second time and deported again to Dachau on 18 February 1940, where he remained until his death on 7 July 1940. The official cause of death was recorded as heart failure.
The reasons for his arrests were never disclosed.

Josef Mader (1881–1938)

The arrests of residents in Solbad Hall under the National Socialists continued. Josef Mader was born on 9 June 1881 in Hall and lived at Lendgasse 27. He worked as a carpenter in Hall. Following his arrest on 14 June 1938, he was taken to the Dachau concentration camp. On 26 August 1938, he was transferred to the Mauthausen concentration camp, where he died on 5 September 1938 from heart failure.
Josef Mader was arrested based on a dubious accusation, which served as a pretext to deport him to the Dachau concentration camp.

Ludwig Wolf (1902–1940)

Ludwig Wolf was born on 8 January 1902 in Innsbruck. He lived in Hall in Tirol at Mustergasse No. 4 and worked as a laborer in Hall. On 21 June 1938, he was arrested and transferred to Dachau Concentration Camp on 24 June 1938. At a later date, on 21 March 1939, he was moved to Mauthausen Concentration Camp, where he ultimately died of heart failure on 2 March 1940.

Helmuth Eifert (1908–1944)

Helmuth Eifert, born on 18 February 1908 in Kiel, worked as a carpenter and lived in Solbad Hall. He was arrested on 14 October 1943 and subsequently transferred to the Mauthausen concentration camp on 15 January 1944. No further records exist regarding his fate after this date.

Erwin Jäger (1911 – ?)

Erwin Jäger was born on May 23, 1911, in Hall in Tirol. He was a laborer who constantly had to scrape by with odd jobs. Because he was employed on construction sites all over Tyrol, he could not afford a permanent residence. On June 11, 1942, he was arrested by the Innsbruck criminal police on the pretext of vagrancy. Subsequently, he was deported to the Flossenbürg concentration camp on July 13, 1942, and from there to the Ravensbrück concentration camp on July 18, 1942. He survived Ravensbrück and emigrated to Canada.

Josef Niederleimbacher (1889 – 1942)

Josef Niederleimbacher, born on May 4, 1889, in Hall in Tirol, worked as a baker and resided at Höttingergasse 14 in Innsbruck. On May 25, 1942, Josef Niederleimbacher was arrested and deported to the Flossenbürg concentration camp on July 20, 1942. He died there on August 8, 1942, from the effects of heart failure due to acute bronchitis.

Franz Graf (1901 – 1944?)

Franz Graf was born on September 7, 1901, in Hall in Tirol. He worked as a sculptor in Arzl near Imst. His life changed drastically when the Gestapo arrested him on March 5, 1944. He was subsequently deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp on April 1, 1944. From that point on, there are no records of his fate.

Michael Eliskases (1886 – 1944)

Michael Eliskases was born on December 2, 1886, in Hall in Tirol. He was a farmer and lived in Hall in Tirol. On September 20, 1943, he was arrested by the Gestapo on charges of arson. Subsequently, he was deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp, where he died of "heart weakness" on February 15, 1944.
Today, it is known that the designation "heart weakness" as a cause of death in concentration camp records typically served as a euphemism for a violent death, either resulting from brutality at the hands of guards or from gassing.