Nazi Persecution in Hall in Tyrol: Deportations, Victims, and Remembrance

8/23/2025

Introduction

During the Nazi era, numerous individuals from Hall in Tyrol (formerly known as Solbad Hall) were arrested and deported to concentration camps. For many, this resulted in death or disappearance without a trace. The reasons for these persecutions were varied—what united all victims, however, was that they were considered to deviate from Nazi ideology.
Some individuals were targeted because their property was coveted by members of the Nazi Party. Others were persecuted due to their social background, particularly members of marginalized communities such as the Yenish and Roma, who were derogatorily labeled as “Gypsies” by the Nazis.
Official charges often included accusations such as theft, fraud, or so-called “moral offenses.” Today, it is widely recognized that these allegations were frequently used as a pretext to systematically oppress, defame, and persecute innocent people.
This dark chapter in history serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of discrimination, prejudice, and the abuse of power. Remembering the victims is not only a duty to history but also an essential step in ensuring that 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.

Memorial Alois Berger

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.

Memorial Josef Mader

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.

Memorial Ludwig Wolf

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.

Helmuth Eifert

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.

Memorial Josef Niederleimbacher

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.

Michael Eliskases

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"Lost lives and stolen freedom
in Hall in Tyrol"