Plattner Anton O.Präm. (1906 - 1958)-"Persecuted clergyman and Nazi opponent"

The Persecution of Catholic Priests under National Socialism

The "Church Struggle" (Kirchenkampf) in Tyrol was particularly intense. The Nazi regime regarded the Catholic Church as an ideological opponent and sought to systematically destroy its influence. The Gestapo monitored clergy, banned church associations, and restricted religious events. Numerous priests came under the scrutiny of the persecution authorities due to regime-critical statements. Committal to a concentration camp could mean a death sentence – some Tyrolean clergy such as Josef Steinkelderer and Siegfried Würl narrowly survived the camps at Dachau and Sachsenhausen. The regime's sharpest weapon was the "Treachery Act" (Heimtückegesetz), which criminalized anti-state statements by priests as "pulpit abuse" and opened the door to denunciations.

read more: 

gedenkort.at/en/persons/f292034b-c141-5732-b8d9-e675993428be

www.erinnern.at/bundeslaender/tirol/termine/zum-gedanken-an-otto-neururer-und-maria-stromberger

Student Fraternities in the Resistance: The Nibelungia Hall

The K.ö.St.V. Nibelungia was founded in 1926 in Hall in Tyrol. As early as 1932, the fraternity clearly positioned itself against National Socialism – documented by its participation in the "Höttinger Saalschlacht," a violent clash between National Socialists and their opponents in Innsbruck. After the "Anschluss" of Austria in 1938, Catholic fraternities such as the Nibelungia were classified as hostile to the regime. On June 10, 1938, the fraternity was forcibly dissolved and its assets confiscated by the NSDAP. Nevertheless, the chronicler Anton Dosch continued the association's chronicle throughout the entire Nazi era – a courageous act of resistance that could have cost him his life if discovered by the Gestapo. Over 730 members of Catholic student fraternities were persecuted between 1938 and 1945; many ended up in concentration camps.

read more: 

K.ö.ST.V. Nibelungia-Hall in Tyrol-Blog (EN)

Dosch-Anton-Blog (EN)

Blog (EN) Sternkorona I

Historical Context: The Order and the Student Fraternity

The abbreviation O.Präm. stands for Ordo Praemonstratensis – the Order of Premonstratensian Canons, also known as Norbertines. This order, founded in the 12th century by Norbert of Xanten, combines monastic life with pastoral work. Anton Plattner was a member of Wilten Monastery in Innsbruck, one of the oldest Premonstratensian monasteries in the German-speaking region.
Plattner was also a member of the K.ö.St.V. Nibelungia Hall-MKV, a Catholic Austrian student fraternity founded in 1926 in Hall in Tyrol. The Nibelungia was part of the MKV (Mittelschüler-Kartell-Verband), an association of Catholic student fraternities. Such fraternities were rooted in the Catholic tradition and combined religious values with a strong Austrian consciousness – both characteristics that brought them into conflict with National Socialism.
As early as 1932, the Nibelungia positioned itself against the National Socialists, particularly in connection with the so-called "Höttinger Saalschlacht," a violent clash between National Socialists and Social Democrats in Innsbruck-Hötting.

read more: 

stift-wilten.at

The Persecution of Catholic Fraternities by the National Socialists

After the "Anschluss" of Austria in March 1938, the Nazi regime began systematically dismantling Catholic structures:

• On June 10, 1938, the student fraternity Nibelungia was forcibly dissolved and its assets confiscated by the NSDAP.
• In January 1941, Gauleiter Franz Hofer issued a decree for the dissolution of all Catholic associations in Tyrol and Vorarlberg – a total of 2,151 communities were affected.
• The Marian Congregation in Hall, to which numerous resistance fighters belonged, was officially banned on March 18, 1941.

In this climate of oppression, membership in a Catholic student fraternity became a risk – and for many, the starting point of resistance.

read more: 

Blog (EN) Marian Congregation of the Gentlemen and Burghers of Hall

Blog (EN) Sternkorona II

Blog (EN) Sternkorona III

Blog (EN) Sternkorona IV

 Plattner Anton O. Präm. (1906-1958)-"Persecuted clergyman and Nazi opponent

Introduction

"The Catholic priest Anton Plattner O. Präm., canon of Wilten and member of the Catholic student fraternity Nibelungia in Hall, is counted among Tyrol's Nazi resistance fighters. The Gestapo arrested him in 1939 for regime-critical sermons."

Photo: Anton Plattner, O.Präm. In: Wopfner, Helmut (ed.), Our Sternkorona Hall in Tyrol: Membership Directory 1888–1998, Hall in Tirol 1998, p. 156.

Anton Plattner – A Life of Resistance

The Catholic priest Anton Plattner was born on November 13, 1906, in Innsbruck. He studied theology as a member of the Augustinian Canon Monastery of Neustift near Brixen, but had to leave South Tyrol and his monastery after the Italian Fascists seized power. In 1923, he came to Innsbruck and entered Wilten Monastery. He celebrated his first Mass in 1929 in his home parish of Mühlau.
From 1937 onward, as pastor in Innsbruck-Amras, Plattner openly criticized in his sermons the Nazification of Austria with the German Reich and the systematic suppression of the Church by the National Socialists.
This stance did not remain without consequences: He had to endure approximately seventy interrogations by the Gestapo and twelve house searches.

Anton Plattner – Brief Biography

• Catholic priest, canon of Wilten, later city pastor in Innsbruck-Amras
• Member of Catholic student fraternities: TMV-Amelungia, Sternkorona Hall in Tyrol, K.ö.St.V./TMV-Nibelungia MKV (Hall in Tyrol), CV-Vindelicia (Innsbruck)
• Resistance activities: Public sermons against National Socialism, criticism of Church suppression and Nazi Gleichschaltung (coordination)

The Arrests

• July 1, 1939: Arrest by the Gestapo, imprisonment in the Innsbruck police prison until September 27, 1939
• 1940: Indictment for "unauthorized church collections" and violation of the Reich Literature Law through the printing of prayer cards. However, in the main hearing on November 1, 1940, he was acquitted
• April 18 to May 1, 1941: Another imprisonment together with Msgr. Michael Weisskopf (1890–1966), head of the pastoral office in Innsbruck, on suspicion of having stolen the miraculous image of Maria Waldrast. This miraculous image – a late Gothic Madonna from the 15th century – had been brought to safety in a nighttime operation by Hans Madersbacher and Franz Mair to prevent its confiscation by the National Socialists

read more: 

Blog (ENI) Dr. Josef Mair

Michael Weisskopf (EN)

Blog (EN) Maria Mair "Maria Mair, the Brave Woman from Glasnhof"

Blog (EN) Dr. Franz Kolb

Dr. Reinhold Stecher (EN)

Imprisonment and Interrogations by the Innsbruck Gestapo

Anton Plattner had to face approximately seventy interrogations by the Gestapo and twelve house searches. His regime-critical sermons made him an enemy of the Nazi regime early on. On July 1, 1939, he was arrested and held in the Innsbruck police prison until September 27, 1939. In 1940, an indictment followed for "unauthorized church collections" – the printing of prayer cards was deemed a violation of the Reich Literature Law. Plattner was acquitted on November 1, 1940. Yet the harassment continued: From April 18 to May 1, 1941, he was again in custody, this time together with Msgr. Michael Weisskopf, on suspicion of stealing the Waldrast miraculous image.

Rescue by a Courageous Woman

In 1941, Plattner was to be transferred to Berlin. Only the determined intervention of the farmer's wife Maria Mayr (known as "Stecher-Bäuerin") saved him from this fate. Wearing her Mother's Cross around her neck, she made it clear to those responsible that the pastor was to be released – with the words: "If the Führer knew what you are doing [...]."

read more: 

gedenkort.at/en/persons/1d29747c-64de-57fa-8cfe-7f9695aae7a2

Preserver of Tradition

Plattner saved his fraternity Amelungia's flag from the clutches of the Third Reich – it was sewn into his blanket and thus survived the Nazi era. Under his leadership, the TMV (Tyrolean Middle School Students' Association) was able to resume its work on June 16, 1945.
Anton Plattner died on November 25, 1958, in Innsbruck.

Summary / Conclusion

Anton Plattner – A Witness of Faith and Freedom

​Anton Plattner O.Präm. (1906–1958) was far more than a Catholic priest from Hall in Tyrol: He was a courageous contemporary witness who did not deny his convictions even in the darkest of times. As a canon of Wilten and a member of the Catholic student fraternity Nibelungia, he belonged to a network that opposed the National Socialist regime of injustice despite the threat of persecution.

His Legacy in Brief

• He preached openly against the Nazi dictatorship and accepted arrests, interrogations, and harassment as a result
• He preserved his fraternity's flag – a symbol of continuity and lived values
• He was part of a larger resistance network in Tyrol that found its home in the "Sternkorona Hall"
• He survived the Nazi era and, after 1945, made significant contributions to the new beginning of Catholic student fraternities

What We Can Learn from Plattner's Story

The biography of Anton Plattner reminds us that resistance against injustice often begins in small ways – in a sermon, in preserving a flag, in holding fast to one's own convictions. It urges us to remain vigilant against totalitarian tendencies and to advocate for the freedom of Church and society – today no less than back then.

Significance for the Hall in Tyrol Region

Hall in Tyrol was not only the place where the Nibelungia operated, but also a center of Catholic resistance. Personalities such as Anton Plattner, Michael Weisskopf, and other members of the "Sternkorona" shaped the intellectual life of the town and resisted the Nazi regime's coordination efforts.

read more:

Deanery-Hall-in-Tirol -resistance-Blog (EN)

Pfeifauf -Dr. -Nikolaus-und -Dr-Hermann- Blassnig-Blog (EN)

Concluding Thought

Anton Plattner died in 1958 – yet his legacy lives on: in the archives, in the memory of his fraternity brothers, and in the history of Tyrolean resistance. His life shows that faith and conviction can be stronger than any dictatorship.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who was Anton Plattner and what does "O.Präm." stand for?

Anton Plattner (1906–1958) was a Catholic priest, canon of the Premonstratensian monastery Wilten in Innsbruck, and later city pastor in Innsbruck-Amras.
The abbreviation O.Präm. stands for Ordo Praemonstratensis – the Order of Premonstratensian Canons (also known as Norbertines). This order was founded in the 12th century by Norbert of Xanten and combines monastic life with pastoral work.

2. Why was Anton Plattner persecuted by the National Socialists?

Plattner openly criticized in his sermons the Nazification of Austria with the German Reich and the systematic suppression of the Church by the National Socialists. This regime-critical stance brought him to the attention of the Gestapo. He had to endure approximately seventy interrogations and twelve house searches.

3. When and how often was Anton Plattner imprisoned?

Plattner was imprisoned a total of twice:
Period
Duration
Reason
July 1 – September 27, 1939
approx. 3 months
Arrest by the Gestapo, imprisonment in Innsbruck police prison

April 18 – May 1, 1941
approx. 2 weeks
Together with Msgr. Michael Weisskopf on suspicion of stealing the Waldrast miraculous image

In 1941, Plattner was to be transferred to Berlin. Only the courageous intervention of the farmer's wife Maria Mayr – she stood before those responsible wearing her Mother's Cross – saved him from this fate.

4. Which student fraternities was Anton Plattner a member of?

Anton Plattner was a member of several Catholic student fraternities:

• TMV-Amelungia (Innsbruck) – admitted in 1925 as "Ehrenbursch" (honorary member)
• K.ö.St.V./TMV-Nibelungia MKV (Hall in Tyrol)
• Sternkorona Hall in Tyrol
• CV-Vindelicia (Innsbruck)

read more:

gedenkort.at/en/persons/1d29747c-64de-57fa-8cfe-7f9695aae7a2

5. What was the Nibelungia and how did it behave under National Socialism?

The K.ö.St.V. Nibelungia was founded in 1926 in Hall in Tyrol as a Catholic student fraternity. As early as 1932, the fraternity clearly positioned itself against National Socialism – documented by its participation in the "Höttinger Saalschlacht," a violent clash with National Socialists in Innsbruck.
On June 10, 1938, the fraternity was forcibly dissolved and its assets confiscated by the NSDAP. Nevertheless, the chronicler Anton Dosch continued the association's chronicle throughout the entire Nazi era – a courageous act of resistance that could have cost him his life if discovered.

6. What happened to the fraternity's flag?

Anton Plattner saved his fraternity Amelungia's flag from the clutches of the Nazi regime – it was sewn into his blanket and thus survived the entire Nazi era. The flag was a symbol of community that contributed to the reactivation of the fraternity after the war.

7. What happened to Anton Plattner after 1945?

Under Plattner's leadership, the TMV (Tyrolean Middle School Students' Association) was able to resume its work on June 16, 1945. Anton Plattner continued to work as a priest and pastor until he died on November 25, 1958, in Innsbruck.

8. Where can I find out more about Anton Plattner?

Further information can be found in the following archives and institutions:

• DÖW – Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance
• Diocesan Archive Tyrol
• Parish Archive Hall in Tyrol
• Private Archive of the K.ö.St.V. Nibelungia-MKV Hall in Tyrol

9. What sources were used for this article?

• Wopfner Helmut (ed.): Our Sternkorona Hall in Tyrol. Membership Directory 1888–1998, Hall in Tyrol 1998, p. 156
• Chronicle of the K.ö.St.V. Nibelungia Hall (Private Archive)
• Gedenkort.at – Entry on Anton Plattner
• Fritz, Herbert/Krause, Peter: Wearing Colors, Professing Colors 1938–45. Catholic Corporation Members in Resistance and Persecution