Goals of the Resistance Movements in Solbad Hall

The political objectives of the various resistance groups in Solbad Hall differed significantly, yet they were united in one overarching aim: to overthrow Nazi rule.
The monarchists believed that restoring the monarchy was the best form of government. The communists argued that only a socialist system could end the exploitation of the working class and create a just society. Meanwhile, the socialists and supporters of what would later become the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) were convinced that a republic was the only true form of democracy, essential for a free and self-determined Austria.
One notable group, led by Anton Haller and Dr. Viktor Schumacher, pursued a multifaceted resistance strategy: undermining the prestige of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), subverting the Wehrmacht, spreading news from foreign broadcasts, establishing contact with Allied forces, educating youth in schools, infiltrating military offices to influence draft exemptions, forging documents, sheltering deserters, connecting with forced laborers, and preparing for a potential collapse of the regime.
This blog explores their daring efforts, ideological divides, and shared struggle against tyranny.

Resistance against the National Socialist regime was never just the domain of a few courageous individuals. Every act of defiance, whether large or small, played a vital role and reminds us that we must never remain silent in the face of injustice.

Motivations for Resistance in Solbad Hall / Hall in Tirol

The opposition in Hall had varied reasons for joining the resistance. The primary motivations were:

• Concern for Austria's freedom.
• The abolition of the rule of law.
• The severe restriction of freedom of speech.
• The state takeover of the education system.

A particular point of outrage was the dissolution of 22 Catholic associations by the Nazis (following the earlier ban of socialist and communist groups in 1934). These included organizations such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Journeymen's Association, the Catholic Workers' Association, the St. George's Scouts, and the student fraternities Nibelungia and Sternkorona. The assets of all these associations were confiscated for the benefit of the local NSDAP.
Members of the Marian Congregation for Men, including figures like Dr. Viktor Schumacher (1894–1981), Anton Haller (1907–1958), Josef Wagner (1875–1964), Anton Walder Sr. (1870–1943), Paul Bruch (1897–1962), Alois Tusch (1898–1963), and Josef Viertl (1905–1991), were actively involved in the Hall resistance. All monasteries and religious communities in Hall were persecuted by the National Socialists.
Personal grievances also played a significant role in driving individuals to resist. Many families were subjected to surveillance by Nazi supporters, as experienced by Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Dr. Ernst Verdross-Drossberg (1892–1963), Bernhard Stolberg zu Stolberg (1881–1952), Friedrich Corazza (1897–1944), and Anton Dosch (1914–1979).

Aims of the Resistance Movement in Solbad Hall

The political objectives of the various resistance groups in Hall differed significantly, yet they were all united in their ultimate goal: to overthrow Nazi rule.

• Monarchists believed the monarchy was the best form of state organization for Austria.
• Communists were convinced that only a communist system could end the exploitation of the working class and create a just society.
• Socialists and supporters of what would later become the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) held that a republic was the only true form of democracy and that Austria could only be free and self-determined as a republic.

Objectives of the Anton Haller and Dr. Viktor Schumacher Group

The group led by Anton Haller and Dr. Viktor Schumacher pursued multiple objectives:

• Undermining the prestige of the NSDAP.
• Sabotaging the Wehrmacht's morale and structure.
• Disseminating news from foreign radio broadcasts.
• Establishing contact with foreign allies.
• Educating youth in schools (with anti-Nazi perspectives).
• Infiltrating Wehrmacht offices to influence exemptions from military service.
• Producing false documents.
• Sheltering deserters.
• Making contact with foreign forced laborers.
• Making preparations for a potential collapse of the regime.

The Resistance Group of Dr. Viktor Schumacher and Anton Haller

A strong resistance group that formed against the Nazi regime was founded by Dr. Viktor Schumacher (1894–1981) and Anton Haller (1907–1958) as early as 1938.
Their first action took place on the night of March 11-12, 1938, in the town hall of Hall. Together with Jakob Schonger (1900–1980) and Engineer Richard Matt (1905-1959), they secured the files and membership lists of the Vaterländische Front (Fatherland Front) in hidden locations. This action saved the lives of many citizens of Hall by sparing them imprisonment and deportation.

Foto Dr. Viktor Schumacher. In Privatarchiv Schumacher Hall in Tirol.

Ing. Richard Matt. In Privatarchiv Matt Hall in Tirol.

Jakob Schonger. In Privatarchiv Schonger Hall in Tirol.

Anton Haller. Online, https://www.parlament.gv.at/person/494 (Access: January 5, 2025)

First Action of the Resistance Group around Dr. Viktor Schumacher and Anton Haller

One hour before the town hall was occupied by NSDAP party cadres on March 12, 1938, Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Engineer Richard Matt, Jakob Schonger, and Anton Haller decided to secure the files and records of the district leadership of the Vaterländische Front. Above all, the membership directories had to be saved from NSDAP access to protect members from arrest.
This action was successful because the National Socialists guarded the front entrance while Anton Haller's group left the magistrate's building through a rear exit. Despite interrogations, the Gestapo was unable to locate the files and lists throughout the entire period of Nazi rule. From this point on, regular meetings of this first resistance cell around Anton Haller took place.

Photo Caption: March 13, 1938: Wehrmacht troops marching into the Lower Town Square (Unterer Stadtplatz) in Hall in Tirol. Source: Private Archive Reinhart Federspiel, 6068 Absam.

Arrest of Opposition Figures in Hall in Tirol on March 11/12, 1938

In a decisive blow against the early resistance (1938–1940), SS and SA units of the Nazi regime arrested opposition members in Solbad Hall during the night of March 11–12, 1938. The first wave of arrests targeted figures from oppositional and bourgeois circles, who were taken into "protective custody" at the district court in Hall. Those detained included:

• Dr. Viktor Schumacher (1894–1981), municipal doctor.
• Captain d. R. Herbert Plattner (1879-?)
• Anton Haider, sexton in Absam (1903-1979).
• Count Galen Christof, estate owner in Baumkirchen (1885-?).
• Karl Farbmacher, butcher and municipal councilor (1907-?).
• Andreas Weber, chief foreman (1878-?).
• Karl Durkowitzer, innkeeper "Post" (1904-?).
• Pius Reinmayer, school attendant (1907-?).
• Johann Witsch, salt mine blacksmith.

Further arrestees were members of the monarchist-legitimist resistance and other prominent citizens, such as:

• Bernhard Stolberg zu Stolberg (1881–1952)
• Dr. Ernst Verdross-Drossberg (1898–1963), magistrate director (sent to Dachau, prisoner #14354).
• DDr. Arthur Reisinger (1899–1983)
• Court Councillor Dr. Manfred Mumelter (1885-1965), Dachau prisoner #14350.
• Supporters of Chancellor Dr. Kurt Schuschnigg (1897–1977), including:
  • Dipl. Ing. Herbert Pichler (b. 1900), Dachau prisoner #14349.
  • Police Inspector Friedrich Corazza (1897–1944), Dachau prisoner #14353.
  • Director Josef Egg (1891–1958).

These individuals were taken to the Hotel Sonne in Innsbruck and labeled as particularly dangerous opponents. Despite this severe setback, the first detainees returned to Solbad Hall after a month of imprisonment. Dr. Viktor Schumacher subsequently joined and became a driving force in the resistance group around Anton Haller.

Meeting Point of Opposition Forces in Hall in Tirol, 1938–1945

As early as 1938, the shoemaker's workshop at Agramgasse 8 served as a meeting point for opposition forces in Hall. Since everyone needed to buy or repair shoes, sympathizers could inconspicuously discuss the political situation with Anton Haller. Only the innermost circle around Dr. Viktor Schumacher and Anton Haller knew which local residents were involved in the activities.
The co-founders of the Hall resistance movement were among the first participants in these meetings. A general recognition signal was agreed upon to identify new members. Between 1941 and 1945, master shoemaker Anton Haller played a central role in the resistance in Solbad Hall, forming a network of fighters that included Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Anton Demanega (1910-1987), and Anton Dosch (1914-1979).

Photo: Entrance to the shoemaker's workshop at Agramgasse 8, Hall in Tirol. Source: Private Archive K. Walder, Hall in Tirol.

Return of Numerous Prisoners to Solbad Hall/Hall in Tirol in 1939

In 1939, numerous individuals arrested after the Anschluss returned to Hall from prisons and concentration camps such as Dachau, Mauthausen, and Gusen. They, too, became bearers of the resistance. Among them were respected Hall citizens like Court Councillor Dr. Manfred Mumelter, Dr. Ernst Verdross, and municipal policeman Friedrich Corazza.
The years following the annexation meant severe social hardship and isolation for most of them, as comprehensive Gestapo surveillance made contact with like-minded individuals difficult. Church attendance increased during the war years, providing an opportunity for those willing to resist to exchange ideas. Although the 1939 Corpus Christi procession was only possible on a limited scale due to restrictions, it was not banned, and public participation was exceptionally high.
Despite the arrests, Catholic resistance continued underground. In the summer of 1939, SD security reports indicated that in Tyrol, the passive struggle of the Catholic resistance had transformed into active illegal activity.

Photo: Josef Terrabona, file card number: 14_2-2. Source: City Archive/Image Archive Hall in Tirol.

Merger of the Anton Haller Resistance Group with the Social Democratic/Communist Resistance Group in 1941

In 1941, Anton Haller successfully gained the cooperation of Social Democratic and Communist Party supporters in Solbad Hall, led by Heinz Ehrenreich-Thöni, Josef Terrabona, and Viktor Wachter, for the resistance effort. The socialist and communist resistance movement in Hall in Tirol had existed since 1934, engaged in distributing leaflets, painting hammer-and-sickle symbols on house walls, and spreading propaganda.
Josef Terrabona, Viktor Wachter, and Ehrenreich Thöni organized ammunition and weapons to equip the movement for an uprising. Couriers, such as Johanna Wagner, delivered ammunition as far as the Piburg group in the Ötztal valley. (See blog: Johanna Wagner)
From the Social Democratic Workers' Party, the following participated in Anton Haller's resistance: Franz Bucher (1899-1975), Nikolaus Laimgruber (1893-1980), Josef Schaidreiter (1904-1948), Hubert Schittelkopf (1909-1968), Stefan Schwaiger (b. 1893-?), Josef Terrabona (1898-1986), Heinz Ehrenreich Thöni (1894-1971), Viktor Wachter (1890-1960), Josef Wappitsch (b. 1901-?), Josef Weigand (b. 1899-?), and Florian Wirtenberger.
The communist Johann Bauer, arrested by the Gestapo in 1940 and held for four months, also joined the Hall resistance. (See blog: Social Democratic Resistance Movement)

Resistance Network in Innsbruck: The Sabotage Cell in the Military Registration Office by Anton Walder and Cooperation with Anton Haller (1942)

Photo: Anton Walder (1942). Source: Private archive K. Walder, Hall in Tirol.

In 1942, Anton Haller and Engineer Richard Matt spoke with Anton Walder (1913-1985) from the resistance circle of the Wehrmacht Registration Office (Wehrmeldeamt) in Innsbruck to recruit him for Hall's resistance. Under Anton Walder's leadership, a well-organized sabotage cell was established within the office, leading to the exemption of numerous soldiers from military service. When exemption was not possible, the young men were transferred to posts of particular intelligence value for the resistance movement.
As a member of the Hall resistance circle, Post Inspector Anton Walder (1913–1985) was also responsible for organizing and maintaining contact with other resistance groups. He acted as a liaison to the Post & Telegraph Office group, of which he was a founding member (1938), and to the Wehrmacht Registration Office group around Fritz Würthle in Innsbruck. (See blog entries: Anton Walder I and II)

Network of Resistance in Tyrol around Anton Haller: Contacts, Cover Identities, and Clandestine Meeting Points (1942-1945)

Anton Haller maintained close contacts with other key figures such as Dr. Hautz, First Lieutenant Johann Baumann, Staff Sergeant Major Schmidt, and Fritz Würthle. He received crucial support from the Tyrolean Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer Tirol). This organization facilitated the establishment of numerous cover positions, arranged by doctors including Dr. Santer, Prof. Dr. Anton Hittmayr (DÖW 4329), Dr. Oberhofer, Dr. Hahn, and Dr. Krautschiedl.
Clandestine Meeting Points and Cover
Regular meeting points for the group included the Gasthaus Maria Theresia in Solbad Hall, the Weiße Kreuz, and the Hotel Kreid in Innsbruck. Disguised meetings took place during church services, religious celebrations, funerals, sporting events, or in coffee houses; often, gatherings were camouflaged as visits to the sick. Nevertheless, Anton Haller's workshop remained the central and most important venue for political exchange.

Networking with Regional Resistance Groups

The network was closely connected with other resistance groups in the vicinity, such as around Mayor Kaltenhauser in Ampass, Line Shipping Lieutenant Conte Veith (1878-1959) in Tulfes, Ebenbichler in Volders, and Tuninger in Gnadenwald. A particularly significant connection existed from the beginning of Nazi rule with the regionally active resistance circle around Engineer Anton Hradetzky, who maintained a widely branched network of allies throughout Tyrol. (See the blog entry on the Resistance Group Ing. Anton Hradetzky, as well as the blog Conte Veith).

Organizational Consolidation and Personnel Expansion from 1943

Foto Anton Demanega. In Privatarchiv Demanega Innsbruck.

From 1943 onward, the organized resistance group around Anton Haller received significant reinforcement. The circle around Dr. Viktor Schumacher and Haller himself now formed an expanded leadership staff, which included:

• Dr. Viktor Schumacher (1894–1981)
• Anton Haller (1907–1958)
• Prof. Anton Dosch (1914–1979)
• Heinz Ehrenreich Thöni (1894–1971)
• The photographer Anton Demanega (1910-1987)
• Anton Walder (1913–1985)

Furthermore, numerous personalities from Catholic circles joined and strengthened the group. Among those who joined were:

• School Superintendent Josef Egg (1891–1958)
• Dr. Ernst Verdross (1892–1963)
• Martin Berger (1885–1953)
• Paul Bruch (1897–1962)
• Hermann Kerbler (1893–1982)
• Rudolf Knapp (1890 –1961)
• Josef Müller (1908–1980)
• Alois Tusch (1898–1963)
• Josef Viertl (1905–1991)
• Julius Vogth (1893–1983)
• Josef Wagner (1875–1964)
• Leopold Wedl (1907–1965)
• Karl Zanger (b. 1890)

Intensification of the Resistance: Networks, Partisan Warfare, and Dangerous Double Games (1943–1945)

In the final phase of the Second World War, organized resistance in the region of Hall in Tirol, Innsbruck, and Gnadenwald intensified. The activities reached a new level of quality and scope.

Undermining Military Strength and Medical Resistance

Cooperation with the Regional Medical Service (Regionaler Ärztlicher Dienst, R.A.D.) deepened. Anton Walder systematically expanded the resistance cell within the Innsbruck Military Registration Office (Wehrmeldeamt) to undermine the war effort. In coordination with the circle of doctors, they succeeded in exempting numerous young men from military service by certifying them as unfit for duty.

The Partisan Camp in Vomperloch

In 1943, the Gnadenwald resistance group established a secret partisan camp in the remote Vomperloch area. Initially, only the most trustworthy men were housed there. The logistics and accommodation were primarily the responsibility of Post Inspector Martin Berger from the Hall group.
Friedl Steinlechner was considered the first "Vomperlocher." In the spring of 1945, Franz Obleitner, Hans Norz, Max Bliem, and Edi Weber from Hall joined them. The camp's supply was organized mainly by the Gnadenwald founding fathers, Platzer and Steinlechner. Through Fritz Würthle, Anton Haller and Anton Walder made contact with the Tyrolean Communist Party leader Josef Ronczay, who also found refuge in the partisan camp.

The Fatal Double Game of Gestapo Man Andergassen

To obtain information, the resistance movement relied on contacts within the Gestapo, police, and NSDAP circles in Hall. For years, Anton Haller had maintained contact with the Hall Gestapo officer Heinrich Andergassen (1908-1946).
What Haller did not know: Andergassen was a fanatical National Socialist who deliberately used his helpful demeanor to extract information from the resistance. Transferred to Meran in 1943 and later to the Security Service in Bozen, he was responsible there for, among other things, the deportation of Jews and the killing of allied agents.
After the war, Andergassen was arrested by US authorities, sentenced to death by a military court, and executed in Livorno on July 26, 1946. Anton Haller likely only learned of this betrayal in 1946. Andergassen's absence during the bloodless handover of Hall on May 2/3, 1945, probably saved the lives of many resistance fighters. Witness interrogations suggest he and his superior had retreated into the Karwendel mountains. He may have been one of the two armed Gestapo officers who, according to the research of Agnes Larcher, appeared at Haller's workshop asking to be hidden in the Halltal valley.

Infiltration of Police, Party, and Volkssturm

In the final weeks of the war, Anton Haller succeeded in winning over key individuals for the resistance cause, including Police Lieutenant Adolf Crepaz and NSDAP functionary Willi Jud. Particularly valuable was the cooperation with Engineer Walter Jud, the interim mayor of Hall, who provided important intelligence.
Jud also crucially supported the resistance movement in infiltrating the Volkssturm (people's militia) by appointing a leader loyal to their line. Likewise, a planned arming of the Hitler Youth in Hall was prevented through an agreement with Jud. The fire brigade under Ludwig Walder made its vehicles available for the resistance. Attempts to establish stable cells within the Wehrmacht failed due to constant personnel rotation.

Arrests and Release

In the autumn of 1944, the resistance movement suffered a severe blow: Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Dr. Erich Kneussl (1884–1968), and Anton Haller were arrested. Only through the decisive intervention of Engineer Walter Jud with Gauleiter Hofer were Schumacher and Haller released. Dr. Erich Kneussl remained in custody and was interned in the Reichenau concentration camp from August 23 to September 28, 1944.

International Solidarity: Prisoners of War and Forced Laborers in the Hall Resistance

Barraks in Solbad Hall (1944). Held in private archive of K. Walder Hall in Tyrol.

The resistance movement around Anton Haller was characterized by a deliberate and dangerous cooperation with prisoners of war and forced laborers. This international component was of decisive importance for the group's actions.

Establishing Contact and Initial Cooperation

In Anton Haller's workshop, Anton Dosch made the first connections to foreign prisoners. Haller himself employed three Serbian men who declared their willingness to participate actively in the resistance. In Solbad Hall, with its approximately 11,000 inhabitants, the roughly 400–500 prisoners of war and forced laborers – Serbs, Poles, Czechs, Romanians, French, Italians, and Ukrainians – represented a significant group. They were mostly interned in camps such as the Reichenau concentration camp or in Eichat near Absam.

Photo Anton Dosch. Held in private archive of catholic Austrian students organization "K.ö.St.V. Nibelungia" Hall in Tyrol.

Organization and Sabotage

In 1944, cooperation intensified, particularly concerning the registration of men fit for military service. Mediated through Sergeant Heuschild from the prisoner of war camp, Haller found trusted contacts among the prisoners. The Serbian shoemaker Stanko Zoniloric, who worked in Haller's workshop, used the trust of the camp SS to pass on overheard information to the resistance.
Anton Dosch took on the task of organizing the prisoners. Groups were formed with Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian members. They carried out daring acts of sabotage, for instance, during Wehrmacht retreat movements from Italy, where specially formed teams damaged the tires of transport vehicles to slow down the advance.

Prisoners of War as the Military Backbone

Despite draconian penalties for fraternizing with prisoners of war, the Hall group maintained this cooperation. The foreign comrades were indispensable for several reasons:

1. They were the only men with weapons training in a population consisting mainly of the elderly, women, children, and those unfit for military service.
2. They were ready to strike immediately against the Nazi regime.
3. They had access to weapons and ammunition, which they could procure at great risk from camp or army stockpiles.

Decisive Role in the Liberation of 1945

Their most important contribution came in the final phase of the war. On the night of May 2/3, 1945, prisoners of war in the Eichat camp played a decisive role in the bloodless handover of the city of Hall to the approaching US troops. To prevent strong SS units from deploying, resistance workers secretly emptied the fuel tanks of the SS vehicles. This sabotage averted a potential bloody battle for the city.

Network Expansion: The Group in St. Johann

At the beginning of 1945, the network expanded further. Luis Vigl made contact with the Army High Mountain School (Heeres-Hochgebirgsschule) in St. Johann. On Anton Haller's orders, Vigl formed a new resistance group there and reported as early as the beginning of February a combat-ready unit of sixteen persons awaiting deployment.

Failed Arms Drop for the Resistance

In March and April 1945, Anton Haller and Konrad Platzer from Gnadenwald negotiated with US Officer Fred Mayr of the OSS Operation Greenup regarding a promised American arms drop on the Walder Alm in Gnadenwald. However, this drop did not take place because the military situation changed so rapidly that the US Army was already able to occupy Tyrol on May 2nd and 3rd, 1945.

The "Deadwood" Mission and the Capture of Lieutenant Horneck

Already in March 1945, Joseph Freiherr von Franckenstein – operating under the codename Lieutenant Horneck – arrived in Solbad Hall. The officer, who had lived in Hall before 1938 and emigrated to the USA, had entered as part of the OSS Operation Deadwood via Southern Italy and was accompanied by a young radio operator named Novacek. The Hall resistance movement hid the two at the home of Mayor Josef Kaltenhauser in Ampass, where initial secret meetings were held to inform resistance circles about the approaching US troops.
Soon after, Mayor Kaltenhauser was denounced. During a house search, the Gestapo failed to arrest him, Lieutenant Horneck, or his companion, as they had been warned and were able to flee. Horneck retreated with his men to a hut in the Axamer Lizum area, which he knew from previous mountain tours. However, this hideout was also discovered by the Nazis. During a raid by an SS unit, the radio operator Novacek, a father of four, was killed. Lieutenant Horneck was arrested, taken to the Gestapo headquarters in Innsbruck, and then to the Reichenau concentration camp.
There, with the help of a young woman from the resistance movement who slipped him a file, he managed to escape: he freed himself from his shackles and jumped from the first floor into a nearby forest.

Arrest Wave and Weakening of the Resistance

During the arrest wave of April 27, 1945, Ernst and Edi Grünwald, as well as liaison members of the Deadwood and Greenup operations, were arrested. These blows severely impacted the Tyrolean resistance.
After the end of the war, Joseph Freiherr von Franckenstein (Lieutenant Horneck) was appointed by Colonel Hudson as a military judge in Innsbruck before returning to the USA. There, he later worked as a professor and lecturer at Columbia University in New York.

Unification of Resistance Groups

From April 1945, the Hall resistance merged with the Austrian resistance movement led by Dr. Karl Gruber in Innsbruck. Through the mediation of Anton Walder, a meeting took place on April 9, 1945, between Dr. Karl Gruber, Fritz Würthle, and Anton Haller at the Kettenbrücke Sanatorium. This led to the unification of the resistance circles from the Army Reporting Office, the "Post Group," and the Hall resistance movement under the leadership of Dr. Karl Gruber. During this meeting, Anton Haller was able to commit a combat-ready force of 250 men.

The Decisive Role of Captain Baumgartner (1896-1958)

Photo Captain Baumgartner. Held in private archive Reinhard Schwaiger Hall in Tyrol.

Captain Johann Baumgartner played a crucial part in the bloodless handover of the town of Hall to the Allied troops on May 3, 1945. He informed Anton Haller of the arrival of another SS unit from the Lower Inn Valley and prevented the Volderer Bridge from being blown up. To this end, he deployed snipers to guard the structure. He also supported Anton Dosch in leading an armed uprising in the eastern part of the town. At the critical moment, he managed to warn the members of the resistance movement of their impending arrest by SS officers on the night of May 3. (See blog post "Captain Baumgartner").

Waiting in Vain for the Uprising Signal

On the evening of May 2, 1945, strategy meetings were held in Anton Haller's apartment. Around 8:00 PM, Anton Haller and Anton Walder drove to Innsbruck to the Café München, where the command staff of the Austrian resistance movement under Dr. Karl Gruber was meeting. The actual meeting with Gruber took place at the "Palermo" spirits shop. It was agreed that the time for the uprising would be announced via a radio message. Haller and Walder returned to Hall and waited in vain for the agreed-upon radio signal.

A Fateful Phone Call and Its Consequences

Meanwhile, hourly meetings were held at Anton Haller's apartment until two o'clock in the morning. Dr. Schumacher, who was responsible for planning the armed uprising, went to his practice after the final meeting together with Anton Demanega to make phone contact with the resistance movement in Innsbruck. This conversation was overheard by a postal service employee, who caught the casual words, "then we'll strike now." The employee immediately informed Gauleiter Franz Hofer and also provided him with the telephone number (111) of Dr. Viktor Schumacher.
That same night, Gauleiter Hofer sent SS officers to Schumacher's apartment to arrest him.

Escape and Arrest at the Last Minute

Anton Haller was informed of Schumacher's arrest by Dr. Schumacher's wife. Subsequently, the members of the resistance movement had to go into hiding and stash the prepared weapons. Haller fled to Gnadenwald, Anton Demanega found refuge in Hall, while Anton Walder and Ehrenreich Thöni had to hide at Volderberg and in Tulfes. Meanwhile, Anton Haller's apartment was placed under surveillance by the Gestapo and SS.
For Dr. Schumacher, any help came too late. He was taken to the Gauhaus in Innsbruck and interrogated by SS officers until morning. He steadfastly refused to provide any information about the Hall resistance movement. He was threatened with a summary court-martial with the words: "The firing squad will be ready in two hours." Dr. Viktor Schumacher thus narrowly escaped execution on the last night of Nazi rule, as events came to a head: by the next morning, Innsbruck was already in the hands of the Austrian resistance movement.

Securing the City and the Return of the Resistance

On May 3, 1945, Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Anton Haller, Anton Demanega, Ehrenreich Thöni, and Anton Walder returned to Hall. The resistance movement's combat units immediately occupied all guard posts, public buildings, and strategically important points in the city to prevent looting. Under the leadership of Ludwig Walder (1892–1973), the fire brigade kept its vehicles on standby to conduct evacuations if necessary and to intervene immediately in case of arson.

Election of the New Mayor

That same evening, on May 3, the Hall resistance movement elected Dr. Viktor Schumacher as mayor. (See blog post Dr. Viktor Schumacher)

Official Handover to the Allies

On the morning of May 4, 1945, Dr. Viktor Schumacher, in the presence of Dr. Ernst Verdross and Anton Haller, formally handed over the town of Hall to the representative of the American military government, Arthur G. Weeks, without a fight at the town hall. On May 6, 1945, Dr. Viktor Schumacher was officially confirmed as mayor by the US military government.
The responsible leaders of the Hall resistance movement, who worked towards the collapse of the Nazi regime and the bloodless surrender of the town to the Allies, were:
·       Dr. Viktor Schumacher
·       Dr. Ernst Verdross
·       Anton Haller
·       Anton Demanega
·       Prof. Anton Dosch
·       Anton Walder
·       Heinz Ehrenreich-Thöni

The Arrival of the Liberators and a Tragic Turn

In the early morning of May 4, 1945, the last SS units withdrew from the Eichat camp toward the Unterland. Around noon that same day, US troops with armored vehicles arrived at the Lower Town Square.
There, a tragic incident occurred at 1:00 PM: an American soldier accidentally shot and killed two children with his submachine gun in front of the town hall. The shock within the population was profound. Some residents of Solbad Hall could not come to terms with the collapse of the Nazi regime and took their own lives.
May 4, 1945, marked a historic turning point for the town. It was now liberated from Nazi rule, yet the immediate and long-term consequences of the war would be felt for a long time to come.
 

The First Postwar Council: Personnel and Contradictions

In 1945, the first municipal council was formed from members of the Hall resistance movement, as recorded by Mayor Dr. Viktor Schumacher.
However, a historical peculiarity must be noted: among the elected officials were Felix Ragonig(Social Democratic Workers' Party) and Jakob Schonger (Catholic Party), both of whom had previously been members of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). The surviving sources do not clearly explain how this former party membership is to be reconciled with their later participation in the resistance.
(Source: Hall City Archives, police records on denazification in Solbad Hall)

A Fateful Misjudgment

On May 11, 1945, just days after the end of the war, Anton Haller confirmed in writing that Heinrich Andergassen had worked for the Hall resistance movement. This document proves that Haller was unaware of Andergassen's double-dealing.
Had Andergassen truly been involved in Hall during the resistance movement's uprising, its leading figures—Anton Haller, Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Anton Dosch, Ehrenreich Thöni, Anton Demanega, and Anton Walder—would not have survived the night of May 2–3, 1945. Their salvation was due solely to the fact that they managed to reach safety in time following the denunciation by a postal employee, who had betrayed an intercepted phone call about the impending uprising to Gauleiter Hofer.
(See also the blog entry on Dr. Ernst Verdross)