Introduction- Count Bernhard Stolberg zu Stolberg (1881–1952) biographyIn the history of the resistance against the Nazi regime in Tyrol, Count Bernhard Stolberg zu Stolberg (1881–1952) stands as a remarkable figure. A member of the high aristocracy, he consciously chose Austria and courageously opposed Nazi ideology, which he deemed incompatible with his Catholic faith. His home at Bruckergasse 15 in Hall in Tirol became the secret meeting point for a monarchist resistance circle.  Count Bernhard Stolberg-Stolberg. Geni online: https://www.geni.com/people/Bernhard-Graf-zu-Stolberg-Stolberg/6000000008440458364 (Access: 31.10.2025). Stolberg-Stolberg. Wikipedia online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Stolberg (Access: 17.7.2026) Origins and Decision Against the Nazi RegimeThe Stolbergs are an extensive German noble family of the high aristocracy of the Holy Roman Empire. Bernhard, Count of Stolberg-Stolberg, was born on January 20, 1881, in Mankato, Minnesota, USA. His conscious rejection of Nazi Germany was evident in his decision to apply for Austrian citizenship for himself and his family in January 1938. In a significant gesture, he renounced his German noble title because he could not identify with the German Reich under Adolf Hitler. "Whoever is a Catholic cannot be a National Socialist"As early as 1933, after reading Hitler's "Mein Kampf", Bernhard Stolberg zu Stolberg recognized the fundamental contradiction between his faith and Nazi ideology. His statement, "Whoever is a Catholic cannot be a National Socialist," was followed by action. After the Nazi takeover of Austria and a one-month imprisonment in 1938, he began to actively organize resistance. The Monarchist Resistance CircleCount Stolberg became the leader of a group that met clandestinely at his home. This monarchist resistance circle was composed of local figures from Hall, including:
read more:Blog (EN) Monarchist Resistance in Hall in Tyrol Blog (EN) Dr. jur. Paul Kathrein 🇬🇧 (EN) Dr. med. Viktor Schumacher (EN) Dr. Ernst Verdross Blog 87 (EN) Dr. Ernst Verdross (einzeln) Book -Presentation -Concentration Camp Dachau Blog (EN) Joseph von Franckenstein (EN) Deanery Hall in Tirol im Widerstand Blog (EN) Dr. August Haffner Blog (EN) Dr. jur. can. Walter Waitz (EN) Anton Dosch Count Bernhard Stolberg-Stolberg and archduchess Hedwig of Austria - Tuscanyread more:Facebook. Der Deutsche Adel. Online, https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid08wKq2pz34QA5UhwMLMC7VGpTwtXWngrnxPNH4sVhTWtRjwEivDqiaC3gLnEgqG7Wl&id=100064312286508&_rdr, (Access: July 17, 2026) Archduchess Hedwig – A Quiet Pillar of the Tyrolean Resistance Photograph Archduchess Hedwig of Austria-Tuscany (1913). Online,Wikipedia:https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedwig_von_Österreich-Toskana (Access: July 17, 2026) Archduchess Hedwig of Austria-Tuscany (1896–1970), a granddaughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi"), married Count Bernhard zu Stolberg-Stolberg in 1918. In 1918, she married Count Bernhard Stolberg-Stolberg. In her diary, her mother, Marie Valérie, wrote that Hedwig possessed “a certain spark of Bavarian blood.” As a wedding gift, she received Kühtai Hunting Lodge, which in the following decades became the family's central residence. The connection between the Archduchess and Kühtai Hunting Lodge was brought to light by Christy Neidig (USA), a granddaughter of the Tyrolean resistance fighter Dr. Paul Kathrein. In the course of her research for the Digital Biographical Archive of the Nazi-era Resistance in Tyrol, she pointed to the English-language Wikipedia article on Archduchess Hedwig, opening up a new perspective on the personal circle surrounding the Stolberg family. According to the oral tradition passed down by Countess von Kripp—a daughter of Count Bernhard and Archduchess Hedwig—the Archduchess played a discreet yet significant role within the Tyrolean resistance during the Nazi era. Because leading resistance fighters such as Dr. Ernst Verdroß, Dr. Paul Kathrein, and Dr. Viktor Schumacher were under Gestapo surveillance, personal messages among them could often not be exchanged directly. In this situation, Archduchess Hedwig would receive the wives of the resistance fighters for tea—a protected setting in which information and messages could be passed on that would have been accessible to the men themselves only at great risk. This family tradition, which Elisabeth Walder received from Countess von Kripp in 2023, brings to light the often-hidden yet essential role women played as confidantes and communication intermediaries within the Tyrolean resistance. read more:fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedwige_de_Habsbourg-Toscane Kühtai Hunting Lodge and the Networks of the Tyrolean ResistanceAnother indication of Anton Walder's personal connections within the Tyrolean resistance can be found in his ties to Count Bernhard zu Stolberg-Stolberg. As Walder repeatedly recounted, Count Stolberg invited him to his hunting lodge at Kühtai on several occasions after 1945. This personal relationship suggests that Walder belonged to the inner circle of trusted former resistance fighters around Count Stolberg. Together with his documented connections to Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Oswald Graf Trapp, and Dr. Karl Gruber, this underscores how closely Anton Walder was embedded in the personal networks of the Tyrolean resistance. read more:Schumacher-Dr. -Viktor- Blog (EN) Blog (EN) Dr. Karl Gruber Walder -Anton- Blog EN)-Part 1) Walder-Anton-Blog (EN)-Part 2 www.tiroler-landesmuseen.at/blog-200-jahre-1/ Activities and LegacyThe resistance circle worked to protect and support opponents of the regime, as well as the families of the persecuted and imprisoned. The group was part of the larger resistance network in the Innsbruck-Hall region. The brave actions of its members, such as the anti-Nazi sermons of Dr. Walter Waitz or the leading role of Prof. Anton Dosch in the peaceful handover of Hall to the Allies, were direct results of this conspiracy. Count Bernhard Stolberg zu Stolberg died on September 22, 1952, in Hall in Tirol. His grave is located in the municipal cemetery of Hall.  Photo of the grave of count Bernhard Stolberg-Stolberg in the municipal cemetery in Hall in Tyrol. read more:Anton Haller Resistance group Baumgartner-Johann-Captain-Blog (EN)
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