“Hall prior to the Anschluss: Political Divisions, Repression, and Continuities”

As early as the 1930s, tensions were emerging within the population of Hall in Tirol. These came to the surface in clashes between the police, the paramilitary Heimwehr, and supporters of the then-illegal local NSDAP group. These conflicts unfolded against the backdrop of a tightening authoritarian regime, particularly under the leadership of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß. The beginning of the following chapter explores how national politics influenced daily life in Hall.
A key focus lies on the consequences of the 1934 ban on the Social Democratic Party (SDAPÖ), the Communist Party (KPÖ), and the Nazi Party (NSDAP), and how these prohibitions affected the lives of Hall’s residents. These developments provide important context for the arrests of several people from Hall in March 1938 and may help explain why some of them later chose to resist the Nazi regime.
At the same time, this chapter examines possible continuities within the local administration and police. What roles or professions did those identified as opportunists or committed National Socialists hold—both before the “Anschluss” and after the end of the war? Did some of them return to political office after 1945, or did they withdraw from active political life altogether?
Such questions highlight the complexity of local memory and the spectrum of behavior ranging from conformity and opportunism to resistance. To what extent did the actions of individuals in Hall during the 1930s shape the events that unfolded between 1938 and 1945? This chapter invites readers to explore these intricate historical dynamics.

Church and Politics in Hall during 1933-1938

The political changes under the authoritarian government of Engelbert Dollfuß (1892–1934) were clearly felt in Hall in Tirol as well. In 1933, Dollfuß made it clear to Austrian clergymen that he did not want any political involvement from the Church in government affairs. As a result, the Austrian Bishops’ Conference passed a resolution in December of the same year stating that clergy were to withdraw from active politics entirely.
Despite these restrictions, the Church remained closely connected to community life in Hall. One example was the construction of a youth center by Kooperator Lambichler in spring 1933 on the Pletzerwiese meadow. Built for the Catholic Youth Association (Reichsbund), the center was officially opened in March of the same year, attended by Mayor Dr. Kathrein and several members of the town council. The facility, consisting of a wooden building and a spacious playground, provided a place for young people in Hall to gather, play, and receive academic support.
Missionary work also played a role in the local religious life. On October 8, 1933, two priests, Father Franz Schumacher and Father Erwin Bergthaler, were ceremoniously sent off to Bolivia during a special mass held in the Franciscan church.
These examples show that, even in a time of political restrictions, the Catholic Church remained active in Hall’s social and spiritual life — though clearly separated from state politics, in accordance with the expectations of the Austrofascist regime.

Political Tensions and Social Challenges in Hall in the 1930s

Life in Hall in Tirol during the 1930s was marked by profound political and social tensions. The authoritarian policies of Federal Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss and the general economic hardship were clearly felt in this small town.^[1]
Following the municipal council elections in November 1928, the Hall town council was composed of several political factions: the Tyrolean People's Party held the majority with 16 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (SDAPÖ) with 8 seats, a joint list of the Greater German People's Party and the Economic Party with 3 seats, and the Reform League with one seat.^[2]
Key political roles were held by figures such as Anton Schlögl (tobacco distributor) as mayor and Dr. Paul Kathrein (lawyer) as first vice mayor for the People's Party. Among the 14 representatives of the People's Party were notable personalities such as Josef Egg (director of the citizens’ school), Ludwig Walder (master shoemaker), Josef Dosch (senior postal officer), and Dr. Viktor Schumacher (physician) – men who later belonged to the Hall resistance between 1938 and 1945.^[3]
On the Social Democratic side, Johann Schittelkopf, as second vice mayor, would become a key figure in the later fight against the Nazi regime. In contrast, his party colleague Josef Waldert is mentioned critically in a contemporary letter addressed to the mayor of Hall, Ing. Bauer:
"I believe that you are very poorly informed about Mr. Ignaz Letfühs and that you, as the acting commissioner mayor, should examine the matter more carefully before confirming and spreading the word 'Communist.' This accusation is false and entirely unfounded. [...] As a temporary worker, the then Social Democratic councillor Waldert Josef occasionally worked for him, but he greatly assisted him in the Nazi propaganda carried out at that time in his business, whether knowingly or unknowingly, and thereby supported the spread of National Socialist ideas."^[4]
This excerpt already illustrates the ambivalent relationship many residents of Hall had with the NSDAP – shaped by support, involvement, and also rejection. At the same time, the city administration was under pressure to respond to the economic hardship. Large segments of the population lived in poverty. In response, the municipal council decided in February 1933 to issue vouchers for the needy and beggars in Hall – an attempt to counter the social crisis with local measures.^[5]

Social Distress, Unemployment, and Economic Measures in Hall (1930–1938)

In the early 1930s, Hall in Tirol was severely affected by the economic crisis. The increasing impoverishment of large parts of the population forced the city government to act. Under the leadership of Dr. Viktor Schumacher, the municipality organized a large-scale winter relief campaign in the winter of 1933/34, whose results are impressively documented in his report on welfare:
“Winter Relief 1933/34 – Accounting
Period from 1 December 1933 to 15 March 1934; 446 households or 1,125 individuals had to be provided with winter aid. This represents an increase of 186 households or 465 individuals compared to the previous year. Again, in the winter of 1933/34, the main focus was on providing meals and heating materials. In 31 months, the municipal emergency kitchen distributed no less than 18,947 meals (lunches and dinners) – around 170 portions daily.”^[6]
Support did not come solely from municipal funds – numerous businesses from Hall and Innsbruck contributed significantly with donations in kind to alleviate the hardship. These included:

• Fa. Rauch (Mühlau): 800 kg of cornmeal
• Vereinigte Brauereien (United Breweries): 800 kg of broken rice
• Fa. Schindler (Innsbruck): 100 kg of jam
• Federal Forests: 12 m³ of firewood
• Chamber of Labour Innsbruck: 5 tons of coal
• Fa. Josef Recheis (Hall): 125 kg of pasta
• State of Tyrol: 100 kg of malt coffee
• Other local donors (Gollner, Scartezzini, Wedl, Zwick, Neuner, Hall bakers)^[7]

Given the town’s population of about 7,000 at the time, aid for over 1,100 people constituted a major social intervention. In the winter of 1933/34 alone, the number of those in need increased by 446 people – a dramatic rise that forced the municipality to take further action.^[8]
In addition to charitable aid, the town also sought to counter unemployment through job creation programs. Yet despite these efforts, unemployment remained high. In a municipal council meeting on 28 February 1938, the following is recorded under agenda item 2:
“Productive unemployment assistance: The mayor reads aloud the positive decision regarding our request for road construction projects in Hall for the year 1938. This is acknowledged with approval. Efforts are to be made to begin work in early March.”^[9]
Another economic policy hope was tourism. The city invested in spa facilities and infrastructure: on 9 June 1930, the spa treatment center was inaugurated, and at the same time, the construction of a city hotel was approved – built by Fritz Seeber based on plans by the renowned architect Lois Welzenbacher. The development of winter tourism aimed to establish Hall as a destination with two tourist seasons.^[10]
Despite these investments, the hoped-for success in tourism did not materialize. On the one hand, the so-called "1000-Mark Ban" introduced in 1933 – a fee for German citizens entering Austria – significantly burdened tourism. On the other hand, Hall could not sufficiently compete with other Tyrolean towns that managed to benefit from the general tourism boom. The lack of attractions and a weak positioning prevented the local economy from achieving sustainable recovery.^[11]

Footnotes:

1. Cf. contemporary reports on the political climate in Austria during the 1930s under Dollfuss.
2. Municipal election results, Hall in Tirol, 1928.
3. Cf. local biographies of Haller resistance members, 1938–1945.
4. Letter to Mayor Ing. Bauer, Hall city archive, 1930s.
5. Municipal Council Minutes, February 1933, Hall city archive.
6. Dr. Viktor Schumacher, Report on Welfare, Winter 1933/34, Hall city archive.
7. Documentation of donations, Winter Aid Campaign 1933/34, Hall.
8. Schumacher, ibid.
9. Minutes of the Hall Municipal Council Meeting, 28 February 1938.
10. City planning documents, Hall spa development, 1930; architectural records by Lois Welzenbacher.
11. Tourism reports and economic data, Hall and Tyrol, 1933–1938.