Further article about Anton WalderWalder _Anton_ Blog_ (EN) _Part 2 Anton Walder (1913–1985) – Resistance Fighter from Hall in Tyrol Anton Walder (1913–1985) was one of the most important resistance fighters from Hall in Tyrol. Immediately after the annexation (Anschluss) of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, he began opposing the National Socialist regime. As a member of the Innsbruck Postal Resistance Group, the resistance network within the Military Registration Office (Wehrmeldeamt), and the circle around Anton Haller, he supported the Austrian resistance by passing on information, maintaining clandestine contacts, and engaging in acts of organizational sabotage. This article traces his life and examines his role within the Tyrolean resistance movement.  Photograph Anton Walder (1944). In private archive Kurt Walder Hall in Tyrol. Origins and Family: From South Tyrol to Hall in Tyrol Anton Walder was born on 30 January 1913 in Albeins, South Tyrol. When South Tyrol was ceded to Italy following the First World War, many German-speaking families felt compelled to leave their homeland—including the Walder family. In 1922, nine-year-old Anton moved with his parents, Anton Walder Sr. and Maria Walder (née Krismer), to Hall in Tyrol, Austria. Like many families of that period, the Walders were affected by the severe housing shortage that followed the war. Their first home was a decommissioned railway carriage at Hall railway station. Only after Anton Walder Sr. obtained employment as the parish sexton at Hall's parish church did the family's circumstances improve, allowing them to establish a modest but secure livelihood. Raised in a deeply Catholic family, Anton Walder attended the Catholic boarding schools Vinzentinum in Brixen (Bressanone) and Paulinum in Schwaz. This education profoundly shaped his Christian humanist values and laid the foundation for his firm rejection of National Socialism. Historical Context: The Loss of South Tyrol after the First World WarThe loss of South Tyrol was one of the most far-reaching and painful consequences of the First World War for Austria. A region that had developed over centuries as a culturally and linguistically unified part of Tyrol was divided by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919—without a referendum and against the clearly expressed wishes of the local population. The new border at the Brenner Pass was not drawn on the basis of historical, cultural, or linguistic considerations, but was instead the result of strategic power politics. Under the secret Treaty of London of 1915, the Entente Powers had promised South Tyrol to Italy as an incentive for its entry into the war on the Allied side. What was a calculated geopolitical decision for the victorious powers meant the loss of their national homeland for tens of thousands of South Tyroleans, and for many families marked the beginning of a long experience of displacement and uprooting. The Brenner border still exists today as a lasting reminder of the post-war settlement that reshaped nations and communities according to the interests of the victorious powers rather than the wishes of the people who lived there. read more:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_TyrolEducation and Early Career in Innsbruck and Hall in Tyrol From 1928 to 1935, Anton Walder attended the Federal Secondary School (Bundesoberrealschule) at Adolf-Pichler-Platz in Innsbruck, where he successfully passed his Matura (secondary school leaving examination) in May 1935. He subsequently completed training as an insurance clerk before entering the Austrian civil service as a postal employee in 1937. Dismissal in 1938: The Beginning of His Resistance to National Socialism As a committed opponent of the Anschluss—the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938—Anton Walder soon came under the scrutiny of the Nazi authorities. During the plebiscite of 10 April 1938, he was compelled to cast his vote publicly under the direct pressure of the regime, as any sign of dissent could have resulted in severe consequences. Shortly after the Anschluss, Walder was dismissed from the Austrian postal service by the Nazi authorities. The official reason was his "political unreliability," a label applied because of his openly anti-Nazi convictions, which he had expressed even before 1938. Significantly, he had never been a member of the Vaterländische Front (Fatherland Front), the authoritarian ruling party of pre-war Austria. His dismissal ranks among the earliest documented examples of civilian resistance to the Nazi regime in Hall in Tyrol and marked the beginning of his active involvement in the Austrian resistance movement. read more:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschluss https://www.mauthausen-memorial.org/en/News/12-March-1938-The-Anschluss-(annexation)-and-the-prehistory Verdross -Dr. Ernst -Biografie - Blog (EN) Book _ Presentation _Concentration Camp Dachau "As Anton Walder remarked, reflecting on his time in the anti-Nazi resistance: 'Clear, sober thinking can very well be reconciled with sincere Catholic sentiment.'" Photograph German troops March 13, 1938 in Hall in Tyrol. Private archive of Mr. Federspiel Absam/Tyrol. Life in Hall in Tirol: Community, Church, and Everyday Life Anton Walder was deeply rooted in the close-knit community of the small town of Hall in Tirol. Sporting events, football matches, gymnastics excursions, and local competitions were an important part of social life, bringing together people who knew and trusted one another. Attending Sunday Mass and participating in the Catholic parish community were natural and integral parts of his everyday life. From 1939 onwards, Anton Walder lived with his young family in a small ground-floor apartment at Krippgasse 12 in Hall in Tirol. The building belonged to the Jewish businessman Alfred Grünmandl. This neighborhood symbolized the close coexistence of different social groups in Hall—a peaceful way of life that was violently destroyed by the Nazi regime. The following photograph shows the entrance door and the window of Anton Walder's former apartment at Krippgasse 12.  Photograph Krippgasse 12, Anton Walter´s former apartment (2020). Held in private archive of K. Walder Hall in Tyrol. read more:gedenkort.at/orte/3e1de9e0-e6c9-4a9d-89ae-a1004255f2a8 gedenkort.at/en/persons/b2821b55-ecf6-4224-98eb-b911e9601286 Blog (EN) Alfred Grünmandl Blog (EN) Otto Grünmandl The Christian Social Sports Association as a Haven for Resistance The excursions organized by the sports club, in which Anton Walder had participated even before the Anschluss of 1938, continued quietly under Nazi rule. These outings served a purpose far beyond recreation. Away from official scrutiny and surveillance, they provided one of the few protected settings where like-minded individuals could speak openly. Within the trusted circle of fellow club members, it became possible to do what would have been life-threatening elsewhere: share personal convictions, exchange information, and discreetly coordinate resistance activities without attracting attention. What appeared to outsiders as harmless club excursions was, in reality, a network of trust that enabled hidden resistance against the Nazi regime. read more:fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportunion 🇬🇧 (EN) Dr. med. Viktor Schumacher www.hall-wattens.at/en/josef-lambichler-pastor-hall-in-tyrol.html
  Photographs of Anton Walder at the Gymnastics Festival on the Pletzerwiese, Hall in Tirol, May 1933.Private Archive of K. Walder, Hall in Tirol.
Anton Walder (1913–1985)-The Innsbruck Postal Resistance Group At the time of the Anschluss in March 1938, unemployment remained high throughout both Austria and Tyrol, and the economy was only slowly recovering from the effects of the global economic crisis. Many people in Tyrol hoped that the National Socialist takeover would bring economic prosperity and social stability. Support for union with Germany had already existed in Tyrol since the collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1918, the provisions of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, and the loss of South Tyrol to Italy. Against this background, the idea of a "Greater German Reich" appeared attractive to many. In 1938, approximately 48,149 people, or 14.6 percent of Tyrol's population, joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP), giving Tyrol the second-highest membership rate among Austria's federal provinces. Before the Nazi takeover, only a small number of NSDAP supporters had existed in most Tyrolean communities, but party membership increased dramatically after March 1938. Nevertheless, within only a few months, growing dissatisfaction with Nazi rule began to emerge among the population of Innsbruck, even though organized resistance to state authority had previously been virtually unknown in Tyrol. Resistance in Tyrol developed in many different forms, as groups with diverse political, religious, and ideological motivations emerged. The Postal Resistance Group consisted largely of postal employees who regarded themselves as patriotic Austrians and firmly rejected the annexation of Austria to the German Reich. They also viewed Nazi propaganda with considerable skepticism, arguing that the regime's grand promises could only be fulfilled if they were first supported by genuine economic achievement. Historical Context The Postal Resistance Group was one of the few resistance networks operating within a government institution that succeeded in maintaining contact with other resistance organizations despite constant surveillance. Its importance lay less in spectacular acts of sabotage than in the clandestine transmission of information, assistance to persecuted individuals, and preparations for the political transition during the final days of the Second World War. Within this network, Anton Walder served as an important liaison between Hall in Tirol and Innsbruck.  Photograph: Members of the Postal Resistance Group, 1937. Held in private archive K. Walder Hall in Tyrol. The Different Currents of the Austrian Resistance Resistance against National Socialism in Austria was far from uniform. Instead, it consisted of several ideologically distinct movements:
read more:Blog (EN) Monarchist Resistance in Hall in Tyrol Blog (EN) Count _Bernhard_ Stolberg-Stolberg Haller _Anton _Resistance _group socialist resistance in Hall in Tyrol Flatscher-Alois-Blog (EN) Reinisch_Franz_Pallottiner_Blog (EN) Anton Walder and the Postal Resistance Group  Photograph (2025): The Main Post Office Building of the Regional Postal Directorate in Innsbruck (Maximilianstraße). Source: Private Archive of K. Walder, Hall in Tirol. Dismissal in 1938 and Joining the Postal Resistance Anton Walder was employed as a postal official in Innsbruck when he was dismissed from the Austrian postal service by the National Socialist authorities in March 1938 on the grounds of "political unreliability." Later that same year, he joined a circle of regime-critical postal employees that had formed around TTI Viktor Haberditzl. According to Walder's own testimony, he belonged to this circle "from the very beginning" and played an active role in its development. In 1943, this network evolved into what became known as the Postal Resistance Group. Following his dismissal, Walder found employment with a private trading company in Hall in Tirol. 1938: A Small and Cautious Circle The circle around Haberditzl included both dismissed postal employees and officials who had remained in service. They rejected not only the Anschluss of Austria to the German Reich but also the very designation "Deutsche Reichspost"(German Reich Postal Service). During this early phase, extreme caution was essential. The group did not yet engage in organized resistance activities or openly campaign against the Nazi Party. Instead, its members met discreetly in cafés in Innsbruck, exchanged information about the political situation, and discussed how they might prepare for "the hour of liberation." At the same time, they provided financial and material assistance to the families of imprisoned comrades, demonstrating solidarity with those who had already fallen victim to Nazi persecution. Military Service Call-Up (1939) Between Alternative Military Service and Resistance (1939–1943) The years between 1939 and 1943 marked a decisive period in Anton Walder's life. During his alternative military service with the Railway Mail Service, he travelled regularly throughout Tyrol and the Province of Salzburg. This assignment enabled him to establish contacts with regime-critical postal employees and other opponents of National Socialism. Over time, these connections developed into a reliable network that would later play a crucial role in his resistance activities. Alternative Military Service with the Railway Mail Service On 1 February 1939, Anton Walder was ordered to report to the Innsbruck District Military Command (Wehrbezirkskommando Innsbruck) and was assigned to the Ersatzreserve II (Second Reserve). Owing to severe wartime staff shortages within the postal system, he was required to perform alternative military service with the Railway Mail Service until 21 January 1943. For Walder, this assignment represented a professional demotion. As a civil servant employed by the Innsbruck Postal Directorate, he was excluded from promotion to more responsible positions, which were increasingly reserved for loyal members of the National Socialist Party. Service in the Railway Mail Service was therefore regarded as a significant step down in status and responsibility.   Photograf: Anton Walder (right, 1941) in a post railway wagon. In private archive E. and K. Walder Hall in Tyrol. The Innsbruck Military Registration Office: A Change of Command in 1943 In 1943, a change of command took place at the Innsbruck Military Registration Office (Wehrmeldeamt Innsbruck). As a result, Anton Walder was officially assigned to the office from 21 January 1943 until 16 April 1945 as a member of its administrative staff (Unit and War Service Rolls, Register No. 68). Although formally attached to the Military Registration Office, he was repeatedly seconded to postal service duties for several weeks each year. This position made Walder a key figure in linking the various resistance circles throughout Tyrol. Through his work, he was able to arrange for several anti-Nazi postal employees to be classified as "uk" (unabkömmlich – indispensable), thereby exempting them from military conscription into the Wehrmacht and allowing them to remain in civilian service. read more:Blog (EN) Fritz _Würthle The _Würthle_ Group Blog (EN) Dr. Friedrich Punt Blog (EN) Jörg Sackenheim Blog (EN) Oskar Görz Blog (EN) Johann Sebastian Trainer 1943: The Formal Establishment of the Postal Resistance Group The informal circle that had existed since 1938 evolved into an organized resistance network during the summer of 1943. TTI Viktor Haberditzl, Engineer Hubert Schittelkopf (1909–1948), and Anton Walder (1913–1985) officially founded the Postal Resistance Group in Innsbruck (Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance – DÖW 8390). Its members consisted partly of postal officials who had lost their positions following the Nazi takeover in 1938, and partly of a small number of serving postal employees who maintained firmly anti-Nazi convictions. Those who remained in government service were under constant surveillance by ideologically loyal superiors and therefore had to act with extreme caution. The group comprised approximately fifteen to twenty members working in a wide range of postal departments, including the Postal Inspectorate, Mail Forwarding, Mail Sorting, the Radio and Telephone Office, the Communications Interception Service, the Radio Transmitter Station, and the Postal Motor Transport Department. Their activities were conducted under strict secrecy and in accordance with conspiratorial security measures. During the autumn of 1943 and the beginning of 1944, about half of the group's postal employees were drafted into the Wehrmacht. Their positions were subsequently filled by technicians from the Telephone and Telegraph Office. This personnel change enabled the resistance network to expand its activities into the communications interception service and to exchange strategically important information with anti-Nazi postal officials in Berlin. Methods of Resistance: Intelligence Gathering and Sabotage The Postal Resistance Group deliberately used its positions within the postal and telecommunications services to organize resistance activities in Innsbruck. Its most important operations were of considerable strategic significance:
A Liaison Between the Resistance Groups Because of his position at the Military Registration Office (Wehrmeldeamt), Anton Walder became a key figure in connecting the various resistance networks throughout Tyrol. He served as the principal liaison between the Postal and Telegraph Office Resistance Group, the Military Registration Office group led by Fritz Würthle, and the resistance circle around Anton Haller in Solbad Hall. This role was of exceptional importance, as it enabled the secure exchange of information and coordination between civilian and military resistance cells, strengthening cooperation during the final phase of the war. Encouraged by the Moscow Declaration of October 1943, the members of the Postal Resistance Group increasingly directed their efforts from the winter of 1943 onward toward the active overthrow of the National Socialist regime. The Berlin Connection: AGFA-AF and the Group Post Few people know that the Tyrolean resistance was part of a clandestine network that reached into the very heart of Nazi Germany in Berlin. Operating under the codename AGFA-AF (Anti-Fascist Front), Austrian postal and telecommunications officials, engineers, and officers worked together in secret, exchanging vital intelligence and supporting the resistance in Tyrol. This remarkable network played a significant role during the final months of the war and was closely connected to Anton Walder's Group Post. Read more about the AGFA-AF resistance group and its connection to Tyrol:AGFA-AF in Berlin-Blog (EN) The Decisive Meeting of 9 April 1945 The Decisive Meeting of 9 April 1945A pivotal moment in the coordination of the Tyrolean resistance took place on 9 April 1945, when representatives of several resistance groups met secretly at the Sanatorium of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in Rum. The meeting was disguised as a hospital visit in order to avoid suspicion. The gathering was initiated by Anton Walder, who established contact between resistance groups that had previously operated independently and played a leading role in bringing them together. Those present included:
read more:The _Würthle_ GroupHaller _Anton _Resistance _group Hradetzky _resistance_ group Krajnc_Blog (EN) Dr._ Walter Verdross-Dr. Ernst - Blog (EN) (EN) Anton Demanega  Photograf Anton Demanega, resistance group Anton Haller (1945). In "Rudolf Mackowitz: The Struggle for the Liberation of Tyrol, p. 7." Anton Walder's Escape and His Resistance Activities in Hall in Tyrol On 16 April 1945, Anton Walder received the coded message "Storm in a Teacup!" from his colleague Grete Götsch—the agreed password warning him of his imminent arrest by the Gestapo. Walder immediately fled to the Vomperloch ravine near Gnadewald, taking with him his official postal seals and documents. From his hiding place, he continued to produce forged identity papers for persecuted individuals and supported the resistance from underground. By this stage, the Innsbruck Post and Telegraph Office resistance group had already fulfilled its mission, having made a significant contribution to safeguarding essential infrastructure and preparing the liberation of Innsbruck. Walder's activities after his escape represented his personal contribution to the resistance in Hall in Tyrol, independent of the Innsbruck Post resistance group. Ten days later, he returned to Hall to join Anton Haller and Dr. Viktor Schumacher in negotiating with the National Socialist mayor, Ing. Walter Jud, for the peaceful surrender of the town. The meeting was prevented by the presence of the Gestapo at the town hall; however, Jud managed to warn Haller, Schumacher, and Walder in time, enabling them to escape. During the night of 2–3 May 1945, the general uprising of the united Tyrolean resistance, led by Dr. Karl Gruber, was scheduled to take place. However, following a telephone call made by Anton Demanega in Hall, the Gestapo and SS units were alerted on the orders of Gauleiter Hofer and instructed to arrest the Hall resistance members. Captain Johann Baumgartner of the Hall barracks warned the resistance fighters in time. With the exception of Dr. Schumacher, who was arrested by the SS outside his home in Bruggergasse, all those present managed to escape. Meanwhile, events in Innsbruck rapidly unfolded, and on the morning of 3 May 1945, Hall, too, was freed from National Socialist rule.  Photograph: Warning from Grete Götsch. Held in private archive K. Walder Hall in Tyrol. This note was not delivered to Anton Walder through official postal channels but was secretly handed to him in person by a fellow resistance member. It warned him that the military police were already searching for him. The covert delivery illustrates the close cooperation and mutual trust that existed within the resistance network. The Cipher Table of the "Post" Resistance Group This cipher table was the principal tool used by the "Post" resistance group for the secret exchange of messages. Based on a prearranged key, letters and words were replaced with numerical sequences or other symbols. Only individuals who possessed an identical cipher table were able to decipher the messages, while to outsiders they appeared to be meaningless strings of characters with no discernible content. The secrecy of the cipher table was vital to the group's survival. It was entrusted to only a single initiated member and was never allowed to fall into the hands of the Gestapo. Had it been discovered, all encrypted messages could have been deciphered, placing numerous resistance members in mortal danger. The surviving cipher table is now preserved among the papers of Ing. Carl Hirnschrott in the Tyrolean Provincial Archives. It is one of the few surviving original documents that provide a direct insight into the clandestine methods employed by the Innsbruck "Post" resistance group.  Photograph of a Postal Bus (1944). Private Archive of K. Walder, Hall in Tyrol. Dr. Karl Gruber and the United Tyrolean Resistance Dr. Karl Gruber (1909–1995) was one of the foremost leaders of the Austrian resistance against the National Socialist regime in Tyrol. During the Second World War, he established an extensive resistance network and coordinated contacts between various resistance groups within Austria and abroad. His efforts contributed significantly to the organization of the united Tyrolean resistance in the final phase of the war. Following Austria's liberation in 1945, Gruber was appointed the first Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Second Republic. He played a key role in restoring Austria's international standing and was instrumental in shaping the country's post-war reconstruction and foreign policy.  Photograph: Dr. Karl Gruber. Source: [website] https://www.parlament.gv.at/person/530?BIO_251sortrnr=10&BIO_251ascDesc=desc, (Access: July 2, 2026) read more:Blog (EN) Dr. Karl Grubergedenkort.at/en/persons/ccdfb424-e581-5217-b4aa-70e70e9ff0d0 Martin Berger and Josef Pöschl – The "Post" Resistance Group Innsbruck and Hall in Tyrol Photograph of the Post Office Building, Krippgasse, Hall in Tyrol (2026). Private Archive of K. Walder, Hall in Tyrol. Martin Berger (1885–1953) was a member of the Post and Telegraph Office resistance group in Innsbruck. He was responsible for collecting deserters and resistance-minded soldiers and secretly guiding them to mountain hideouts, where they could evade capture and continue supporting the resistance. (See the blog article Sternkorona III.) Josef Pöschl (1898–1945) served the "Post" resistance group by arranging long-distance telephone connections and monitoring telephone communications. His position enabled the resistance to obtain valuable information and maintain secure communications. (See the blog article Sternkorona III.) Josef Dosch (1907–1955) was a member of the "Post" resistance group in Innsbruck and Hall in Tyrol. On 4 May 1945, following the collapse of the National Socialist regime, he was appointed head of the Hall in Tyrol Post Office by Anton Walder.
Photographs: Left: Martin Berger (18 July 1948), in Unsere Sternkorona, p. 57. Right: Josef Pöschl, in Unsere Sternkorona – Member No. 395, p. 101. read more:Blog (EN) Sternkorona I Blog (EN) Sternkorona III Blog (EN) Martin Berger Blog (EN) Josef Pöschl The "Post" Resistance Group: Resistance in the Shadows Innsbruck, April 1945. As the final days of the Second World War descended upon Tyrol, a small group of men operated in secret, relying on the skills they knew best—communications. Ing. Carl Hirnschrott, a postal official since 1932 who had been dismissed from service by the National Socialist regime in 1938 because of his trade union convictions, returned from Berlin after several years to help establish one of Tyrol's most remarkable resistance organizations: the "Post" resistance group. At his side was Postal Inspector (PI) Anton Walder, who from the very beginning served as the liaison between the Innsbruck resistance, the Military Registration Office (Wehrmeldeamt) resistance group, and the resistance movement in Hall in Tyrol. Their joint efforts—often carried out at the risk of their lives—made a significant contribution to bringing the war in Innsbruck and Tyrol to an end. It is a story of courage, loyalty, and the quiet determination of men and women who chose the right side at a decisive moment in history. read more:Blog (EN) In memory of Ing. Carl Hirnschrott - May 3, 1945 - May 3, 2025" Victims of the Postal Resistance Group under the National Socialist Regime in Tyrol The Tyrolean Postal Resistance Group consisted of postal employees who opposed the National Socialist dictatorship despite the constant risk of persecution. Many members were arrested by the Gestapo, sentenced by Nazi courts, or deported to prisons and concentration camps. Four members lost their lives as a consequence of their resistance, while many others endured months or years of imprisonment. The following overview is based on a report by Engineer Carl Hirnschrott, himself a member of the Postal Resistance Group, whose papers are preserved in the Tyrolean Provincial Archives. Four Fatal Victims Oskar Frank – Innsbruck Post Office Convicted on 1 August 1941 to seven years of penal servitude for listening to foreign radio broadcasts. He died on 25 February 1945 in the Mauthausen Concentration Camp as a result of the inhumane treatment he endured. Alois Graus – Wörgl Post Office Convicted on 5 February 1942 to five years of penal servitude for making defeatist statements and attempted treason. He died on 5 November 1943 in the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Alois Hupfauf – Innsbruck Post Office On 26 February 1945, he was sentenced to death by a summary military court convened by the commander of the SS Reichsführer's Reception Line 1 in Prenzlau for desertion. He was executed by firing squad. Ferdinand Triendl – Jenbach Post Office On the same day as Hupfau (26 February 1945), he was summarily executed by firing squad in Danzig after being convicted of attempted desertion. Prison Sentences Heinrich Huter – Prutz Post Office Shot and wounded by the local Nazi Party leader on 13 March 1938. Subsequently imprisoned from 2 August 1941 until 6 April 1943. Edmund Burger – Innsbruck Post Office Sentenced by the People's Court (Volksgerichtshof) in Vienna to seven years of penal servitude. He spent 1,404 days in prisons and concentration camps. His alleged offences were listening to foreign radio broadcasts and engaging in anti-Nazi propaganda. Inguin Auer – Innsbruck Post Office 2 Imprisoned for 1,149 days for listening to enemy radio broadcasts. Alfred Salomon – Postal Directorate, Accounting Department Imprisoned for 982 days for listening to enemy radio broadcasts. Maria Tscholl – Innsbruck Post Office 1 Imprisoned for 445 days for listening to enemy radio broadcasts. Juliane Weinmann – Postal Directorate, Accounting Department Imprisoned for 446 days for listening to enemy radio broadcasts. Alexander Graf Künigl – Innsbruck Post Office 1 Imprisoned for 375 days for listening to enemy radio broadcasts. Dr. Franz von Schullern – Postal Directorate Imprisoned for 150 days on suspicion of monarchist activities. Albert Jestl – Innsbruck Post Office 3 and Walter Kareis – Postal Operations Service (TBS), Feldkirch Both were interned in a camp and sentenced to forced labour because of their ancestry. Jestl spent 206 days in detention and Kareis 181 days. Both succeeded in escaping a massacre planned by the SS. Franz Beiler – Innsbruck Post Office 2 Sentenced to 150 days of imprisonment for making defeatist statements. Source: Report by Engineer Carl Hirnschrott, Papers of Ing. Carl Hirnschrott, Tyrolean Provincial Archives (Tiroler Landesarchiv). Conclusion Anton Walder stands as a representative of the many women and men who rejected National Socialism and accepted great personal risks in order to defend human dignity and freedom. His work within the "Post" resistance group, the Wehrmeldeamt resistance group, and the resistance movement in Hall in Tyrol demonstrates the crucial role that regional networks played in the Austrian resistance. His life reminds us that civil courage often begins quietly and unseen, yet even under the most difficult circumstances it can make a decisive difference. Frequently Asked Questions Who was Anton Walder? Anton Walder (1913–1985) was an Austrian postal official from Hall in Tyrol. After being dismissed by the National Socialist authorities in March 1938, he joined the active resistance. From 1938 to 1945 he was a member of the Innsbruck "Post" resistance group, and from 1941 to 1945 he also belonged to the Wehrmeldeamt resistance group. As a liaison officer, he coordinated the exchange of information between the resistance networks in Innsbruck and Hall in Tyrol, thereby making an important contribution to cooperation between the two organizations. What was the Innsbruck "Post" Resistance Group? The Innsbruck "Post" resistance group was founded in the summer of 1938 by postal employees who opposed the annexation (Anschluss) of Austria by Nazi Germany. At its peak, the group consisted of approximately twenty members working in telephone interception services, the broadcasting office, and the telephone exchange. It made an important contribution to the resistance by sabotaging military communications and ensuring that telephone connections remained operational until the liberation of Innsbruck on 3 May 1945. What role did Karl Gruber play in the Tyrolean Resistance? Dr. Karl Gruber returned to Innsbruck in March 1945 and, on 24 April 1945, assumed leadership of all Tyrolean resistance groups. Under his direction, the various organizations were coordinated and united into a single resistance movement. Even before the arrival of the American forces on 3 May 1945, he organized the occupation of key military barracks and public buildings, including the Postal Directorate. How did the Resistance Liberate Innsbruck in 1945? On 3 May 1945, only twelve members of the "Post" resistance group occupied the Innsbruck Postal Directorate and secured all telecommunications facilities without damage. As early as 30 April, the group had established direct telephone contact with the U.S. Seventh Army through a telephone line that had remained operational to Garmisch. At 7:00 p.m. on 3 May 1945, the first American tanks entered Innsbruck, marking the liberation of the city.
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