Group of soldiers' council

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The Soldiers' Council group was an Austrian resistance group against National Socialism that took a stand against the warlike ambitions of the Nazi regime by means of leaflets and field post . At least 19 activists of the group were sentenced to death by the Nazi judiciary and 17 of them were also executed by guillotine - mostly in the Vienna Regional Court .

Foundation and goals

The group was founded by activists of the Communist Youth Association of Austria (KJVÖ) after the German attack on Poland on September 1, 1939. The aim was to convince as many German and Austrian soldiers as possible of the futility of German warfare and pacifism . From around 1940 to 1942, this group is said to have been one of the largest youth organizations in the Austrian resistance.

What is striking about this resistance group - with one exception - is the young age, the youngest executed person was 18 years old, the oldest 25, the high proportion of women, the short duration of the trial and the fact that mainly the death penalty was pronounced. As a rule, requests for clemency were rejected.

The soldiers' council executed by the Nazi regime

Without claim of completeness

Surname Date of birth job arrest process execution
Ernestine Diwisch March 23, 1921 Tabulator May 25, 1943 February 8, 1944 May 24, 1944
Alfred Fenz February 22, 1920 Electrical engineer April 23, 1942 September 25, 1943 November 2, 1943
Anna Graef March 28, 1925 Seamstress November 14, 1942 October 12, 1943 January 11, 1944
Elfriede Hartmann May 21, 1921 Student February 24, 1942 September 22, 1943 November 2, 1943
Rosa Hofmann May 27, 1919 seamstress April 16, 1942 December 15, 1942 March 9, 1943
Felix Imre November 19, 1917 Tailor's assistant unknown September 24, 1943 November 2, 1943
Walter Kämpf September 12, 1920 Student, soldier unknown unknown November 2, 1943
Leopoldine Kovarik February 5, 1919 Postwoman November 13, 1941 September 27, 1943 November 2, 1943
Karl Mann February 15, 1924 Upholsterer October 1942 October 10, 1943 March 13, 1944
Rudolf Masl May 30, 1920 locksmith circa July 1942 March 17, 1943 August 27, 1943
Friedrich Mastny March 11, 1921 Commercial clerk presumably May 1942 September 22, 1943 November 2, 1943
Friedrich Muzyka July 7, 1921 Bookbinder's assistant unknown February 8, 1944 May 24, 1944
Alfred Rabofsky June 29, 1919 typesetter June 16, 1943 February 8, 1944 September 19, 1944
Franz Reingruber September 25, 1921 Electrical mechanic July 9, 1941 September 23, 1943 October 22, 1943
Leopoldine Sicka November 11, 1924 Fitter June 5, 1942 Oct 10 or 12, 1943 January 11, 1944
Franz Sikuta October 21, 1921 Iron caster unknown October 12, 1943 January 11, 1944
Anna Wala March 21, 1891 Mannequin, later civil servant May 25, 1943 February 8, 1944 May 24, 1944

Other members

  • Walter Burstein, died of natural causes in 1942
  • Edith Gadawits , later married to Schober (1924–2013), sentenced to death by the Nazi judiciary , sentence changed to twelve years in prison
  • Gertrude Hausner, later married Springer (* 1922), sentenced to twelve years in prison by the Nazi judiciary
  • Anna Senhofer, sentenced to twelve years in prison by the Nazi judiciary
  • Ernestine Soucek b. Glaser (1892–1987), sentenced to eight years in prison by the Nazi judiciary
  • Sophie Vitek (* 1919), sentenced to death by the Nazi judiciary, sentence changed to 15 years in prison

The close relationship between the future Justice Minister Christian Broda , who was arrested at the end of May 1943 in connection with the uncovering of the group and sentenced to three months in prison, and the radio technician Friedrich Hedrich (1914–1944), who was also executed by the Nazi regime, has not yet been clarified .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Maria Wirth: Christian Broda , Vienna: V&R unipress GmbH 2011, p. 103.
  2. ↑ Brigitte Bailer, Wolfgang Maderthaner, Kurt Scholz (eds.): The execution proceeded without special features, Vienna, pp. 62–63.
  3. ↑ Peter Larndorfer: Gedächtnis und Musealisierung , The staging of memory using the example of the exhibition “The Austrian Struggle for Freedom 1934–1945” in the Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance 1978–2005, Master's thesis at the University of Vienna 2009, p. 146.
  4. ↑ Sentenced to death - pardoned after seven months: Edith Schober (August 18, 1924 - March 6, 2013) at the Vienna concentration camp association