Josef Anton King

Josef Anton King (* 17th February 1922 in Hörbranz , Vorarlberg , † 4. April 1945 in the Mauthausen concentration camp ) was a resistance fighter in the era of National Socialism .

Life

The farmer's son attracted attention at an early age due to his above-average intelligence and therefore attended - with the intention of becoming a priest - the Catholic private high school Paulinum in Tyrol and, after its dissolution after the invasion of the German troops in Austria, the high school in Bregenz , which he graduated with excellent success .

Because of his short-sightedness, King was dismissed from the army soon after being drafted, but because of his language skills he was recruited by the Gestapo as an interpreter and letter censor. King used this position to support slave labor . As a regular listener to foreign radio stations, he provided them with information; He changed translations and statements in favor of those arrested. During visits to the Eastern labor camps, he came into contact with the Russian resistance group and worked for them. B. Produced and distributed leaflets.

On June 6, 1944, he was arrested for “conspiracy with the prisoners of war” and imprisoned first in Lindau , then in Innsbruck . In January 1945 he was deported to Mauthausen , where he was executed on April 24th as a "carrier of secrets" in view of the approaching front.

Appreciation

In 1982 King was posthumously awarded the Badge of Honor for Services to the Liberation of Austria by the Austrian Federal President . A memorial stone in his home community has been commemorating him since 1988 .

literature

• Meinrad Pichler: “Cross aisles. Vorarlberg history in résumés ”, ISBN 978-3902612335 . Pp. 238-251.

Web links

• “ The preferred student in the resistance ” by Meinrad Pichler