Calvary Group Gruppe Calvarienberg

The resistance group Gruppe Calvarienberg emerged from the group of the Austrian Young People (ÖJV) of the 17th Viennese district of Hernals. The group gathered around the Calvary Church of St. Bartholomew, the old parish church in Hernals.

On the evening of March 11, 1938, they were ready to offer armed resistance against the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. Secondary school student Karl Strobl took over the leadership of the group. Through Alfred Kostelecky, they collaborated with the resistance group Gruppe Eisen, which comprised students from the 9th and 18th districts of Vienna. When the Group Eisen was dismantled by the Gestapo at the beginning of July, Karl Strobl was also briefly detained.

On October 7, 1938, seven members of the Gruppe Calvarienberg were present at the Rosary Festival of Theodor Cardinal Innitzer, the only demonstration against National Socialism in the Third Reich.  

Attempts by the Hitler Youth to disrupt masses led to regular brawls between the HJ and members of the Gruppe Calvarienberg. Karl Stobl was expelled from secondary school due to his anti-Nazi activities, but this did not prevent him from seeking contact with the Haan resistance group in Vienna's 9th district.

The Calvarienberg group distributed leaflets originating from the Eisen group, among other things.

When the Haan group was exposed, Karl Strobl was also arrested. Wilfried Daim and Fritz Strobl (Karl Stobl's older brother) then continued to run the Calvarienberg Group. Among other things, they cut off the four Schliefen from the two wreaths of the Nazi warriors' comradeship in the crypt of the Heroes' Monument in the Outer Burgtor. They also scattered red-white-red flyers.

Wilfried Daim's enlistment brought the activities of the Calvarienberg Group to a standstill.Members of the Calvarienberg group were:

Rudolf Adler, Karl Emler, Franz Kozian, Adolf Pasek, Otto Pleier, Fritz Strobl, Karl Strobl, Gottfried Bahlek, Wilfried Daim, Josef Kalasek, Franz Kirchner, Hans Kirchner, Franz Konecny, Alfred Kostelecky, Alfred Montag, Alfred Paseka, Herbert Propst, Erich Schmutzer, Erwin Stankovski, Paul Twaroch, Egon Weinberg