Oberstudienrat Dr. Walter Waitz

Walter Waitz - nephew of Prince-Bishop Sigismund Waitz - attended the Franciscan grammar school in Hall in Tyrol and became a member of the Sternkorona Hall secondary school fraternity in 1918. After graduating from high school in 1920, he went to study in Brixen and then to Innsbruck, where he joined the student fraternity Vindelicia Innsbruck in 1923. After studying theology and being ordained a priest on December 28, 1924, he became a cooperator (chaplain) in Götzis, Matrei, Berwang and Pettneu. He also taught at the Pädagogium (LBA) in Innsbruck [today: Pädagogische Hochschule Tirol]. He then went to Rome for further studies, which he completed with a doctorate as Dr. iuris canonici.

In 1933, he switched to teaching and worked - with an interruption during the Nazi era - at the teacher training college in Innsbruck until his retirement in 1967.

After the Anschluss, he was dismissed as an "unacceptable" religion teacher. On April 9, 1938, he therefore became chaplain in Pettneu.

This was enough for him to be arrested on March 30, 1940 and charged with an offence under § 130a RStGB (pulpit abuse). He was held in custody until June 17, 1940, but was then acquitted. On August 1, 1940, he finally became pastor of Arzl near Innsbruck.

However, he had become disagreeable to those in power, as he had also spoken out in another sermon by his ministerial brother and pastor of Götzis, Otto Neururer, who had been hanged in the Buchenwald concentration camp, and so he was closely observed. On November 29, 1940, he was arrested again because he had recommended the use of Eichstätt St. Walpurgis oil to a pregnant woman. This oil was pharmacologically tested and it was found to be pure water.

This and his activities with the disbanded parish youth were reason enough to detain Walter Waitz until December 20, 1940, after which he was expelled from the district. He was then expelled to East Tyrol, which at the time belonged to the Carinthian district, and became a parish priest in Kals.

After Austria's liberation in May 1945, he returned to teaching religion in Innsbruck and remained there until his retirement in 1967.