Michael Gamper

Michael Gamper was born the son of a blacksmith and graduated from the Benedictine grammar school in Merano. After graduating from high school in 1904, he began studying at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Innsbruck, where he joined the Tirolia student fraternity.

Michael Gamper's birthplace and parental home was located between Bolzano and Merano. At the time, this area belonged to the diocese of Trento, which is why he entered its seminary in 1907 and was ordained a priest in 1908. In 1914, he became canon of the collegiate chapter of the provost's parish church in Bolzano. With the title "Canon", he became widely known in South Tyrol.

After South Tyrol's secession from Austria in 1919, Michael Gamper began his journalistic and political work. He was first given the editorship of the "Volksbote". In 1921, he took over the South Tyrolean management of the Tyrolia publishing house, which was renamed Athesia in 1936.

When the fascists came to power, all German newspapers were banned. In 1926, however, with the support of the Holy See, the "Dolomiten" could be published - initially three times a week - and religious instruction could be held in German. The preservation of the German-language press in South Tyrol at this time is largely thanks to Michael Gamper.

Michael Gamper is also one of the organizers of German-language school lessons (so-called "catacomb schools") and pushes for cooperation between the German parties in a "German Association". During these years, he also worked together with Eduard Reut-Nicolussi.

Michael Gamper is a staunch opponent of fascism and above all National Socialism. In 1940, he published the article "A terrible suspicion", in which he denounced the murder of disabled people by the Nazis.

When the Italians withdrew from the alliance with Adolf Hitler in September 1943, the Germans occupied South Tyrol. Michael Gamper then had to go into hiding in Florence.