Dr. Walter Krajnc

Walter Krajnc attended elementary school in Hall/Tyrol and from 1926 the Franciscan grammar school, where he became a member of the Marian Congregation. After graduating from high school in 1934, he enrolled at the Faculty of Law at the University of Innsbruck and joined the student fraternity Vindelicia in 1934.

After the occupation of Austria by the Third Reich in March 1938, he joined the 'Kampfgruppe Tirol' of the Austrian Resistance. In the fall of 1938, he obtained his doctorate in law and wanted to begin practicing law in Hall, but was not admitted to the bar on March 19, 1939 as "unacceptable to the Nazi state". He works as an auditor in various companies in Vienna, Prague, Warsaw and Gotenhafen [today: Gdingen/Gdynia in Poland]. He also used this time to learn the Czech, Polish and Russian languages.

After being drafted in December 1940 to Kolin near Prague as a radio operator in the German Wehrmacht, he came to France after a short training period in Czechoslovakia, where he was stationed in Dijon, Paris, Lyon and Avignon. During this time, he considered himself conscripted, deliberately remained a simple soldier and repeatedly emphasized to his relatives that he refused to take on any responsibility in this war, e.g. by taking part in an officer training course.

After the German troops invaded unoccupied France in November 1942, Walter Krajnc made his first contact with the French resistance movement [Resistance] and joined it as a member in 1514. He supplied them, as well as the US and British armies, with information. In 1943, he was assigned to a radio unit at the headquarters of the 19th Army of the German Wehrmacht in southern France. In this position, he became aware of hostage shootings by the German occupying forces. He makes no secret of his opposition to these methods and is reported to his superiors for his remarks. He was soon assigned to a firing squad himself. He is said to have refused to take part in the execution of the firing order, according to the various reasons given for his arrest. During his arrest on July 12, 1944, he injured his wrist with a razor blade and was sent to Avignon prison.

Walter Krajnc is sentenced to death by firing squad on July 28, 1944 by the military court of Army High Command 19 as a spy for treason.

On July 29, 1944, he was shot in Les Angles near Avignon.

As he died "in dishonor", according to the notification to his parents, no funeral service may be held for him and no requiem may be sung for him.

Walter Krajnc is buried in the cemetery of Les Angles near Avignon, where a memorial plaque commemorates him.