Dr. Franz Kolb

After the Matura in 1905 at the Bishöflichen Gymnasium Vinzentinum in Brixen, Franz Kolb enters the seminary there and begins theology study. After his priesthood in 1909, he first works as a co-operator in various communities, before taking up his studies on history, geography and natural sciences in Innsbruck in 1913, where he is a student association. Tirol is recorded. As a result of the war, he interrupts the studies because he is employed by 1919 as a field curate and Divisonspfarrer in the Pustertal section. In 1921 he received his doctorate in Dr. phil. In 1921–1923 he worked as a high school professor at the Vinzentinum in Brixen until he was shown by the fascist authorities because of his too strong “trol” attitude from South Tyrol. He then acts as a rector of the Sieberian orphanage in Innsbruck and is active as a religious teacher as well as a representative of the Catholic workers' associations in Tyrol.

In 1927–1934 he is elected as a member of the National Council, where he takes care of social policy, and is a member of the Federal Cultural Council in 1934–1938. As of November 1926, Franz Kolb is the head of the Tyrolean Working Federation and is also the chairman of the Tyrolean People's Party. He is always a tireless fighter for the unity of Tyrol. In 1936 he became Director of the Teacher Education Institute [LBA] in Innsbruck.

Because of his rejection of National Socialism, he is released from school after the connection. He is detained in Innsbruck from 10.11.1939 to 9.12.1939 in connection with the civil cellar assassination on Hitler. After the dissolution of the monastery, he wanted to save the “Maria Waldraster-Gnadenbild” from the seizure by the Nazis and hid in his parish. For this, he is arrested and imprisoned for allegedly wasting the image of grace from 19.4.1941 to 1.5.1941. From 1939–1941 he teaches as a professor of church history at the seminary in Volders and in St. Michael in Matrei, then he becomes pastor in Obernberg south of Innsbruck until 1945.

After the war, he is again active until 1950 as a religious teacher in Innsbruck and as a national curator of the federal state of the Tyrolean Schützen company.