Dr. Gustav A. Canaval di Moneta

In addition to attending secondary school in Linz, Gustav Adolf Canaval trained as a dental technician in order to contribute to the family income. Here he joined the Alemannia secondary school fraternity, which no longer exists today, and then became active in the Herulia secondary school fraternity in Vienna. After graduating from high school in 1916, he studied electrical engineering for three years at the Technical University in Vienna, but did not graduate.

In Vienna, he joined the Norica student fraternity in 1918. He then began a general course of study with supplementary examinations in Latin, Greek and philosophy, followed by a medical degree in Vienna. Finally, Gustav Adolf Canaval moved to Graz, where he studied political science and economics. After completing his doctorate (Dr. rer.pol.), he became a professional guardian for over 500 wards of both sexes and headed the Youth Court Assistance and General Child Welfare departments of the Caritas Association in Vienna.

Through the mediation of his friend Julius Raab, Gustav Adolf Canaval became the first press officer of the Lower Austrian Home Army and editor of the weekly newspaper "Sturm über Österreich" in 1930.

In the short-lived "Tagespresse", a creation of the federal government, he was head of "Internal Politics". In 1934 he became deputy editor-in-chief and provisional director, from 1935 managing director and 1936-1938 editor-in-chief of the tabloid "Telegraf". These papers wrote resolutely against National Socialism.

Gustav Adolf Canaval was arrested immediately after the invasion on March 12, 1938 and taken to the police prison. [The date of the arrest is backdated in the Gauakt as "14.03.1938"]. Two house searches by the Gestapo followed. On June 17, 1938, he was sent to the Dachau concentration camp and at the turn of 1939/40 was deployed in the quarry of the Flossenbürg concentration camp. On March 2, 1940, Gustav Adolf Canaval was once again transferred back to Dachau, where he was last assigned to the Plantage work detail (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt GmbH, Dachau plant).

From July 12, 1943, he was able to live on the grounds of the plantation (outside the camp) and was released from concentration camp detention on August 16, 1943, on condition that he remained in the plantation "voluntarily". As a botanical draughtsman ("1a prisoner"), he became indispensable for a "herbarium" planned by Heinrich Himmler.

The liberation of the Dachau concentration camp