Markus Leyrer

Markus Leyrer is born as the son of a farmer in Oberaich (and not as falsely claimed sometimes in Oberdorf). After school, he works first in parental agriculture and later on at the train. In 1914 he volunteered for the war from which he returned in 1918.

After the First World War, he served at the Gendarmerie shortly, but moved to the Agricultural Hospital in Feldbach in 1922. There he works up to the district reporting center manager.

Already during the First World War, Markus Leyrer joins the Christian Social Workers' Association, later the union and the VF. At the union, he'll be county officer for the section employees. With his wife Anna, whom he married in 1923, he has four children together.

After the occupation of Austria by the III. Reich in March 1938, the counter of National Socialism is released by forced retirement and then works as a day-older in the agriculture of his brother and as a magazine.

At the end of 1939 or early 1940, Markus Leyrer joined Wilhelm Hierländer and Emil Ertl, which he already knows from the time before the invasion, to discuss with them a possible restoration of the Habsburg House in Austria. Within the framework of this meeting, they consider the establishment of a legitimate organization, but it does not come about.

Announced in spring 1941 Eduard Pumpernig, who has learned from Leyrer's negative attitude towards Nazism about a third party, come in writing. Markus Leyrer informs Moser, former Mayor of Eisenerz and Emil Ertl of this letter. At Easter 1941 they meet at fourth in Markus Leyrer's apartment. Eduard Pumpernig joins her in the plans to establish a legitimate resistance group, Anti-fascist freedom movement of Austria (AFÖ) one. Leyrer, Moser and Ertl agree to establish a group cell in Feldbach. This cell also includes a certain Mödlhammer and Alois Gingl from Feldbach, which soon fell in war. The membership of the savings bank employee Josef Hermann to this cell can later not be demonstrated by the Gestapo.

After this meeting, Eduard Pumpernig Feldbach no longer visits and no longer reports, which is why there is no further activities of the Feldbach cell of the AFÖ.

25. August 1943 Markus Leyrer was arrested by the Gestapo and was arrested on the 22nd April 1944 condemned by the Volksgerichtshof for preparation for high treason to two years breeding house. He remains in custody until the end of the war.

After the war, Markus Leyrer remains in Feldbach and dies there in 1968.