Ottilie Lexer

Ottilie Lexer was born in Klein St. Paul, the daughter of a farmer. At the age of 28, she marries the constable Georg Lexer, who was stationed in Kitschdorf at the time. Together with her husband, she often changes residence, especially as gendarmerie officers in training are often assigned to different locations. Their son Georg was born in 1922 and their son Wunibald in 1923.

Her husband Georg was involved in bloody battles as a gendarme during the National Socialist coup attempt near Klagenfurt in July 1934. There were also casualties among the National Socialists and troops loyal to the government.

In February 1938, she died of severe pneumonia. Discharged into home care, gendarmerie post commander Georg Lexer is arrested in the night of March 11-12, although feverish and bedridden, by his own subordinate gendarmes, who are already wearing swastika armbands when they arrest him, and taken to the Klagenfurt provincial court prison. In proceedings before the National Socialist People's Court, he is accused of having committed the murder of a National Socialist during the battles in July 1934. The proceedings before the People's Court were dropped on the grounds that "in a war, shooting is inevitable" (statement by the presiding judge). Georg Lexer was not released, however, but taken over by the Gestapo and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp in September 1938, where he was murdered on 3 August 1941.

Around Easter 1941, Georg Lexer met Eduard Pumpernig, a lance corporal in the Luftwaffe and opponent of the Nazi regime. Through him, he and his brother Wunibald came into contact with the Antifascist Freedom Movement of Austria (AFÖ). There were many conspiratorial meetings and drawings of Wehrmacht installations were also made. Eduard Pumpernig is often a guest at Lexer's house. There he is also in contact with Ottilie Lexer.

During a trip to the Gailtal valley to explore escape routes to Italy, a rift occurs between Eduard Pumpernig and Georg Lexer. Georg informs his mother and brother, but the former does not believe him enough.

After the Anti-Fascist Freedom Movement of Austria (AFÖ) is exposed, Ottilie Lexer is also arrested in September 1943. She was severely abused in custody. Eduard Pumpernig had hidden a rucksack with anti-regime pamphlets and ammunition in her house. After his arrest in June 1943, she tried to sink the incriminating objects in a lake. However, they were found.