Memorial plaque for Jakob Gapp

Born in Wattens in Tyrol in 1897, Jakob Gapp was called to the Marieninstitut in Graz in 1925 as part of his work with the Marianists – a Catholic religious community. Early on, he became involved with the emerging National Socialism and came to the firm conviction that the principles of this ideology are incompatible with the teachings of the Catholic Church. After the Nazi takeover, Gapp returned to Tyrol, where he worked as a chaplain and taught religion. Because of his public criticism of National Socialism in his sermons, he was forced to leave the country. His flight took him through Italy and France to Spain, where he continued to oppose National Socialism. In November 1942, German agents lured him into occupied France by the Wehrmacht. There, he was arrested and taken to Berlin. In 1943, Jakob Gapp was sentenced to death for "treason against the state" and "favoring the enemy" and was executed in Berlin-Plötzensee.