Memorial Plaque for the Victims of the Gestapo at the Franciscan Monastery

In the heart of Salzburg's Old Town, close to the Domplatz, lies the Franciscan monastery, next to whose entrance gate a memorial plaque was installed in 1995. The marble plaque recalls the period between 1938 and 1945, during which the monastery, seized by the National Socialists, served as the headquarters of the Gestapo. Despite a protest letter from the then Archbishop Sigismund Waitz, the Franciscans had to begin emptying the monastery on 13 October 1938. From the premises, they threw books, magazines, and furniture into the inner courtyard. Objects that remained after the clearance were subsequently destroyed by the monks. This action was interpreted by the regime as a political demonstration, leading to the arrest of 16 Franciscans; all the detainees served a multi-week prison sentence, as they were accused of property damage and disturbance of public order. The National Socialists seized 26 religious properties in Salzburg alone between March 1938 and March 1940. In total, 116 priests were arrested, four of whom were killed in the concentration camp.