Historical document in the Red Cross Museum Dachau: Heigl's membership card discovered!

Historical document in the Red Cross Museum Dachau: Heigl's membership card discovered!

That's what happened in Dachau Red Cross Museum gain remarkable access to historical documents that preserve a piece of important history. A particularly outstanding piece is Franz Xaver Heigl's membership card number 1, which was issued on September 18, 1929. Heigl, born in 1871, was a true pioneer: he was an active member of the Red Cross for over 50 years, including over 29 years in a leading position.

Heigl was not only a formative figure in the organization, but also a contemporary witness to Germany's eventful history. He experienced the imperial era, the Weimar Republic, the time of National Socialism and the beginnings of the Federal Republic. The now 76-year-old Heinz Fiederer, Heigl's great-grandson, handed over the ID card as well as other documents and photographs to the museum, which can now use such important treasures to make the history of the Red Cross in Dachau even more vivid. The handover took place in the old house on Rotkreuzplatz, which Heigl helped initiate in 1949.

Insight into history

The further context of this story goes back to the founding of the “Voluntary Medical Column of the Red Cross”, which was brought into being in Röhrmoos after a devastating train accident on July 7, 1889. Franz Xaver Heigl was there from the beginning and was one of the founding members of the column. This column was founded in the 1880s at a time when war was looming - and the Red Cross was also called upon during the First World War. The First World War represented a massive test for the organization, which at the time had over a million members and, among other things, supported refugees.

In Dachau, Heigl was not only known as a strong leader. He was also a surveyor and was instrumental in procuring the first ambulance for the city after the war. This was acquired in 1919 from remaining army stocks. In the post-war period, Heigl took over the management of Red Cross activities again and documented 2,098 patient transports and over 57,000 kilometers driven in an activity report in 1948.

A difficult legacy

But Heigl's story is also interwoven with dark chapters. When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, the Red Cross suffered from pressure from the regime. Heigl himself applied for membership in the NSDAP in 1937, which was initially rejected, but was retroactively accepted in 1940. It is an ambivalent legacy that the Red Cross in Dachau shares with the story of Franz Xaver Heigl.

After the war, the Red Cross was supported by the American military government to resume its activities in 1945. Heigl, who was made an honorary member of the Bavarian Red Cross in 1948, died on March 23, 1953 at the age of 82 while remaining loyal to the organization.

These valuable documents, which illustrate the history of the Dachau Heigl family and the Red Cross, show how deeply rooted the Red Cross is in the region. Tizian Bartling, director of the Red Cross Museum, highlights how important these materials are for future exhibitions and how they capture the over 50-year history of the Dachau Red Cross organization.

This is not only a look back at the past, but also an invitation to readers to continue to follow the development and commitment of the Red Cross in Dachau. The commemorative framework that these documents provide allows us to recognize the challenges and the successes that have shaped the organization over the years. The Bavarian Red Cross has certainly taken a step forward in keeping this rich history alive.

The Red Cross, founded after a serious railway accident, has been one of the main pillars of human aid in the region for over a century. In every challenge lies the potential to rediscover the sense of community, which is the founding story of German Red Cross with impressive proof.