The master tailor lived with his siblings and parents on Togostraße in Waldtrudering. In 1931, he was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzlement. After serving his sentence, however, he was not released but held in Dachau Concentration Camp until April 20, 1939. Through Hans Hutzler, whom he had met in Dachau Concentration Camp, he learned about the illegal resistance network led by Wilhelm Olschewski. They also aimed to establish groups in Munich to prepare for the collapse of Germany following what was believed to be a certain defeat in the war. Kimberger took part in listening to foreign broadcasters together with group members, engaged in discussions, and also attempted to recruit acquaintances to the group.
When uncovering these connections, the Gestapo also came across his name. The arrest on March 14, 1942 at his family’s residence was unsuccessful because Kimberger managed to escape in time. He resided unlawfully in different locations in Upper Bavaria. Due to anonymous tip-offs, the police eventually succeeded in arresting Kimberger on November 11, 1942, when he entered his parents’ home. During the house raid, it was also discovered that he had been dealing in illegally slaughtered meat.
In a trial on May 19, 1943, he was therefore sentenced to eight years of penal servitude by the Munich Special Court for “continued conduct harmful to the war through illegal slaughter“ and due to the “anti-community attitude“ he had shown. He initially served his sentence in Kaisheim Penitentiary, but was then transferred to Munich, where he was sentenced to death by the People’s Court on April 21, 1944 in one of the five trials against the resistance group to which he belonged – despite only minor charges. Due to the previous convictions, however, the judge determined: “Such a person no longer has a place in our community.“ The execution in Stadelheim took place on June 28.
His father Stefan Kimberger suffered a fatal heart attack while reading the farewell letter; it had said: “The verdict was already decided before the trial.“ I wasn’t given a hearing at all, just beaten without end; this was my interrogation, my signature meant beating without end“ (HStA (Main State Archives), LEA 1886, folio no. 26).
