The Schlierseer to skin so easily, nothing – not the storm of the Century. Exactly 100 years ago, such a devastated, while the area above the Spitzingsee. But the disaster spurred a technical masterpiece: the bockerl railway.

Spitzingsee – On the Morning of the 6. January 1919, piled up high in the Slopes above the Spitzingsee, the uprooted trees metres. In the night, a storm with speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour in an area had a twisted ankle, as large as in 2000, soccer fields, almost all of the trees. Without the protective forest, the few that were still had a Chance against the next two storms. “Within a short time was on the Slopes of Croda Rossa, Pfanngraben, misery, digging and in the valley of the Valepp 15 times as much wood as the forest service Schliersee at the time in a year,” says Hans Kornprobst, former head of the local forest office. Schliersee. “The storm of the Century”, says Förster, Gerhard Waas. Kornprobst says: “From a human point of view it was a disaster.”

it was also at the time of the accident. The end of the First world war was not yet two months, the economy was on the ground, there was a lack of food and fuel. To the Spitzingsee lake, only a narrow forest path led, totally unsuitable for the removal of such wood mass. “The old trees had to come quickly out of the way and the new forest,” says Waas. “Otherwise rot and Erosion threatened.”

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Schliersee: Pioneering work in the disaster – The Neuhauser bockerl railway

The storm could have plunged the area into a crisis. That he did it, was by the ingenuity of the people. Already six weeks after the storm, a Munich office presented a complete Plan for a twelve-Kilometer-long narrow gauge railroad to transport the wood. “It was a technical feat,” says Waas. In the mountainous terrain, tunnels and bridges were necessary, steep slopes, and curves had to be faced. “Hard to imagine, to create in the short period of time.”

the bockerl train was about two years later. Thus, the workers made the wood of Waitzingeralm, Bleckstein, Wurzhütte, Spitzing and Stockeralm to the station Fischhausen-Neuhaus down.

The railway and the removal of the wood alleviated in the Region after the end of the war and widespread poverty. They brought jobs and contracts for tradesmen. Alone with local workers, the project would not have been possible. About 2000 people were for the construction of the railway is necessary, a similar number of worked later on in the removal. Because it was not in the area with a shortage of workers, and elsewhere, the work was a close one, streamed people from the entire Alpine space to Schliersee. “Here, it was used by the tourist to Strangers,” says Waas. “That was important. You must say to the workers: Thank you, you are doing something for us.“

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+ performance: The bockerl railroad to transport the wood was planned in only six weeks.©Archive, forestry office Schliersee

Schliersee: The Bockerl not saved the Region – in spite of all the challenges

without the challenges of the onslaught, remained still. The helper needed a quick living space. In addition, Criminals were among them. So the Neuhauser built a police station. “This certainly had to work with scuffles and clashes,” writes Gerald the military man in his book “The Neuhauser bockerl train” from the year 2010.

A legacy of century tower has survived until today, unlike the bockerl train itself, which was dismantled after the work is done, probably in the mid 1920s, again in the spruce forest, which was created by the reforestation. “Before the storm stood out above the Spitzingsee natural mixed forest, then pure spruce,” explains Kornprobst. “Because of climate change, storms are more frequent and the bark beetle gets to this height, we need to be planting now and again mixed forest.” Only when this is done, handles all of the consequences of the storm.

+ bockerl range: Today signs erinern to the railway.©Archive MZv

Schliersee remembers: The events of the 100. Anniversary

For the anniversary of the storm and the performance of its management is thinking back to Schliersee. In the Bauer-publisher of by Peter Augustin is the author of historical novel “Holztod”, which plays in the time of the departure of the storm damage appears. The Wasmeier Museum in Neuhaus addresses the bockerl railway and the natural disaster in the framework of the exhibition “ways of the wood”. Also, the market Schliersee is planning its own exhibition. Gerhard Waas wants together with partners, guides, along the railway line and the history to life. Gerald the military man, his book “The Neuhauser bockerl train” as an E-Book to bring out. The printed edition is largely sold out.