Deadly Hiking Excursion: Heilbronn Tragedy
Heilbronn Dachstein Tragedy 1954
It was Maundy Thursday in 1954 when three teachers and ten students from the German city of Heilbronn wanted to take a tour of the Dachstein massif from Obertraun. Already on their march from the Bundessportschule Obertraun, the group and their teachers were warned by the then director Bols. But even after a two-hour march to the Schönbergalm, already completely soaked by the rain and the onset of snowfall, the group marched on. On the way, men who were just building the 2nd cable car section to the Krippenstein saw each other and advised against continuing the march.
No one was aware that this would develop into the largest search operation in alpine history with over 400 mountain rescuers, alpine farms and volunteers. Unfortunately, however, all efforts and exertions were in vain - after nine days the first victims were found, only 43 days after the start of the search operation the last two victims!
Today, you can effortlessly float with the Dachstein-Krippensteinbahn in three sections to the Krippenstein at 2,100 m above sea level or to the Gjaidalm. To commemorate the Dachstein Tragedy in 1954, a wooden cross - the Heilbronner Kreuz - was erected on the hiking trail from the Krippenstein to the Gjaidalm. A small church was built on the Krippenstein itself, in which a bell from the city of Heilbronn was hoisted - in memory of the dead, as a reminder to the living!
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