Alpine pasture history
The cultivation of alpine pastures and pastures had an impact on the surrounding forests. In particular, forest pasture, litter use and snowmaking influenced forest development. The right to purchase timber and the removal of hardwood also interfere with the forest ecosystem.
Not all alpine pastures in the national park area have such good evidence as the ones listed below. Many treasures are still stored unrecognized in archives ... and in the memory of the inhabitants of the region ...
By the way, if you can't cope with some of the expressions in the alpine descriptions, you can browse for the right interpretations here:
Glossary
Many of the words used in the past are still in use today - some are incomprehensible to many modern people at all. Josef Weichenberger has compiled some of them here, as they still appeared in the old documents, and interpreted them for the modern reader:
Show: The forester also had the task of marking the wood to which they were entitled. This was usually done with a hoe that bore the Austrian coat of arms in the cutting edge and had a Latin "T" in the middle.
Filling: a felling surface should "spill" itself with young wood again, i.e. establish a new stand through natural regeneration. The forest was usually used in the clear-cutting method and the felling surface was left to the natural flight of seeds. This approach and the emergence of young wood was called "spilling".
Stock: Lease, rent
Bluembusch: is to be translated as "flower visit", "grass visit" or "grass pasture" and is understood as a grazing right to visit and graze grass (= flowers) with grazing cattle (especially cattle). It meant in particular grazing in the forest during a certain time of the year.
Giant compartment, giant compartment: the wooden giants are divided into "compartments". One compartment has a tree length of approximately 8 to 10 m (in 1770 a compartment of 5 fathoms = 9.48 m).
Fating: tax commitment; Valuation of land for taxes
Trade union, trade union: Innerberg Main Trade Union
Hayen, haien, heyen: forest maintenance; give a forest the attention it deserves, so that it is preserved in good condition and protected from ruin.
clear-cutting: forestry method in which all trees in a forest area are removed; results in large soil losses (e.g. due to erosion by water)
Klaus(e): a wooden or stone building that dams up the water. By opening the claw gate, the water is drained and the artificial flood created by this is able to drift off the drift wood and wash it away.
Corn: Schlag or Jungwald; a stocked or driven forest area that inseminates again.
Marchbaum, Markbaum: Boundary tree, in which an iron cross (usually 15 to 20 cm long) is hammered as marking.
Monoculture: Plantation of only one type of tree
Sustainable forestry: Forest management that does not require clear-cutting, heavy machinery and monocultures, does not damage biodiversity and ensures structured forests that are appropriate to the location.
Reute, Reuter: cleared property, felling wood, clearing forest
Annerl-Alm
1647 - Land Register, Großraming Forest - Hans Perger am Kleiner Radlinnut unter Spital am Pyhrn von der Alm am Kleinen Kien, so was also inherited in 1700. Fee: service lard 5 pounds.
1699 - Hans Perger and his wife Katharina at the Kleinradling estate are issued a letter of inheritance for the alpine pasture on the small Kien.
1725 - The alpine pasture on the small Kien has Hans Sperg for sale under hospital, is even a bad flower [grass], can only keep with 14 head of horned cattle and a little less small cattle, which can cause no damage in the Kien.
1750/52 - Forest investigation - An alpine pasture on the large Kien is mentioned. It is unclear whether it was connected to the alpine pasture on the Kleiner Kien or is identical with it. In the large Kien there is an alpine pasture, so it belongs to the Rädlingbauer, Stift Spitaler Untertan. This brings up a lot of goat cattle, although it is a rustic place and bad ground.
1753 - forest inspection - it is mentioned that only 9 geese were found on the Rädlingbauer Alm on the Kien. But since they graze without a keeper, there is no doubt that they cause damage in the forest (although nothing of it is seen).
1791 - Jakob Stadler from the Kleinrädlinggut (under Spital) owns the alpine pasture on the Kleiner Kien.
1797 - Jakob Stadler complains to the lordship of Steyr that the alpine pasture is already completely overgrown and that it is hardly possible to keep 10 head of cattle, when otherwise more than 20 head have been found. The woodruff is then instructed to carry out a joint inspection with the alpine pasture owner and to assign him a new site. He is shown a large stain at his alpine pasture, which he is allowed to clear out, about which the alpine pasture owner also expressed his complete satisfaction.
1861 - Regulatory decision - The owners of the alpine pasture on the Kleiner Kien are allowed to drive up 20 horned cattle.
1894 - The lift of 24 horned cattle is conceded.
Jörgl-Alm
Synonyms: Pölzlalm, Pölzelalm, Alm am Pözlgraben, Alm unterm Grestenberg
1575 - ... Here also a cleared place, left to the Pongratz Pölzer [Jörglalm], on which no more wood is to be expected.
1627 - the provost of Spital Abbey acquires the alpine pasture, but leaves it to the blacksmith in the Keuschen. He brings up 26 cattle, 55 goats and 2 pigs.
1631 - Forest visitation - Item the alpine pasture on the Pölzlgraben, called under the Grestenberg, was sold about 4 years ago to Mr. Probst zu Spital and properly donated, no cabbage or water wood is to be used from this alpine pasture. ...
1636 - ... that the provost of Spital has sold the alpine pasture and now the blacksmith on the Keuschen uses it, who pays 10 guilders for it.
1642 - the blacksmith in the Keuschen still appears as the owner of the alpine pasture.
1647 - Grundbuch Forst Großraming - Gregor Immitzer am Pölzlergut, auch unter Stift sSpital, von der Alm am Pölzlergraben, oder unter dem Grestenberg. Pays 5 pounds of lard and 2 shillings of cheese money in annual taxes. Rises at the Feuerkogel, goes to the Pölzlmauer, then to the Boßbrettegg, from there down to the Großer Kien, from the Großer Kien to the Diendlmauer, from the same over to the Grundmauer, from the Grundmäuern to the Ahorntal, from the valley back to the Feuerkögl.
1667 - Forsturbar - Georg Immitzer am Pölzergütl, subject of the Spital Abbey, has to pay 1/2 eighth of lard in tax for his alpine pasture on the Pölzlgraben or under the Grestenberg.
1725 - The alpine pasture in the Pölzlgraben has Andre Rädlingmyr for sale, is even a bad stony pasture, which is not usable without small livestock. You can't think much of it and don't do any damage. Gives 5 pounds of service and 5 pounds of buying lard, in money 2 shillings.
1750/52 - Forest investigation - In the Pölzlgraben there is an alpine pasture, belonging to Jörgl unterm Pichl, Spitaler Abbey.
1753 - Report on forest visitation to the Eisenobmannschaft - Pölzlgraben: The Jörgl unterm Pichl is listed in the old forest description with its alpine pasture and the forest cuts made in the process.
1765 - In the Jörglgraben the primeval forest to beat. The forester reports that the Jörglbauer is under the Pichl with his alpine pasture not far from the newly made well-burnt hollow cuts, and can operate them every day.
1770 - The Eisenobmannschaft regulates and limits the herding of sheep, goats and horses to the alpine pastures. Jörgl unterm Pichl drives 13 sheep and lambs into the Pölzlgrabenalm in addition to his horned cattle. This could not be tolerated at all, because the beatings of the Innerberg main union are located there.
1775 - Jörgl unterm Pichl drove a total of 40 sheep to his alpine pasture in the Pölzlgraben. One keeper is there so that the Scof cattle do not get into the lofts, but are kept in the undamaged villages in Kien and Vorwald.
1788 - Gregor Eckharts on the Hörmanngut No. 21, Bichl, under the lordship of Spital, an alpine pasture and Raurecht in the Pölzlgraben. Due to the felling, the meadow area at the Jörglalm already covers 69 yokes.
1861 - Regulatory decision - a total of 40 horned cattle and 40 sheep were allowed to be driven to the alpine pasture in the Pölzlgraben. The spatial right covers an area of 750 yokes, of which 10 yoke meadow and 390 yoke high forest.
1791 - Georg Eckhard appears at the lower Hörmanngut as the owner of the alpine pasture on the Pölzlgraben.
The Jörglalm is said to have been abandoned before 1900 .
Grazing in the fire forest
1801 - 8 gedingknechts, who work in the fire forest, ask the lordship of Steyr to be allowed to graze 9 goats in the Boßbrett, because there is no wood wax at all, but nothing but stone walls and snow passages. They are granted the condition that they provide their own keeper and pay 15 kreuzers per goat in taxes.
1804 - the willow in the fire forest is mentioned again.
Sheep pasture on the Grestenberg
It is said that in the area of the saddle between the Kleiner and Großer Grestenberg there was a sheep pasture with a shelter. The field name "Halterhüttental" (on the south-western slope of the Grestenberg) also indicates grazing of these areas. Even now, there are still some meadows and open spaces in the area of the saddle.
The local and excellent area expert Hugo Tannwalder can tell of a man who knows from his grandfather that the Großer Grestenberg used to be bald (bare) and grazed with sheep.
Schaumbergalm
Synonyms: Schaunbergalm, Dansbacher Alm, Darnsbacher Alm
1575 - Description of the area - ... in it a Ausgereutt or Gschwendt, called the Schaumberger Alm, which leaves the putter and Hochenrieser, where no usable wood is to be hoped for.
1581 - Letter of sale - Sigmund Putter called the Schaumburger and some others at Windischgarsten appear as buyers. Together with the Koller managers, they pay half an eighth of lard in taxes.
1631 - A description of the boundary of the Schaumberg-Alm is available
1647 - Grundbuch Forst Großraming - Boundary description of the now divided Schaumberg-Alm and Kollers-Alm: Start on the high Schaumberg, go over the Egg down to the Prändl and Salchinger Kogl, from there to the Schwarzmauer and to the Tremplstein; also to the Almstein, from there to the Prött, from the same down to the Ahorntal, following back up to the high Schaunberg, how the rainwater separates, by which is understood a place, so belongs to the forest of Molln, and is given for it to service 2 shillings and 1 cheese. To the forester of Großraming 1/2 prenten of lard, 1/2 eighth more and in money 4 shillings.
1665 - Letter to the forester about the uplift of 70 to 80 sheep
1667 - Forsturbar: Fee for the half alpine pasture on the Schaumberg 1/8 lard. Georg Stummer am Gschwendt, also a subject of Spital Abbey, also pays the same amount for the second half of the Schaumbergalm.
1669 - the Schaumberg-Alm is drawn on the map of Upper Austria by Matthaeus Vischer.
1693 - Forest revision: On the alpine pasture on the Schaunberg, where only the bare pasture and no meadow mowing at all is inherited. Nevertheless, it was allowed to cut and build, but to reute was forbidden.
1725 - Forest revision: The alpine pasture on the Schaumberg was purchased by Simon Bauer on the large Klein and Hans Humpl, both hospital subjects. Have now had something little in the summer of Gaißvieh, in winter they can't stay with it. They could both keep 40 head of Gaiß cattle and 70 head of cattle without damage. Both give 25 pounds of purchase and 25 pounds of lard and 4 shillings of cash.
1750/52 - Forest investigation: On the Schaumberg there are two alpine pastures, which belong to Groß-Kleiner and Gschwantner (both subjects of Spital Abbey).
1765 - The woodcutters of the Innerberger (Erzberger) main union begin the primeval forest in the Jörglgraben.
1788 - Josefinisches Lagebuch: Gregori Kefer on the large Klein No. 4, village of Dambach, and Simon Kefer on the Wassergut and Peterlehen No. 5, village of Rading, both belonging to Spital, alpine pasture and Raumrecht, which belongs to the lordship of Steyr, located between the Schaumberg Forest and the Grestenberg Forest.
The 151 yoke of meadows give 378 hundredweights of 55 pounds of sweet hay
Their keepers' huts are located next to the cow path gate.
1791 - Gregor Kefer on the Kleinergut appears as the owner of the half Alm on the Schaunberg and the half Kolleralm . The second half is held by Johann Georg Kefer at the Wassergut and Peter Lechner.
1894 - Alm owners are a farmer from Brunnbach and one from Rosenau, who together are allowed to raise 130 head of horned cattle, 40 sheep and 2 horses.
1998 - According to the former chairman of the agricultural community of Schaumberg-Alm, Mr. Michael Stangl, cattle have been rounded up every year for the last 60 years (1938-1998).
Geschichtliche Aufarbeitung der Almen: Josef Weichenberger, Linz / Leonstein 1998
