Dachstein Salzkammergut

History

The Inner Salzkammergut – a historical cultural landscape since thousands of years

The Inner Salzkammergut appealed very early to humans looking for the vital salt. There are traces of salt mining on the Hallstatt Salzberg going back as early as 2000 B.C. Great prosperity was gained through the salt trade, the burial objects document extensive and wide spread trade relations.

The climax of ancient mining was definitely from 800 until 400 B.C (older Iron Age), which is also referred as the Hallstatt-Period due to the numerous findings in Hallstatt.

The mine was affected by a part collapse later on. Around the time of Christ’s birth the area was ruled by the Romans who started to settle in the valley, while the local people continued their trade. During the 5th century with the end of the Roman dominance a cultural collapse took place. There is no sure evidence if there was any salt mining during the medieval times, except a few traces of possible salt production on the west side of the Sandling.

Around the turn of the 14th century we have reliable sources since the Habsburgs took over this area as their private property. Hallstatt regained its status as an important production site. The alliance between Austria and Bohemia in the 16th century resulted in a real boom era, and at the same time the region became dominated by Lutherans. Soon the mining capacity of Hallstatt became exhausted; the forests looked like karst formations, therefore the production had to be increased in Ischl and later on in Ebensee.

The Catholic counter-reformation was a disastrous era for the Inner Salzkammergut, resulting in the displacement of more than 700 Lutherans to Transylvania at its peak. Only in 1781 the long awaited religious toleration became a reality.

Around 1800 tourism slowly developed in this region, and the first travellers wrote in their guidebooks about travelling through the “Austrian Switzerland”. Tourism really took off with the construction of the railway, making the area more accessible. Since then the Inner Salzkammergut is a most popular tourist destination, which also was internationally appreciated with the World Cultural Heritage nomination by the UNESCO.

© Dr. Michael Kurz, Dez. 2002