Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria - return trip to Kinderkurheim Hägele, a childhood residence
When I was an 8 year old kid, in 1956, my parents (at the advice of their doctor) decided to send me away for a few weeks for some fresh air, sunshine, etc. It was a fairly common practice back then for German parents to send their kids to special sanitoriums just for that & they were called kinderheims.
We lived in Ludwigsburg, Germany at the time and I was sent to the kinderheim located in Hirshegg, Austria...just over the border of Germany. I recall the train ride alone and being excited but also upset about being away from home for the first time. Took me a few days to adjust, but I fell in love with the area. Went hiking up into the mountain areas and enjoying the breathtaking views. Those memories never left me.
I returned for a visit in 2012. With the help, beforehand, of some folks at we were able to determine that Kinderheim Hagele (the official name of the kinderheim I was at for several weeks) no longer existed, but they gave me the old house number to help me out and I am grateful for that, as I likely would never have figured it out on my own. As it was, we ended up getting lost anyway and were turning around in someone's driveway when he came out (looking slightly annoyed) to see why we were almost getting stuck in his driveway. My German is pretty limited now, but I had some old postcards with me and he ended up being delighted to help out by explaining that we had come in the wrong way (the road ended briefly) and had to go back and come in the other way. Will always be grateful for him as well, for making it easier and having us avoid going into town to try to figure out why we couldn't find the exact address, etc.
Though so much has changed (notice the old postcards in the video), much has also remained to tug at my heart and memories of what it was. In particular, hearing the cow bells as we drove up really jogged my memory hard - I remember those so well. It was pure joy to come back after 55 years and relive some of my memories with my partner, Ed, who had heard me speak so often of this special place. He was totally captivated and charmed by the area. Kinderkurheim Hägele
Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria - St. Anna's Church and Cemetery
While visiting Hirschegg in Kleinwalsertal, Austria, we stopped in on the little parish church of St. Anna's (Pfarrkirche St. Anna). They had a photographic tribute on the wall of local men who lost their lives during WWII and one of the most beautiful and peaceful small cemeteries I've ever seen. You got gorgeous views of the Alps and the valleys surrounding the church.
Prähistorischer Feuerstein - Bergbau im Kleinwalsertal
Prähistorischer Feuerstein - Bergbau im Kleinwalsertal
Vortrag von Dr. Walter Leitner, Universität Innsbruck
Feuerstein war für die Menschen der Steinzeitkulturen unverzichtbar. Aus diesem harten und zugleich elastischen Material wurde ein Großteil der Werkzeuge hergestellt. Auf der Suche nach Lagerstätten scheuten die Prospektoren offensichtlich kein Risiko, auch schwer zugängliche Bereiche im hochalpinen Raum für den Abbau zu erschließen.
Die große Herausforderung archäologischer Untersuchungen ist es, die Spuren der Bergknappen nachzuweisen. Verwitterung und Erosion veränderten die ursprüngliche Oberfläche mitunter derart, dass intentionelle Einwirkungen nicht oder kaum mehr sichtbar sind. Im Kleinwalsertal ist es in den letzten Jahren gelungen, eine obertägige Feuerstein-Abbaustelle zu lokalisieren, die den Rohstoffbedarf der Region in der Mittel- und Jungsteinzeit größtenteils abdeckte.
Klara Drechsel Haus in Mittelberg Kleinwalsertal
......Daniela Schwendiger & Bürgermeister Kandidat ANDI HAID haben zu einer Besichtigung eines wertvollen Juwels nach Mittelberg eingeladen ..........um aufzuzeigen, dass es ist wichtig ist solche Schätze zu erhalten -- unter einer Führung von ANDI HAID.......viel Spaß dabei