History Of Kaprun
Fascinating archeological finds from the early Bronze Age and Celtic mining activity have been unearthed in the Bürgerkogel area close to the Maiskogel cable car in Kaprun, Austria. Particularly in the later La Tène period, the excavations conducted between 1991 and 1993 unearthed striking proof of active settlement activity. The results show trade links with areas south of the main Alpine range including Roman coinage, Campanian ceramics, and an Italian bronze mirror. The settlement came to end with the Roman invasion of the Alpine areas, and the encircling wall of the Celtic settlement was mostly destroyed in the 10th century AD during building of a castle wall. Right now, the Salzburg Museum Carolino Augusteum exhibits the relics discovered during the digs.
With its Celtic name Chataprunnin, which means “wild water,” Kaprun has a rich history going back to 931 when it was first referenced in a record. For many centuries, it was a mountain farming community. Built in the 12th century, Kaprun Castle was later assaulted and wrecked by farmers in 1526. Since 1984, it has seen major restorations and reconstruction.
The Tauern power station started building under the National Socialist government using Jewish forced laborers held in a camp in Kaprun. Presented in 2003, Elfriede Jelinek’s drama “The Work,” explored the suffering of forced workers and the intentional erasure of this sinister past for Austria following war. Emerging as a potent emblem of Austria’s post-war rebuilding after the Second World War is the Kaprun power plant. Completed in 1955, the Tauern power plants signaled the start of an era of consistent expansion for the town. Furthermore opened was the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area, the first in Austria reachable via cable car.
On November 11, 2000, Kaprun sadly too had a terrible catastrophe. Tragic death of 155 people resulted from a fire starting in the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 tunnel funicular. Leaching hydraulic fluid into a fan heater used to warm the driver’s cab started the fire. The latter inquiry and court cases produced dubious decisions because of the revelation of insufficient safety policies and standards. Following much thought, a compensation issue for the victims’ relatives at last found a solution. Eventually decided upon and fairly distributed was the 13.9 million euro settlement value.
Celtic Settlement
The first signs of human activity in Kaprun come from the Bronze Age, when the Celts migrated there and made use of the minerals. From the 2nd millennium BC to the 1st century AD, the Celts were a collection of Indo-European tribes living mostly throughout Europe. They were renowned for their art, culture, and fighting prowess.
Rising near the Maiskogel cable car’s valley station, the Bürgerkogel hill is among Kaprun’s most significant Celtic sites. Occupated from the early Bronze Age until the late Iron Age, the Bürgerkogel was a fortified hilltop community. To house both their homes and businesses, the Celts constructed terraces and walls. They smelt gold, copper, and iron as well as dug mines.
Between 1991 and 1993, archaeological digs turned up a treasure of objects attesting to the active and rich life of the Celtic immigrants. Among the discoveries were three Roman coins, Campanian pottery, an Italic bronze mirror, and a disc-shaped iron ingot weighing precisely twenty Roman pounds (34.97 kg). These objects show that the Celts traded with Mediterranean and Italian areas south of the Alps.
With the Roman occupation of the Alpine areas in the first century BC, the Celtic colony came to an end. Including Kaprun into their province of Noricum, the Romans built a military camp and a road system there. Roman influence progressively caused the Celtic language and culture to vanish.
Presented as part of the “The Celts in Salzburg” exhibition, the remnants of the Celtic settlement are now kept in the Salzburg Museum Carolino Augusteum.
Medieval and Early Modern Period
First attested in a written record in 931 AD, Kaprun was known in Celtic as Chataprunnin, meaning “wild water.” The name captures the presence of the Salzach-joining river Kapruner Ache, which runs across the valley.
Kaprun was a rural community whose way of life derived from farming and forestry. It belonged to the lords of Falkenstein-Neuburg, an aristocratic family with estates and castles all around. Built by the Falkensteins in the 12th century, Kaprun Castle is the most well-known monument in the town. Apart from providing accommodation for the rulers and their visitors, the castle functioned as a defensive and administrative center.
During the German Peasants’ War, a broad revolt against the feudal order and the Catholic Church, rebel peasants assaulted and burned down the castle in 1526. The heavy levies as well as the persecution of the church and nobility infuriated the people. With various additions throughout the years, the castle was quickly rebuilt to its former look. Apart from a site for events and displays, the castle is today a cultural and historical magnet.
Modern Period
The evolution of hydroelectric power and local tourism in Kaprun is intimately related with the current history of the town. Under Nazi control, building the Tauern power plant—a complex of dams, reservoirs, and power stations—started in 1938. The initiative fit the Nazi strategy for using the resources of the conquered areas and providing power to the war industry. The initiative included Jewish forced laborers, deported from other nations and housed at a camp in Kaprun. Many of the forced laborers perished from sickness, exhaustion, or execution; they also suffered terrible living circumstances and treatment. The drama “The Work” by Nobel Prize-winning Austrian playwright Elfriede Jelinek in 2003 examined the suffering of the Jewish forced workers and the erasure of this history in post-war Austria.
Completed in 1955 following the end of the Second World War and the reclaimation of Austria’s sovereignty, the Tauern power plant Along with a source of clean, renewable energy, the power plant was praised as emblem of Austria’s economic recovery and restoration. Still running today, the power plant generates roughly 10% of all the electricity used in Austria.
As it allowed the access and development of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski region, the building of the power plant also helped the tourism sector in Kaprun. One of the most often visited ski resorts in Austria, the Kitzsteinhorn is the first glacier ski area there. Opening in 1965, the ski area had a cable car linking the valley to the mountain’s top. Later on, the cable car was enlarged and upgraded to provide more slopes and conveniences for skiers and snowboarders of all ability.
On November 11, 2000, a fire started in the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2, a funicular train that carried guests from the base station to the top, resulting in a terrible disaster at the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area. hydraulic oil seeping from a pipe triggered the fire; it ignited on a fan heater placed in the driver’s cabin. Trapped and killing 155 people, largely tourists from Austria, Germany, and other nations, the fire spread rapidly and smokily the tunnel. Among the worst tragedies in Austrian transportation and tourist history was this one.
Examining the accident cleared all the accused—charged with manslaughter and negligence—by means of innocence. Though it was inappropriate and dangerous for the usage in the funicular, the court decided that the fan heater—identified as the source of the fire—did not break any of the applicable regulations and laws at the time of the disaster. Many, particularly the family of the victims who yearned for justice and compensation, questioned the difficult decision. Following a protracted and convoluted legal conflict, a settlement was achieved in 2009 and with agreement of all 451 claimants. The state of Salzburg as well as the insurance firms paid the 13.9 million euro settlement.
Following the catastrophe, the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 closed permanently; a new cable car system was constructed to replace it. Opening in 2019, the new cable car known as the 3K K-onnection links the Maiskogel cable car’s valley station to the Kitzsteinhorn cable car, therefore producing a smooth and safe connection between the two ski regions.
