History of Hallstatt

Small village with a great history

The picturesque village on the lake with the same name owes its existence to the rich salt
deposit of salt in the mountain of Hallstatt. 7000 years ago, as the prehistoric humans from
Hallstatt began to take the salt from the salt mine who would of guessed, that this little village
would give its name to a period in history the Hallstatt period (800-400 BC). Rich findings
in Hallstatt and the upper valley of Hallstatt gave this village international recognition; even
today discoveries are still made in the salt mountain of Hallstatt.
A historical cultural landscape since thousands of years
The region around Lake Hallstatt 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 Christs 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
Discover the history of Hallstatt
The earliest proof of human presence in the area around Hallstatt is a cleverly drilled bone of
a cave bear dated around 12000BC. There is indication of settlement in this region from as
early as the Neolithic Stone Age.
Stone axes (5000BC) are proof of the prehistoric mining of salt.
The first winning of salt by miners, assisted by the newly discovered bronze, took place
around 1200BC - and the world's oldest salt mine was born.
The miners of primeval times had invented fur-skin bags with a cleverly devised carrying
system to transport pieces of broken salt.
Another new material arrived in Europe around 800BC: iron.
Our knowledge of the Iron Age also comes from excavations - the burial grounds in the upper
Salzberg valley being especially rich. Due to the unique finds at the Hallstatt burial grounds,
the Early Iron Age (800BC - 400BC) is called "The Hallstatt Period". At that time the "Illyrians",
a people from the East, arrived in Europe. They were cattle breeders, traders and miners,
and also great artists, as shown by a variety of burial objects.
Around 400BC the Celts invaded the Illyrian settlements, and only in the inaccessible
mountain regions were the Illyrians able to maintain their position.
The newly founded kingdom of Norikum was the first state in what became Austria.
In 303BC a massive landslide destroyed the settlement and temporarily put an end to mining
in the so-called "East group."
Christianity starts to spread in the Salzkammergut
Mining was then re-established in the area of the "Dammwiese" at the foot of the "Plassen".
Around the time of the birth of Christ, Norikum became a Roman Province. The Romans built
streets, settled in Hallstatt, and together with the defeated Celts, continued mining for the
duration of the Roman Empire.
AD300, Christianity starts to spread in the Salzkammergut.
In the 6th century, the Bavarians take over the region.
The "Michaelikirche", a small Romanesque church, is mentioned for the first time in the 12th
Century.
In 1284 the Habsburg Duke Albrecht I had a watchtower built on the Salzberg and named it
the "Rudolfsturm" after his father. It served its purpose a few years later during the "Salt
War" between Albrecht and the Archbishop Konrad IV of Salzburg.
In 1311, three years after Albrecht's murder, his widow Queen Elisabeth bestowed upon
Hallstatt the rights of a market town. In 1494, Emperor Maximilian I bestowed on Hallstatt a
coat of arms, brewery rights, and came personally "to see the Salzberg" in 1504.
n 1595 construction of the oldest pipeline in the world was started. It runs for 40km from
Hallstatt to Ebensee.
The first mention of Lauffen (a difficult section of the River Traun) in AD807 is proof that the
salt arrived at its destination by a water route. In AD1000 mining again achieved the
importance it had in prehistoric times, and later under Roman administration.
7,000 Years of salt excavation in the worlds oldest Salt Mine
Since more than 7.000 years the high mountain valley of Hallstatt has determined due to the
vital importance of salt the destinies, privations and achievements of the local people.
Encounter the legends at every turn from the dark past and the glowing power of the White
Gold. Doubtless there are only a few places in this world where one feels the historical
significance to such an extent as in this small valley in fact a whole epoch of mankind
became known worldwide as The Hallstatt Era (800 until 400 BC).
On the traces of the "Man Preserved in Salt"
Deep in the mountain, in the fascinating world of the underground, where humans have been
mining salt since thousands of years has nowadays become a world of undreamt-of
Impressions, fun and adventure: a miners slide, a subterranean salt lake and an exciting trip
with the mining railroad are the highlights of the Salzwelten Hallstatt.
In 1734 the fully preserved body of a prehistoric miner (around 300BC) was found in the
Hallstatt salt mine, known today as the "Man in Salt".
A fire in 1750 left most of the market town in ruins and ashes. All of the salt administration
buildings and the "pan house" were then rebuilt in Lahn.
In 1840 the young scientist Friedrich Simony arrived in Hallstatt. Scientific and alpine
development of the Dachstein Massif begins.
In 1846 workers opening a gravel pit discovered shards and bones which appeared ancient.
The mine manager, Johann Georg Ramsauer, recognised the importance of the finds and
began systematic excavations, thus discovering the world famous Hallstatt burial grounds.
Before roads were built in the 19th Century, Hallstatt could only be reached on a bridle path
or by boat across the lake.
Construction of a road from Gosaumhle to Hallstatt in 1875 was the beginning of a new era
for Hallstatt .
The new "Kronprinz Rudolf Kammergut Railway" (built 1876-1878) brought an enormous
upswing in tourism. Thousands of visitors arrived every year in Hallstatt to enjoy its natural
wonders.
Constructed in 1890, the "Seestrasse" (Lake Road) was built requiring the loss of seven
houses partly standing on pylons in the water.
The Hallstatt road tunnel with its two parking galleries in front of the Mhlbach Waterfall
was opened in 1966.
In 1997 the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural
Heritages added the region of "Hallstatt - Dachstein/Salzkammergut" to it's "World Heritage
List."
Hallstatt received this special honour for its cultural and natural characteristics and is now
under protection of this global Cultural and Natural Heritage, together with 580 sites in 112
countries.
The award ceremony took place in June of 1998 , and was the highlight of a four-day
celebration.
The oldest active industrial pipeline in the world
Salt stretches across the salt mine in Hallstatt (you can follow the historical path of 7000 years
of salt mining in the display salt mine). This salt water (33% salt) is called Brine. The Dead
Sea with (30%) has almost as much salt as brine. The brine is heated in a salt pan; the water
evaporates leaving just the pure salt. In earlier times wood was required to burn the fires,
wood was rare in Hallstatt so the salt was transported to the salt factory in Ebensee. To be
able to transport the brine to the salt factory a brinepipeline was made; in 1597 the pipeline
required 13.000 tree trunks (pine and fir trees). The brine-pipeline was first put in to operation
in 1607. This is the story of the oldest, still active pipeline in the world. Today the brine flows
through plastic pipes. The track above it is called the Brine-Pipeline Trail, however the locals
call it the Strhn.
Salt an important raw material
There are countless ways to use salt. Besides the different uses in cooking, there are also salt
stones for animals. Without salt we would have no books: Salt is needed to produce paper.
We would have no soap, lipstick or other cosmetics without salt. No new modern materials
without salt. Aluminum, leather and rubber are made using salt. Cars would have no petrol, as
the drill holes wouldnt be as steady without salt. Nowadays more than 200 million tons of
salt is produced worldwide. Over 250 millions of years we have produced as much salt as
there is in the oceans. If you were to spread the salt out across the oceans and evenly over the
mainland you would have a salt layer of approx.