Search
Search

history of the valley

history of the valley

The roots of Bschlabs date back to the 13th century, when the valley was first settled by Rhaeto-Romanic families from the Engadin (Switzerland). Around 1280, they came as religious refugees with their livestock over the Hahntennjoch into the present-day Bschlab valley, in order to use the alpine area that formerly belonged to Imst as a settlement area. Already in 1284 there are reports of four Schwaighöfen. Today, the Rhaeto-Romanic influence is reflected in many places in the valley, such as the place names.

alpine farming and mining

The settlers cleared forest in order to be able to use meadows for livestock (goats, sheep, cows) and agriculture (potatoes, cereals, flax and beans), which made them economically independent. At that time, life in the mountains was a hard struggle for survival. The mountain meadows were often mowed to an altitude of 2300 m in order to harvest winter fodder.

According to oral tradition, mining was carried out above the village of Boden - at the foot of the Rotkopf - where calamine (zinc ore) and lead were mined. There are also several lime kilns in the valley.

land and avalanches

"The region is inhospitable and cold, the soil arid and barren; except for potatoes and sparse barley, no fruit reaches maturity. If the fodder herbs suffer a misgrowth, then the misery of these poor people is complete. The winter there is extremely oppressive and long-lasting. It often happens that the valley is closed for weeks because of the great masses of snow, and is cut off from all communication [...]" - Johann Jakob Staffler ("Tirol und Vorarlberg", 1841).
Especially over the Hahntennjoch, which was already used in prehistoric times, there were repeated accidents with avalanches and mudslides, which claimed numerous lives. Avalanches on the village itself were recorded in the village chronicle in 1935 and 1984. In 1960, avalanche protection structures began to be built in order to make the villages and roads safer in winter. Before these protective measures, the village of Pfafflar had the most avalanche-prone access road of all Austrian communities (in the winter of 1981/82, for example, the inhabitants were cut off from the outside world for a total of 80 days).

from pfafflar to boden

Pfafflar reached its population peak in 1840 with about 320 inhabitants. In 1894 the use of Pfafflar as a permanent settlement ended and the last families moved to Boden. Since then, the rustic wooden houses have only been used in summer. However, the alpine pastures in Pfafflar were still managed from spring to late autumn. In the 1950s, a cable elevator was built between Boden and Pfafflar in order to be able to transport material such as hay between the two places. Until then, the people of Boden were forced to constantly ascend and descend for the cultivation of the alpine pastures.

"View of Pfafflar in Tyrol", 1959, Hermann Tiebert.

church and road construction

Around the year 1640 the chaplaincy church Maria Schnee in Bschlabs was built, which was enlarged in the 18th century. The Boden church was built in 1838 and houses the oldest preserved church organ (built around 1720) in the Reutte district. The construction of the first access road from the Lechtal to the remote Bschlabs began in 1930, followed by the construction of a connecting road between Bschlabs and Boden in 1935. However, it took until 1950 for motorized traffic to reach Boden. Finally, in 1969, the Hahntennjochstraße was opened, which today is a popular excursion route for motorcyclists and cyclists in addition to a north-south traffic connection. The community of Pfafflar was part of the district of Imst until 1938 and was then politically assigned to the district of Reutte due to the expansion of the road connection to the Lechtal.

pfafflar costume

(© Municipality of Pfafflar)
(© Municipality of Pfafflar)

For the "Pfafflarer Tracht" dating from the 19th century, mainly homemade fabrics were used. A distinction was made between a women's and a men's costume, which varied slightly depending on generation and occasion.
Characteristic of the women's costume was the long, white jacket and the high, cylindrical headgear made of radin. In literature, the so-called "kapo" (cap) is described as green-colored. In illustrations, young women are often depicted wearing a stauche - a white sheet wrapped around the head and neck. However, it has been handed down that the Stauche was only worn by older women or women in mourning. The short, wide skirts ("Wiflinge") with sewn-on laced bodice, breast patch and Fürtuch (apron) and the pleated stockings are also striking. The bodice is usually described in treatises as red-colored and decorated with braids.
The men's costume was predominantly white, with an open, coat-like skirt, a light blue shirt, stockings (made of wool in winter, canvas in summer), and breeches tied below the knees with leather straps. This was accompanied by the black, wide-brimmed felt hat and the black "binder" on the collar.

the coat of arms

The coat of arms of the municipality of Pfafflar has existed since 1981. Three golden hay huts are depicted against a green background. The coat of arms symbolizes the name of the municipality, which in its oldest known form is "Pavelaers" and means "at the fodder towns". It reminds of the beginnings of settlement and the three villages Bschlabs, Boden and Pfafflar.

bschlabs since the turn of the millennium

During this time, technical progress made its way into the community. New agricultural machinery made everyday life easier for mountain farmers, radio and television reception improved and the Internet also reached the villages. Despite these improvements, the exodus of young people from the valley could not be stopped. Associations that enriched the cultural and church life disbanded for lack of members, and schools soon had to be closed as well. Over the years, the area around Bschlabs often appeared as a backdrop in documentaries and films. In addition, the place and its history served as a model for various books. Today, the region lives primarily from tourism and is dependent on a relatively short summer season. The valley attracts many mountaineers who stay at the "Bergheimat" in Boden. There are also numerous chalets, which are booked mainly in the summer months. The Hahntennjochstraße is an extremely popular excursion route for motorcyclists in summer, often to the chagrin of the local population.

history of the valley

The roots of Bschlabs date back to the 13th century, when the valley was first settled by Rhaeto-Romanic families from the Engadin (Switzerland). Around 1280, they came as religious refugees with their livestock over the Hahntennjoch into the present-day Bschlab valley, in order to use the alpine area that formerly belonged to Imst as a settlement area. Already in 1284 there are reports of four Schwaighöfen. Today, the Rhaeto-Romanic influence is reflected in many places in the valley, such as the place names.

alpine farming and mining

The settlers cleared forest in order to be able to use meadows for livestock (goats, sheep, cows) and agriculture (potatoes, cereals, flax and beans), which made them economically independent. At that time, life in the mountains was a hard struggle for survival. The mountain meadows were often mowed to an altitude of 2300 m in order to harvest winter fodder.

According to oral tradition, mining was carried out above the village of Boden - at the foot of the Rotkopf - where calamine (zinc ore) and lead were mined. There are also several lime kilns in the valley.

land and avalanches

"The region is inhospitable and cold, the soil arid and barren; except for potatoes and sparse barley, no fruit reaches maturity. If the fodder herbs suffer a misgrowth, then the misery of these poor people is complete. The winter there is extremely oppressive and long-lasting. It often happens that the valley is closed for weeks because of the great masses of snow, and is cut off from all communication [...]" - Johann Jakob Staffler ("Tirol und Vorarlberg", 1841).
Especially over the Hahntennjoch, which was already used in prehistoric times, there were repeated accidents with avalanches and mudslides, which claimed numerous lives. Avalanches on the village itself were recorded in the village chronicle in 1935 and 1984. In 1960, avalanche protection structures began to be built in order to make the villages and roads safer in winter. Before these protective measures, the village of Pfafflar had the most avalanche-prone access road of all Austrian communities (in the winter of 1981/82, for example, the inhabitants were cut off from the outside world for a total of 80 days).

from pfafflar to boden

Pfafflar reached its population peak in 1840 with about 320 inhabitants. In 1894 the use of Pfafflar as a permanent settlement ended and the last families moved to Boden. Since then, the rustic wooden houses have only been used in summer. However, the alpine pastures in Pfafflar were still managed from spring to late autumn. In the 1950s, a cable elevator was built between Boden and Pfafflar in order to be able to transport material such as hay between the two places. Until then, the people of Boden were forced to constantly ascend and descend for the cultivation of the alpine pastures.

"View of Pfafflar in Tyrol", 1959, Hermann Tiebert.

church and road construction

Around the year 1640 the chaplaincy church Maria Schnee in Bschlabs was built, which was enlarged in the 18th century. The Boden church was built in 1838 and houses the oldest preserved church organ (built around 1720) in the Reutte district. The construction of the first access road from the Lechtal to the remote Bschlabs began in 1930, followed by the construction of a connecting road between Bschlabs and Boden in 1935. However, it took until 1950 for motorized traffic to reach Boden. Finally, in 1969, the Hahntennjochstraße was opened, which today is a popular excursion route for motorcyclists and cyclists in addition to a north-south traffic connection. The community of Pfafflar was part of the district of Imst until 1938 and was then politically assigned to the district of Reutte due to the expansion of the road connection to the Lechtal.

pfafflar costume

(© Municipality of Pfafflar)
(© Municipality of Pfafflar)

For the "Pfafflarer Tracht" dating from the 19th century, mainly homemade fabrics were used. A distinction was made between a women's and a men's costume, which varied slightly depending on generation and occasion.
Characteristic of the women's costume was the long, white jacket and the high, cylindrical headgear made of radin. In literature, the so-called "kapo" (cap) is described as green-colored. In illustrations, young women are often depicted wearing a stauche - a white sheet wrapped around the head and neck. However, it has been handed down that the Stauche was only worn by older women or women in mourning. The short, wide skirts ("Wiflinge") with sewn-on laced bodice, breast patch and Fürtuch (apron) and the pleated stockings are also striking. The bodice is usually described in treatises as red-colored and decorated with braids.
The men's costume was predominantly white, with an open, coat-like skirt, a light blue shirt, stockings (made of wool in winter, canvas in summer), and breeches tied below the knees with leather straps. This was accompanied by the black, wide-brimmed felt hat and the black "binder" on the collar.

the coat of arms

The coat of arms of the municipality of Pfafflar has existed since 1981. Three golden hay huts are depicted against a green background. The coat of arms symbolizes the name of the municipality, which in its oldest known form is "Pavelaers" and means "at the fodder towns". It reminds of the beginnings of settlement and the three villages Bschlabs, Boden and Pfafflar.

bschlabs since the turn of the millennium

During this time, technical progress made its way into the community. New agricultural machinery made everyday life easier for mountain farmers, radio and television reception improved and the Internet also reached the villages. Despite these improvements, the exodus of young people from the valley could not be stopped. Associations that enriched the cultural and church life disbanded for lack of members, and schools soon had to be closed as well. Over the years, the area around Bschlabs often appeared as a backdrop in documentaries and films. In addition, the place and its history served as a model for various books. Today, the region lives primarily from tourism and is dependent on a relatively short summer season. The valley attracts many mountaineers who stay at the "Bergheimat" in Boden. There are also numerous chalets, which are booked mainly in the summer months. The Hahntennjochstraße is an extremely popular excursion route for motorcyclists in summer, often to the chagrin of the local population.