History of Bad Gastein since 1945

As a "Zuagroaste" (newcomer), I first came to Bad Gastein as a tour guide in the late 1980s. In December 1990, I began working as a taxi driver, which brought me into contact with many locals and guests. From my perspective, I still caught a "whiff of the old Bad Gastein." The Hotel Straubinger and the Congress House were still open, and the promenade still had many stores from "olden times," such as Mimi's shoe store, Mrs. Rupp from Vienna, and Kirchlehner's jewelry store. Mrs. Kiederer and Mr. Gassauer at Haus Austria were still active. Jörg Windischbauer could be found in the evenings at the Mühlhäusel discotheque, Jörg Wörther cooked at Villa Hiss, and Aunt Emma sang in the Anlauftal. There were still carnival festivities at the ice rink and the Bucheben meadow, held the day after the fire brigade ball in the Congress House. Award ceremonies took place at the Nussdorferhof, I bought toys from Mrs. Lenglachner, and hammers and nails from Eisenmayer. At the Haus Austria hair salon, Ingeborg styled my hair, and when I traveled by train, I could still check in my luggage at the station hall. In short, there was still a breath of the old days in Bad Gastein.

This project has been a long-time wish of mine. I wanted to document the old life in Bad Gastein — its shops and services — so that the younger generation could know what it was like in the past. Additionally, the project serves as a memory for those who experienced that era. Above all, this project is meant to be a tribute to the local businesses. The method of "oral history," often used by historians for their research, forms the foundation of this project. It allows for the collection of sources that are not available in written form. I spoke with eyewitnesses as much as possible. Through these conversations, one can truly immerse oneself in the past and often gain unexpected insights and a deeper understanding of how things used to be. Only with the help of locals, former business owners, their children, successors, and friends was I able to create this project, and I thank all my interviewees for every little "puzzle piece." However, I regret that some were unwilling to talk to me.

I started working on this project in January 2021 during the pandemic. The project grew larger than expected, and due to my daily work, I was not always able to progress as quickly as I wanted. In December 2021, I had an accident and had to undergo knee surgery twice (December 2021 and June 2022). Often, I had to follow up multiple times with people to coordinate appointments. Meanwhile, I researched trade registers (e.g., www.zedhia.at) and online resources from the Chamber of Commerce. I used internet resources and social media to learn more about the past, and many people contributed. I read old books, magazines, and several Gasteiner Badeblätter. I found old advertisements and even received old invoices and delivery notes from people in the area, which were very helpful. Old phone directories from 1938, 1957, and 1965 were also valuable. All these materials and information formed the sources for this project.

This project is not a scientific study but rather a simpler documentation created under the given circumstances. I do not claim completeness, as not all former service providers and families wanted to participate. Additionally, some former business owners could not be located, nor were there relatives. My intention has always been to portray the businesses and life in Gastein in a positive light. Even when it was not always possible to gather enough material, I made every effort to present everything as accurately as possible and hope that I did not offend or hurt anyone. I have cited my sources to the best of my knowledge in footnotes. If anything is incorrect, I apologize. I sent the texts to all involved for review and correction as best as I could. Some companies did not respond, and in such cases, my information is based on various sources and third parties. The project has become larger than anticipated.

Every small "puzzle piece" was important. I would especially like to thank Johann Kofler. He invested a lot of time in the project, took photos and videos, and contacted people I could not reach. A big thank you also goes to editor Ulli Angerer-Piqueur, who voluntarily proofread the first texts when the project was still intended to be a book. Later, when creating the homepage, I had to rely on AI (artificial intelligence) for grammar checks. It is possible that some grammatical errors remain on the page. I did my best to have every text section reviewed by AI, but I am not a computer; I am a human with both a professional and personal life, not always sitting in front of a computer.

Special thanks go to journalist Bernadette Conrads for her legal advice. I sought legal counsel regarding the documentation of historical material, factual representation, and statements about third parties mentioned in the project. Thanks also to Siegi Moser and the museum, as well as everyone who believed in the project and personally supported me. It was particularly gratifying that so many young locals spoke to me about it in my taxi and that others asked me about the book when they met me. For a long time, I wanted to create multiple books. The first book about the Anlauftal and Böckstein up to the railway was already with the editor. However, at some point, I grew tired of constantly soliciting sources while working on texts for books 2 to 5. I cannot force anyone to talk about their own or their parents' business lives. Therefore, everything I have discovered so far is documented on this homepage. Missing sections can be supplemented together.

While there is no book, there is now a homepage with a wealth of information that can be continuously updated.
I hope you value this page as much as a book and consider becoming a member of the Gastein Museum to support our voluntary work. Alternatively, you can make a one-time donation of 25 euros, which corresponds to the price of a book.

IngMari Sköld Schneeberger -
Volunteer creator of this private page.