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Karwendel arches<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=“https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5C7A62CA-BCC0-4F9B-AA2F-74C9C3E6CEA5.jpeg“ alt=“Karwendelbr\u00fccke Innsbruck“ title_text=“Karwendelbr\u00fccke Innsbruck“ disabled_on=“on|on|on“ _builder_version=“4.27.3″ _module_preset=“default“ border_radii=“on|10px|10px|10px|10px“ box_shadow_style=“preset1″ disabled=“on“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=“58924,58090″ fullwidth=“on“ admin_label=“Galerie Karwendelbr\u00fccke“ _builder_version=“4.27.4″ _module_preset=“default“ pagination_text_color=“#E09900″ border_radii=“on|5px|5px|5px|5px“ box_shadow_style=“preset1″ global_module=“62037″ saved_tabs=“all“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_toggle title=“Wissenswert“ open=“on“ open_toggle_text_color=“#e09900″ open_toggle_background_color=“#ffffff“ closed_toggle_text_color=“#e09900″ closed_toggle_background_color=“#ffffff“ icon_color=“#e09900″ open_icon_color=“#e09900″ admin_label=“Karwendelbr\u00fccke“ _builder_version=“4.27.4″ _module_preset=“default“ title_text_color=“#e09900″ title_font_size=“18px“ hover_enabled=“0″ border_radii=“on|5px|5px|5px|5px“ box_shadow_style=“preset1″ global_module=“59865″ saved_tabs=“all“ global_colors_info=“{}“ sticky_enabled=“0″]<\/p>\n
In the district of H\u00f6ttinger Au, an unobtrusive structure spans the Inn, representing a small but significant piece of Tyrolean and European transportation history. The 104\u2011meter\u2011long Karwendel Bridge is part of a technical masterpiece of the fin\u2011de\u2011si\u00e8cle era, connecting Innsbruck with southern Bavaria. The box\u2011girder bridge, built from riveted steel truss elements, requires only a single pier in the river to carry the heavy weight of rail traffic across the water. The bridge was renovated in 2007. One quickly realizes the forces acting on it when standing on the wooden pedestrian walkway as a train thunders overhead. As part of the Mittenwald Railway\u2014also known as the Karwendel Railway\u2014this photogenic steel truss bridge stands as an impressive testament to the outstanding engineering achievements of the time, achievements we take for granted today.\nThe line connects Innsbruck via Seefeld and Mittenwald with Garmisch\u2011Partenkirchen. Engineer Josef Riehl (1842\u20131917) succeeded in conquering the 600\u2011meter elevation gain up to the Seefeld plateau thanks to the spectacular routing of the railway across the Martinswand high above Zirl. The son of an innkeeper from Bolzano, Riehl skillfully exploited the new possibilities of modern engineering and finance. As a young man, following his studies in Karlsruhe and Munich, he gained his first experience in railway construction on the Brenner Railway, the Puster Valley line, and several routes in the eastern parts of the empire. At only 28, he founded his own company in 1870, using his private assets as start-up capital. He recognized the need for secondary and tertiary railway lines in addition to the major routes in the vast Austro\u2011Hungarian Empire\u2014needs that public authorities were financially unable to meet.\nRiehl took responsibility for financing and for the entire value chain of construction, which he then delivered as turnkey projects. Roads, railways, power plants, and even the necessary railway stations were built under his leadership. With the Hungerburgbahn, the Puster Valley Railway, and the Stubai Valley Railway, Riehl opened up much of the inner\u2011Alpine Tyrolean region to residents, tourism, and commerce. In total, he realized 250 kilometers of railway lines in Tyrol alone. One of his masterpieces was the highly challenging Karwendel Railway.\nPlans to connect Innsbruck and Garmisch had existed since the late 19th century. One of the most ardent advocates for linking Tyrol with Bavaria was Mayor Greil, beginning in 1890. In 1904, Austria and Bavaria reached an agreement to build the routes between Reutte and Kempten as well as Innsbruck and Garmisch. On the Austro\u2011Hungarian side, the State of Austria, the Province of Tyrol, the city of Innsbruck, and several other municipalities\u2014financed by the Creditanstalt f\u00fcr Handel und Verkehr\u2014formed the Mittenwaldbahn AG, with a total project volume of just under 24 million crowns. According to the Austrian National Bank\u2019s currency calculator, this corresponds to more than 170 million euros today.\nJosef Riehl, together with Wilhelm Ritter von Doderer, received the concession from the Ministry of Railways for the construction of the line. The particular challenge lay in overcoming the steep elevation difference between the Inn Valley and the Seefeld plateau over a short distance, and doing so without the use of steam locomotives\u2014relying instead solely on an electrified railway. The project required far more than laying tracks in mountainous terrain. The breathtaking route from Innsbruck up to the Seefeld plateau cut directly through the Alps and required the blasting of several tunnels, the construction of viaducts, stations such as the Westbahnhof in Wilten, and even a dedicated power plant on the Ruetz stream. In 1912, Riehl was able to hand over the project to its operator, the city of Innsbruck, within the agreed budget.\nTo this day, the Karwendel Railway operates as a single\u2011track regional line and is popular among hikers, skiers, and cross\u2011country enthusiasts who want to reach the Seefeld plateau without the traffic congestion on the Zirler Berg. The best view of the Karwendel Bridge can be enjoyed from the Freiburger Bridge, located further east.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=“Die Eisenbahn als Entwicklungshelfer Innsbrucks“ open=“on“ open_toggle_text_color=“#E09900″ open_toggle_background_color=“#FFFFFF“ closed_toggle_background_color=“#FFFFFF“ icon_color=“#E09900″ open_icon_color=“#E09900″ admin_label=“Die Eisenbahn als Entwicklungshelfer Innsbrucks“ _builder_version=“4.27.4″ _module_preset=“default“ title_text_color=“#E09900″ title_font_size=“18px“ border_radii=“on|5px|5px|5px|5px“ box_shadow_style=“preset1″ global_module=“57195″ saved_tabs=“all“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
In 1830, the world's first railway line was opened between Liverpool and Manchester. Just a few decades later, the Tyrol, which had been somewhat remote from the main trade routes and economically underdeveloped for some time, was also connected to the world with spectacular railway constructions across the Alps. While travelling had previously been expensive, long and arduous journeys in carriages, on horseback or on foot, the ever-expanding railway network meant unprecedented comfort and speed.<\/p>\n
It was Innsbruck's mayor Joseph Valentin Maurer (1797 - 1843) who recognised the importance of the railway as an opportunity for the Alpine region. In 1836, he advocated the construction of a railway line in order to make the beautiful but hard-to-reach region accessible to the widest possible, wealthy public. The first practical pioneer of railway transport in Tyrol was Alois von Negrelli (1799 - 1858), who also played a key role in the Suez Canal project of the century. At the end of the 1830s, when the first railway lines of the Danube Monarchy went into operation in the east of the empire, he drew up a \"Expert opinion on the railway from Innsbruck via Kufstein to the royal Bavarian border at the Otto Chapel near Kiefersfelden<\/em>\u201c vorgelegt. Negrelli hatte in jungen Jahren in der k.k. Baudirektion Innsbruck<\/em> service, so he knew the city very well. His report already contained sketches and a list of costs. He had suggested the Triumphpforte and the Hofgarten as a site for the main railway station. In a letter, he commented on the railway line through his former home town with these words:<\/p>\n \"...I also hear with the deepest sympathy that the railway from Innsbruck to Kufstein is being taken seriously, as the Laage is very suitable for this and the area along the Inn is so rich in natural products and so populated that I cannot doubt its success, nor will I fail to take an active part in it myself and through my business friends when it comes to the purchase of shares. You have no idea of the new life that such an endeavour will awaken in the other side...\"<\/em><\/p>\n Friedrich List, known as the father of the German railway, put forward the plan for a rail link from the Hanseatic cities of northern Germany via Tyrol to the Italian Adriatic. On the Austrian side, Carl Ritter von Ghega (1802 - 1860) inherited overall responsibility for the railway project within the giant Habsburg empire from Negrelli, who died young. In 1851, Austria and Bavaria signed an agreement to build a railway line to the Tyrolean capital. Construction began in May 1855. It was the largest construction site Innsbruck had ever seen. Not only was the railway station built, but the railway viaducts out of the city to the north-east also had to be constructed.<\/p>\n On 24 November 1858, the railway line between Innsbruck and Kufstein and on to Munich via Rosenheim went into operation. The line was ahead of its time. Unlike the rest of the railway, which was not privatised until 1860, the line opened as a private railway, operated by the previously founded Imperial and Royal Privileged Southern State, Lombard, Venetian and Central Italian Railway Company<\/em>. This move meant that the costly railway construction could be excluded from Austria's already tight state budget. The first step was taken with this opening towards the eastern parts of the monarchy, especially to Munich. Goods and travellers could now be transported quickly and conveniently from Bavaria to the Alps and back. In South Tyrol, the first trains rolled over the tracks between Verona and Trento in the spring of 1859.<\/p>\n However, the north-south corridor was still unfinished. The first serious considerations regarding the Brenner railway were made in 1847. In 1854, the disputes south of the Brenner Pass and the commercial necessity of connecting the two parts of the country prompted the Permanent Central Fortification Commission<\/em> on the plan. The loss of Lombardy after the war with France and Sardinia-Piedmont in 1859 delayed the project in northern Italy, which had become politically unstable. From the Imperial and Royal Privileged Southern State, Lombard, Venetian and Central Italian Railway Company<\/em> 1860 had to Imperial and Royal Privileged Southern Railway Company<\/em> to start with the detailed planning. In the following year, the mastermind behind this outstanding infrastructural achievement of the time, engineer Carl von Etzel (1812 - 1865), began to survey the site and draw up concrete plans for the layout of the railway. The planner was instructed by the private company's investors to be as economical as possible and to manage without large viaducts and bridges. Contrary to earlier considerations by Carl Ritter von Ghega to cushion the gradient up to the pass at 1370 metres above sea level by starting the line in Hall, Etzel drew up the plan, which included Innsbruck, together with his construction manager Achilles Thommen and chose the Sill Gorge as the best route. This not only saved seven kilometres of track and a lot of money, but also secured Innsbruck's important status as a transport hub. The alpine terrain, mudslides, snowstorms and floods were major challenges during construction. River courses had to be relocated, rocks blasted, earthworks dug and walls built to cope with the alpine route. The worst problems, however, were caused by the war that broke out in Italy in 1866. Patriotic German-speaking workers in particular refused to work with the \"enemy\". 14,000 Italian-speaking workers had to be dismissed before work could continue. Despite this, the W's highest regular railway line with its 22 tunnels blasted out of the rock was completed in a remarkably short construction time. It is not known how many men lost their lives working on the Brenner railway.<\/p>\n The opening was remarkably unspectacular. Many people were not sure whether they liked the technical innovation or not. Economic sectors such as lorry transport and the post stations along the Brenner line were doomed, as the death of the rafting industry after the opening of the railway line to the lowlands had shown. Even during the construction work, there were protests from farmers who feared for their profits due to the threat of importing agricultural goods. Just as the construction of the railway line had previously been influenced by world politics, a celebration was held. Austria was in national mourning due to the execution of the former Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, the brother of Franz Josef I, before a revolutionary court martial. A grand state ceremony worthy of the project was dispensed with. Instead of a priestly consecration and festive baptism, the Southern railway company<\/em> 6000 guilders to the poor relief fund. Also in the Innsbrucker Nachrichten<\/em> there is not a word about the revolution in transport, apart from the announcement of the last express train over the Brenner Pass and the publication of the timetable for the Southern Railway.<\/p>\n (The last express coach). Yesterday evening at half past seven the last express coach to South Tyrol departed from here. The oldest postilion in Innsbruck was driving the horses, his hat was fluttered with mourning, and the carriage was decorated with branches of weeping willows for the last journey. Two marksmen travelling to Matrei were the only passengers to pay their last respects to the express coach. In the last days of 1797, the beautiful, otherwise so lively and now deserted road was conspicuously dead.<\/em><\/p>\n Until the opening of the railway line over the Brenner Pass on 24 August 1867, Innsbruck was a terminus station of regional importance. The new, spectacular Brenner railway across the Alps connected the northern and southern parts of the country as well as Germany and Italy. The new Brenner road had already opened the year before. The Alps had lost their divisive character and their terror for transit, at least a little. While an estimated 20,000 people crossed the Brenner in 1865, three years later in the first full year of operation of the railway line there were around ten times as many. In addition, a whole flood of goods found their way across the new north-south axis, boosting trade and consumption.<\/p>\n Das zweite Hindernis, das zur Landeseinheit \u00fcberwunden werden musste, war der Arlberg. Erste Pl\u00e4ne einer Bahnlinie, die die Region um den Bodensee mit dem Rest der Donaumonarchie verbinden w\u00fcrde, gab es bereits 1847, immer wieder wurde das Projekt aber zur\u00fcckgestellt. 1871 kam es wegen durch Exportverbote von Lebensmitteln auf Grund des deutsch-franz\u00f6sischen Krieges zu einer Hungersnot in Vorarlberg, weil Nahrungsmittel nicht schnell genug vom Osten des Riesenreiches in den \u00e4u\u00dfersten Westen geliefert werden konnten. Die Wirtschaftskrise von 1873 verz\u00f6gerte den Bau trotzdem erneut. Erst sieben Jahre sp\u00e4ter fiel der Beschluss im Parlament, die Bahnlinie zu realisieren. Im selben Jahr begannen \u00f6stlich und westlich des Arlbergmassivs die komplizierten Bauarbeiten. 38 Wildb\u00e4che und 54 Lawinengefahrstellen mussten mit 3100 Bauwerken bei prek\u00e4ren Wetterverh\u00e4ltnissen im alpinen Gel\u00e4nde verbaut werden. Die bemerkenswerteste Leistung war der zehn Kilometer lange Tunnel, der zwei Gleise f\u00fchrt. Am 30. Juni 1883 fuhr der letzte Transport der Post mit dem Pferdewagen in feierlichem Trauerflor von Innsbruck nach Landeck. Tags darauf erledigte die Eisenbahn diesen Dienst. Mit der Er\u00f6ffnung der Eisenbahn von Innsbruck nach Landeck und der endg\u00fcltigen Fertigstellung der Arlbergbahn bis Bludenz 1884 inklusive dem Tunneldurchschlag durch den Arlberg war Innsbruck endg\u00fcltig wieder zum Verkehrsknotenpunkt zwischen Deutschland und Italien, Frankreich, der Schweiz und Wien geworden. 1904 wurde die Stubaitalbahn, 1912 die Mittenwaldbahn er\u00f6ffnet. Beide Projekte plante Josef Riehl (1842 \u2013 1917).<\/p>\n Die Eisenbahn war das am direktesten sp\u00fcrbare Merkmal des Fortschritts f\u00fcr einen gro\u00dfen Teil der Bev\u00f6lkerung. Die Bahnviadukte, die aus H\u00f6ttinger Breccie aus dem nahen Steinbruch errichtet wurden, setzten der Stadt im Osten Richtung Pradl ein physisches und sichtbares Ende. Aber nicht nur aus einer rein technischen Perspektive ver\u00e4nderte die Bahn das Land. Sie brachte einen immensen gesellschaftlichen Wandel. Arbeitskr\u00e4fte, Studenten, Soldaten und Touristen str\u00f6mten in gro\u00dfer Zahl in die Stadt und brachten neue Lebensentw\u00fcrfe und Ideen mit. Josef Leitgeb beschrieb den Wandel in seinem Roman Das unversehrte Jahr folgenderma\u00dfen:<\/p>\n \u201eZwar hatte die Eisenbahn schon damals viele landfremde Leute auch nach Wilten gezogen, sie wohnten in den neuen hohen H\u00e4usern, die \u00fcberall aus dem Boden schossen, auf dem seit Jahrhunderten das Korn gewachsen war, aber sie wurden noch als Zugereiste empfunden, ihre tschechischen, slowenischen und ungarischen Namen wollten sich nicht in die Kl\u00e4nge fugen, die man gewohnt war. Sie kleideten sich in das billige Zeug, das man fertig und auf Raten zu kaufen bekam, mieden die Gottesdienste und besuchten daf\u00fcr Versammlungen, in denen sich die eingesessenen B\u00fcrger nicht zurechtgefunden hatten. Bei Licht besehen waren es stille, arbeitsame, sparende Leute, die aus den gro\u00dfen St\u00e4dten und dem flachen Lande halt andere Lebensformen mitgebracht hatten, und wer sie scheel ansah, konnte kein anderes Recht daf\u00fcr in Anspruch nehmen, als das er f\u00fcr seine Gem\u00fctlichkeit keine Zuschauer brauchte. Doch war die Ablehnung der Zugewanderten durch die Einheimischen damals noch deutlich f\u00fchlbar; der Vater hatte einmal eine Predigt geh\u00f6rt, in der der Pfarrer versicherte, alle Menschen konnten der ewigen Seligkeit teilhaft werden, \u201eauch R\u00e4uber und M\u00f6rder, ja sogar Eisenbahner.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n The Die Bundesbahndirektion der K.u.K. General-Direction der \u00f6sterreichischen Staatsbahnen<\/em> in Innsbruck war eine von nur drei Direktionen in Cisleithanien. Neue soziale Schichten entstanden durch die Bahn als Arbeitgeber. Es bedurfte Menschen aller Bev\u00f6lkerungsschichten, um den Bahnbetrieb am Laufen zu halten. Arbeiter und Handwerker konnten bei der Bahn, \u00e4hnlich wie in der staatlichen Verwaltung oder dem Milit\u00e4r, sozial aufsteigen. Neue Berufe wie Bahnw\u00e4rter, Schaffner, Heizer oder Lokf\u00fchrer entstanden. Bei der Bahn zu arbeiten, brachte ein gewisses Prestige mit sich. Nicht nur war man ein Teil der modernsten Branche der Zeit, die Titel und Uniformen machten aus Angestellten und Arbeitern Respektpersonen. Bis 1870 stieg die Einwohnerzahl Innsbrucks vor allem wegen der Wirtschaftsimpulse, die die Bahn brachte von 12.000 auf 17.000 Menschen. Lokale Produzenten profitieren von der M\u00f6glichkeit der kosteng\u00fcnstigen und schnellen Warenein- und Ausfuhren. Der Arbeitsmarkt ver\u00e4nderte sich. Vor der Er\u00f6ffnung der Bahnlinien waren 9 von 10 Tirolern in der Landwirtschaft t\u00e4tig. Mit der Er\u00f6ffnung der Brennerbahn sank dieser Wert auf unter 70%. Das neue Verkehrsmittel trug zur gesellschaftlichen Demokratisierung und Verb\u00fcrgerlichung bei. Nicht nur f\u00fcr wohlhabende Touristen, auch f\u00fcr Untertanen, die nicht der Upper Class<\/em> angeh\u00f6rten, wurden mit der Bahn Ausfl\u00fcge in die Umgebung m\u00f6glich. Neue Lebensmittel ver\u00e4nderten den Speiseplan der Menschen. Erste Kaufh\u00e4user entstanden mit dem Erscheinen von Konsumartikeln, die vorher nicht verf\u00fcgbar waren. Das Erscheinungsbild der Innsbrucker wandelte sich mit neuer, modischer Kleidung, die f\u00fcr viele zum ersten Mal erschwinglich wurde. Der Bahnhofsvorplatz in Innsbruck wurde zu einem der neuen Zentren der Stadt. Die modernen Hotels waren nun nicht mehr in der Altstadt, sondern hier zu finden. Nicht allen war diese Entwicklung allerdings recht. Die Schifffahrt am Inn, bis dahin ein wichtiger Verkehrsweg, kam beinahe umgehend zum Erliegen. Der ohnehin nach 1848 schwer gerupfte Kleinadel und besonders strenge Kleriker bef\u00fcrchteten den Kollaps der heimischen Landwirtschaft und den endg\u00fcltigen Sittenverfall durch die Fremden in der Stadt.<\/p>\n The railway was worth its weight in gold for tourism. It was now possible to reach the remote and exotic mountain world of the Tyrolean Alps. Health resorts such as Igls and entire valleys such as the Stubaital, as well as Innsbruck city transport, benefited from the development of the railway. 1904 years later, the Stubai Valley Railway was the first Austrian railway with alternating current to connect the side valley with the capital. On 24 December 1904, 780,000 crowns, the equivalent of around 6 million euros, were subscribed as capital stock for tram line 1. In the summer of the following year, the line connected the new districts of Pradl and Wilten with Saggen and the city centre. Three years later, Line 3 opened the next inner-city public transport connection, which only ran to the remote village in 1942 after Amras was connected to Innsbruck.<\/p>\n The railway was also of great importance to the military. As early as 1866, at the Battle of K\u00f6niggr\u00e4tz between Austria and Prussia, it was clear how important troop transport would be in the future. Until 1918, Austria was a huge empire that stretched from Vorarlberg and Tyrol in the south-west to Galicia, an area in what is now Poland, and Ukraine in the east. The Brenner Railway was needed to reinforce the turbulent southern border with its new neighbour, the Kingdom of Italy. Tyrolean soldiers were also deployed in Galicia during the first years of the First World War until Italy declared war on Austria. When the front line was opened up in South Tyrol, the railway was important for moving troops quickly from the east of the empire to the southern front.<\/p>\n Carl von Etzel, who did not live to see the opening of the Brenner railway, is commemorated today by Ing.-Etzel-Stra\u00dfe in Saggen along the railway viaducts. Josef Riehl is commemorated by Dr.-Ing.-Riehl-Stra\u00dfe in Wilten near the Westbahnhof railway station. There is also a street dedicated to Achilles Thommen. As a walker or cyclist, you can cross the Karwendel Bridge in the H\u00f6ttinger Au one floor below the Karwendel railway and admire the steel framework. You can get a good impression of the golden age of the railway by visiting the \u00d6BB administration building in Saggen or the listed Westbahnhof railway station in Wilten. In the viaduct arches in Saggen, you can enjoy Innsbruck's nightlife in one of the many pubs covered by history.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=\"Wilhelm Greil: THE Mayor of Innsbruck\" open_toggle_text_color=\"#e09900\u2033 open_toggle_background_color=\"#ffffff\" closed_toggle_text_color=\"#e09900\u2033 closed_toggle_background_color=\"#ffffff\" icon_color=\"#e09900\u2033 open_icon_color=\"#e09900\u2033 admin_label=\"Wilhelm Greil: THE mayor of Innsbruck\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\u2033 _module_preset=\"default\" title_text_color=\"#e09900\u2033 title_font_size=\"18px\" border_radii=\"on|5px|5px|5px|5px\" box_shadow_style=\"preset1\u2033 global_module=\"53535\u2033 global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>\n One of the most important figures in the town's history was Wilhelm Greil (1850 - 1923). From 1896 to 1923, the entrepreneur held the office of mayor, having previously helped to shape the city's fortunes as deputy mayor. It was a time of growth, the incorporation of entire neighbourhoods, technical innovations and new media. The four decades between the economic crisis of 1873 and the First World War were characterised by unprecedented economic growth and rapid modernisation. Private investment in infrastructure such as railways, energy and electricity was desired by the state and favoured by tax breaks in order to lead the countries and cities of the ailing Danube monarchy into the modern age. The city's economy boomed. Businesses sprang up in the new districts of Pradl and Wilten, attracting workers. Tourism also brought fresh capital into the city. At the same time, however, the concentration of people in a confined space under sometimes precarious hygiene conditions also brought problems. The outskirts of the city and the neighbouring villages in particular were regularly plagued by typhus.<\/p>\n Die Innsbrucker Stadtpolitik, in der Greil sich bewegte, war vom Kampf liberaler und konservativer Kr\u00e4fte gepr\u00e4gt. Greil geh\u00f6rte der „Deutschen Volkspartei<\/em>“ an, einer liberalen und national-gro\u00dfdeutschen Partei. Was heute als Widerspruch erscheint, liberal und national, war im 19. Jahrhundert ein politisch \u00fcbliches und gut funktionierendes Gedankenpaar. Der Pan-Germanism<\/em> was not a political peculiarity of a radical right-wing minority, but rather a centrist trend, particularly in German-speaking cities in the Reich, which was significant in various forms across almost all parties until after the Second World War. Innsbruckers who were self-respecting did not describe themselves as Austrians, but as Germans. Those who were members of the liberal Innsbrucker Nachrichten<\/em> of the period around the turn of the century, you will find countless articles in which the common ground between the German Empire and the German-speaking countries was made the topic of the day, while distancing themselves from other ethnic groups within the multinational Habsburg Empire. Greil was a skilful politician who operated within the predetermined power structures of his time. He knew how to skilfully manoeuvre around the traditional powers, the monarchy and the clergy and to come to terms with them.<\/p>\n Taxes, social policy, education, housing and the design of public spaces were discussed with passion and fervour. Due to an electoral system based on voting rights via property classes, only around 10% of the entire population of Innsbruck were able to go to the ballot box. Women were excluded as a matter of principle. Relative suffrage applied within the three electoral bodies, which meant as much as: The winner takes it all<\/em>. Greil wohne passenderweise \u00e4hnlich wie ein Renaissancef\u00fcrst. Er entstammte der gro\u00dfb\u00fcrgerlichen Upper Class. Sein Vater konnte es sich leisten, im Palais Lodron in der Maria-Theresienstra\u00dfe die Homebase der Familie zu gr\u00fcnden. Massenparteien wie die Sozialdemokratie konnten sich bis zur Wahlrechtsreform der Ersten Republik nicht durchsetzen. Konservative hatten es in Innsbruck auf Grund der Bev\u00f6lkerungszusammensetzung, besonders bis zur Eingemeindung von Wilten und Pradl, ebenfalls schwer. B\u00fcrgermeister Greil konnte auf 100% R\u00fcckhalt im Gemeinderat bauen, was die Entscheidungsfindung und Lenkung nat\u00fcrlich erheblich vereinfachte. Bei aller Effizienz, die Innsbrucker B\u00fcrgermeister bei oberfl\u00e4chlicher Betrachtung an den Tag legten, sollte man nicht vergessen, dass das nur m\u00f6glich war, weil sie als Teil einer Elite aus Unternehmern, Handelstreibenden und Freiberuflern ohne nennenswerte Opposition und R\u00fccksichtnahme auf andere Bev\u00f6lkerungsgruppen wie Arbeitern, Handwerkern und Angestellten in einer Art gew\u00e4hlten Diktatur durchregierten. Das Reichsgemeindegesetz von 1862 verlieh St\u00e4dten wie Innsbruck und damit den B\u00fcrgermeistern gr\u00f6\u00dfere Befugnisse. Es verwundert kaum, dass die Amtskette, die Greil zu seinem 60. Geburtstag von seinen Kollegen im Gemeinderat verliehen bekam, den Ordensketten des alten Adels erstaunlich \u00e4hnelte.<\/p>\n Under Greil's aegis and the general economic upturn, fuelled by private investment, Innsbruck expanded at a rapid pace. In true merchant style, the municipal council purchased land with foresight in order to enable the city to innovate. The politician Greil was able to rely on the civil servants and town planners Eduard Klingler, Jakob Albert and Theodor Prachensky for the major building projects of the time. Infrastructure projects such as the new town hall in Maria-Theresienstra\u00dfe in 1897, the opening of the Mittelgebirgsbahn railway, the Hungerburgbahn and the Karwendelbahn<\/em> wurden w\u00e4hrend seiner Regierungszeit umgesetzt. Weitere gut sichtbare Meilensteine waren die Erneuerung des Marktplatzes und der Bau der Markthalle.\u00a0Neben den prestigetr\u00e4chtigen Gro\u00dfprojekten entstanden in den letzten Jahrzehnten des 19. Jahrhunderts aber viele unauff\u00e4llige Revolutionen. Vieles, was in der zweiten H\u00e4lfte des 19. Jahrhunderts vorangetrieben wurde, geh\u00f6rt heute zum Alltag. F\u00fcr die Menschen dieser Zeit waren diese Dinge aber eine echte Sensation und lebensver\u00e4ndernd. Bereits Greils Vorg\u00e4nger B\u00fcrgermeister Heinrich Falk (1840 \u2013 1917) hatte erheblich zur Modernisierung der Stadt und zur Besiedelung des Saggen beigetragen. Seit 1859 war die Beleuchtung der Stadt mit Gasrohrleitungen stetig vorangeschritten. Mit dem Wachstum der Stadt und der Modernisierung wurden die Senkgruben, die in Hinterh\u00f6fen der H\u00e4user als Abort dienten und nach Entleerung an umliegende Landwirte als D\u00fcnger verkauft wurden, zu einer Unzumutbarkeit f\u00fcr immer mehr Menschen. 1880 wurde das Ragging<\/em>The city was responsible for the emptying of the lavatories. Two pneumatic machines were to make the process at least a little more hygienic. Between 1887 and 1891, Innsbruck was equipped with a modern high-pressure water pipeline, which could also be used to supply fresh water to flats on higher floors. For those who could afford it, this was the first opportunity to install a flush toilet in their own home.<\/p>\n Greil continued this campaign of modernisation. After decades of discussions, the construction of a modern alluvial sewerage system began in 1903. Starting in the city centre, more and more districts were connected to this now commonplace luxury. By 1908, only the Koatlackler<\/em> Mariahilf und St. Nikolaus nicht an das Kanalsystem angeschlossen. Auch der neue Schlachthof im Saggen erh\u00f6hte Hygiene und Sauberkeit in der Stadt. Schlecht kontrollierte Hofschlachtungen geh\u00f6rten mit wenigen Ausnahmen der Vergangenheit an. Das Vieh kam im Zug am Sillspitz an und wurde in der modernen Anlage fachgerecht geschlachtet. Greil \u00fcberf\u00fchrte auch das Gaswerk in Pradl und das Elektrizit\u00e4tswerk in M\u00fchlau in st\u00e4dtischen Besitz. Die Stra\u00dfenbeleuchtung wurde im 20. Jahrhundert von den Gaslaternen auf elektrisches Licht umgestellt. 1888 \u00fcbersiedelte das Krankenhaus von der Maria-Theresienstra\u00dfe an seinen heutigen Standort.\u00a0B\u00fcrgermeister und Gemeinderat konnten sich bei dieser Innsbrucker Renaissance <\/em>neben der wachsenden Wirtschaftskraft in der Vorkriegszeit auch auf M\u00e4zen aus dem B\u00fcrgertum st\u00fctzen. Waren technische Neuerungen und Infrastruktur Sache der Liberalen, verblieb die F\u00fcrsorge der \u00c4rmsten weiterhin bei klerikal gesinnten Kr\u00e4ften, wenn auch nicht mehr bei der Kirche selbst. Freiherr Johann von Sieberer stiftete das Greisenasyl und das Waisenhaus im Saggen. Leonhard Lang stiftete das Geb\u00e4ude in der Maria-Theresienstra\u00dfe, in der sich bis heute das Rathaus befindet gegen das Versprechen der Stadt ein Lehrlingsheim zu bauen.<\/p>\n Im Gegensatz zur boomenden Vorkriegs\u00e4ra war die Zeit nach 1914 vom Krisenmanagement gepr\u00e4gt. In seinen letzten Amtsjahren begleitete Greil Innsbruck am \u00dcbergang von der Habsburgermonarchie zur Republik durch Jahre, die vor allem durch Hunger, Elend, Mittelknappheit und Unsicherheit gepr\u00e4gt waren. Er war 68 Jahre alt, als italienische Truppen nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg die Stadt besetzten und Tirol am Brenner geteilt wurde. Das Ende der Monarchie und des Zensuswahlrechts bedeuteten auch den Niedergang der Liberalen in Innsbruck, auch wenn Greil das in seiner aktiven Karriere nur teilweise miterlebte. 1919 konnten die Sozialdemokraten in Innsbruck zwar zum ersten Mal den Wahlsieg davontragen, dank der Mehrheiten im Gemeinderat blieb Greil aber B\u00fcrgermeister. 1928 verstarb er als Ehrenb\u00fcrger der Stadt Innsbruck im Alter von 78 Jahren. Die Wilhelm-Greil-Stra\u00dfe war noch zu seinen Lebzeiten nach ihm benannt worden.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Karwendel arches<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,54,87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-die-eisenbahn-als-entwicklungshelfer-innsbrucks","category-wilhelm-greil-der-buergermeister-innsbrucks","category-wilten-sieglanger"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover-innsbruck.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}