Friesenberghaus

Friesenberghaus is a Category I mountain hut of the Berlin section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV), located in the Zillertal Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol, within the municipality of Finkenberg. It sits at an elevation of 2,477 metres above sea level (2,498 metres according to the hut's own information), directly above the Friesenbergsee lake between the Hoher Riffler and the Gefrorene Wandspitzen peaks. The hut is a stage point on the Berliner Höhenweg (Berlin High Trail) and has held the Environmental Quality Seal for Alpine Club huts since November 2011. It also participates in the DAV initiatives "So schmecken die Berge" (This is how the mountains taste) and "Mit Kindern auf Hütten" (With children in huts). The hut's origins are closely tied to the fight against antisemitism in the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV). After the Austria section adopted an "Aryan paragraph" in its statutes in 1921, Jewish and non-Jewish members founded the Donauland section in protest. In late 1924, the German-nationalist faction succeeded in expelling the Donauland section from the DuOeAV. In solidarity, 600 Berlin mountaineers founded the Deutscher Alpenverein Berlin, which planned the Friesenberghaus together with the Donauland section and completed the shell of the building in 1929. The hut was already in operation by 1931 and was ceremonially opened on 3 July 1932. In 1934 the Berlin association was banned by the Nazis, and in 1938, after the Anschluss of Austria, the Donauland section was also banned. The Friesenberghaus was seized by the Gestapo in March 1938 and made available to the Schwaz Hitler Youth. After 1945 it was completely looted. The few Holocaust survivors of the Donauland section were unable to repair and maintain the hut, so it was finally transferred to the Berlin section in 1968. In 2003, after extensive renovation and expansion, it became an international meeting place against intolerance and hatred. Today, 12 wooden chairs in the Friesenberghaus commemorate the resistance sections of 1924. The hut was modernised and expanded in 2002/03 while retaining its original character. Further renovation work followed in 2013 (new biological sewage treatment plant), 2018 (new shingle roof) and 2020 (foundation reinforcement on the south side). Friesenberghaus offers 32 sleeping places in several dormitories and 34 beds in multi-bed rooms. A separate winter room with 6 beds is available. Three guest rooms and a terrace serve day and overnight guests, along with a drying room/shoe room. There are several washrooms/WCs and two showers. The guest rooms can be heated with tiled stoves. Electricity for the hut is generated by solar cells (maximum output 12.7 kW), hydropower (maximum output around 1 kW) and, if necessary, a combined heat and power unit running on rapeseed oil; hot water is provided by surplus energy from the renewable electricity and, if needed, by instantaneous water heaters. The hut's catering (fresh food, drinks) has a kitchen. Supplies are delivered by helicopter (helipad above the hut). A modern biological sewage treatment plant (moving bed technology with filter bag system) handles waste disposal. The hut is located just over 700 metres above the Schlegeisspeicher reservoir in the Zamser Grund. From the reservoir (car park, terminus of bus line 4102 Mayrhofen – Ginzling – Schlegeis, operating only in summer), it can be reached via AV trail No. 532, which starts at the Neue Dominikushütte, in about two and a half hours via the Friesenbergalm, climbing around 750 metres. Alternatively, the Friesenberghaus can be reached directly from the Alpengasthof Breitlahner in the Zemmgrund (toll station of the Schlegeis Alpine Road, car park) on a hiking trail in about 4 hours (elevation gain around 1,300 metres; medium difficulty, red dot trail category according to ÖAV).

The Friesenberghaus is a Category I mountain hut of the Berlin section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV). It is located in the Zillertal Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol, in the municipality of Finkenberg, at an elevation of 2,477 metres above sea level (2,498 metres according to the hut's own information). It lies directly above the Friesenbergsee lake between the Hoher Riffler and the Gefrorene Wandspitzen peaks and is a stage point on the Berliner Höhenweg. Since November 2011 the hut has held the Environmental Quality Seal for Alpine Club huts. It is part of the DAV initiatives "So schmecken die Berge" and "Mit Kindern auf Hütten". The creation of the Friesenberghaus is closely linked to the confrontation over antisemitism in the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV). After the Austria section of the DuOeAV adopted an "Aryan paragraph" in its statutes in 1921, Jewish and non-Jewish members of the Austria section founded the Donauland section in protest. Despite ongoing defamation by German-nationalist and antisemitic mountaineers, it grew into the third-largest Austrian Alpine Club section. However, at the end of 1924 the German-nationalist side succeeded in expelling the Donauland section from the DuOeAV at an extraordinary general meeting on flimsy grounds. Resistance from other sections was weak by then; only the sections of Aachen, Barmen, Berlin, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Gummersbach, Leipzig, Mainz, Marburg, Zwickau and Gleiwitz (out of over 300) tried to prevent the expulsion. In solidarity and to support the Donauland section, 600 Berlin mountaineers founded the Deutscher Alpenverein Berlin, which planned the Friesenberghaus together with the Donauland section and completed the shell of the building in 1929. The hut was already in operation by 1931 and was ceremonially opened on 3 July 1932. In 1934 the Berlin association was banned by the National Socialists, and in 1938, after the Anschluss of Austria, the Donauland section was also banned. The Friesenberghaus was seized by the Gestapo in March 1938 and made available to the Schwaz Hitler Youth by Kreisleiter Kunsek. After 1945 it was completely looted. The few Holocaust survivors of the Donauland section were unable to repair and maintain the hut, so it was finally transferred to the Berlin section in 1968. In 2003, after extensive renovation and expansion, it became an international meeting place against intolerance and hatred. Today, 12 wooden chairs in the Friesenberghaus commemorate the resistance sections of 1924. In 2002/03 the Friesenberghaus was modernised and expanded, but its original character was preserved. Further renovation work followed in 2013 (new biological sewage treatment plant), 2018 (new shingle roof) and 2020 (foundation reinforcement on the south side). The hut has 32 sleeping places in several dormitories and 34 beds in multi-bed rooms. A separate winter room with 6 beds is available. Three guest rooms and a terrace are available for day and overnight guests, as well as a drying room/shoe room. There are several washrooms/WCs in the hut and two showers. The guest rooms can be heated with tiled stoves. Electricity for the hut is generated by solar cells (maximum output 12.7 kW), hydropower (maximum output around 1 kW) and, if necessary, a combined heat and power unit running on rapeseed oil; hot water is provided by surplus energy from the renewable electricity and, if necessary, by instantaneous water heaters. For the hut's catering (fresh food, drinks) there is a kitchen. The hut is supplied by helicopter (helipad above the hut). A modern biological sewage treatment plant (moving bed technology with filter bag system) handles waste disposal. The hut is located just over 700 metres above the Schlegeisspeicher reservoir in the Zamser Grund. From the reservoir (car park, terminus of bus line 4102 Mayrhofen – Ginzling – Schlegeis, operating only in summer), it can be reached via AV trail No. 532, which starts at the Neue Dominikushütte, in about two and a half hours via the Friesenbergalm, climbing around 750 metres. Alternatively, the Friesenberghaus can be reached directly from the Alpengasthof Breitlahner in the Zemmgrund (toll station of the Schlegeis Alpine Road, car park) on a hiking trail in about 4 hours (elevation gain around 1,300 metres; medium difficulty, red dot trail category according to ÖAV). Transitions: To the Hintertux Glacier ski area (Spannagelhaus) via the Friesenbergscharte (secured with ropes on the south side, snowfields often into high summer on the north side) 4 hours, difficult (black dot trail category according to ÖAV), requiring alpine experience, sure-footedness and head for heights. Note: The direct connecting path still shown in many hiking maps, which led from the Friesenberghaus along the north shore of the Friesenbergsee to the junction towards the Friesenbergscharte, has been impassable for several years due to rockfall danger (rope protections removed), abandoned and closed. From the Friesenberghaus one can either take the east-side path over the saddle at the Petersköpfel and past the junction to the Hoher Riffler, or the west-side path to the Olpererhütte, which is left on the right after the ascent from the Friesenbergsee to the junction to the Friesenbergscharte. Over the Berliner Höhenweg south to the Olpererhütte, 2 hours, medium difficulty (red dot trail category according to ÖAV), partly requiring sure-footedness, in the northern section often some snowfields must be crossed into high summer. Over the Berliner Höhenweg northeast to the Gamshütte, 9 hours, ...

• 2020

  Foundation reinforcement on the south side.

• 2018

  New shingle roof installed.

• 2013

  New biological sewage treatment plant installed.

• 2011

  Hut receives Environmental Quality Seal for Alpine Club huts in November.

• 2003

  After renovation, hut becomes an international meeting place against intolerance and hatred.

• 2002

  Modernisation and expansion begin.

• 1968

  Hut transferred to the Berlin section.

• 1945

  Hut completely looted after the war.

• 1938

  Donauland section banned after Anschluss; hut seized by Gestapo in March and given to Schwaz Hitler Youth.

• 1934

  Berlin association banned by the National Socialists.

• 1932

  Ceremonial opening on 3 July.

• 1931

  Hut already in operation.

• 1929

  Shell of Friesenberghaus completed under roof.

• 1924

  Donauland section expelled from DuOeAV; 600 Berlin mountaineers found Deutscher Alpenverein Berlin in solidarity.

• 1921

  Austria section of DuOeAV adopts an 'Aryan paragraph', prompting protest and founding of Donauland section.

Historic Alpine Club hut with a strong anti-discrimination heritage, offering simple mountain accommodation and regional food in a high-alpine setting.

• 32 sleeping places in dormitories

• 34 beds in multi-bed rooms

• Winter room with 6 beds

• Three guest rooms and terrace

• Drying room/shoe room

• Washrooms/WCs and two showers

• Hut catering with fresh food and drinks

• Renewable energy supply (solar, hydro, rapeseed oil CHP)

• Biological sewage treatment plant

• Helicopter supply with helipad

1. 1Friesenberghaus - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Friesenberghaus - Wikidatawikidata.org