Bernaschek Island
| Bernaschek Island (Fergen Island) |
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|---|---|---|
| Waters | Inn | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 29 '7 " N , 13 ° 26' 41" E | |
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| length | 154 m | |
| width | 25 m | |
| surface | 0.38 ha | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
The Bernaschek Island is an Austrian inland island in the Inn near Schärding . It is located in the municipality of Wernstein , cadastral municipality Rutzenberg . The geographically correct name is Fergeninsel.
The popular name of the island is reminiscent of the successful escape of Richard Bernaschek , the Upper Austrian leader of the Republican Protection League , who in 1934 after the February uprising with the support of the National Socialist Linz regional court director and a prison officer with two other protection groups imprisoned for the February uprising and two National Socialists Island to Germany.
In the middle of the 19th century, extensive blasting work was carried out here to make the Inn navigable. Because of the insignificance of the approximately 600 m² large island and the traditionally good relations between Austria and Bavaria , the Austrian side failed to secure this island in the land registry . In 1933, many National Socialists used the island to illegally cross the border. Protected by the wooded surrounding area, it was easy to get to the river bank unseen and to the island after about 50 steps. This was designated as German territory by a black, white and red flag and a swastika flag and was mostly occupied by SA men, so that the Austrian border guards could no longer intervene there. The main task of the SA men was to bring refugees to Vornbach in Bavaria . The owner of Vornbach Castle , Paul Freiherr von Schätzler, stated in a letter in 1935 that he had already looked after 150 refugees from Austria, most of whom were then transferred to the Austrian Legion . The SA also used the island for propaganda purposes, for example by broadcasting the Horst Wessel song and other Nazi music towards Austria over loudspeakers .
After Bernaschek's flight, the island became a popular destination for the National Socialists, with the SA on the German side and the Heimwehr or members of the protective corps facing each other on the Austrian side . Since the island was considered Austrian sovereign territory in the Schärdingen population, the swastika flag hoisted on the island was removed by members of the protection corps and brought to Schärding on the night of October 21, 1934. In order to avoid diplomatic intervention, this resulted in an official apology from the Upper Austrian security director Revertera .
After an exchange of notes between the Austrian Legation and the Foreign Office in Berlin, it was recorded on September 27, 1935 that the island was located on Austrian territory according to the State Treaty of 1820. After this clarification, the German flags were removed and the island was provided with a pillar with the inscription “Federal State of Austria”. When the island was entered in the Schärding land register, the name of the island was recorded as Fergeninsel . This is still the official name of the island today.
The geographical situation has changed significantly today due to the expansion of the Vienna-Passau railway line (completion in 2009). The alluvial forest was cleared at the point near Fergeninsel, a 13 m high dam was built, over which the 120 m long Taxengraben Bridge now runs, and the Inn was expanded for flood protection reasons.
gallery
"Bernasche Island" (right) with the former Benedictine Abbey of Vornbach in the background
"Bernasche Island" from the Austrian bank of the Inn
Fergeninsel from the German shore
Individual evidence
- ^ Anna Gugerbauer: The development of the relations of Passau with the Austrian neighbors (1918-1938). In: Winfried Becker (ed.): Passau in the time of National Socialism. Universitätsverlag Passau, 1999, ISBN 3-86036-031-0 , pp. 71-105.
Web links
- Danube gorge and side valleys (PDF; 3.8 MB)