Hochtrötsch

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Hochtrötsch
Hochtrötsch from the southeast (Neudorf)

Hochtrötsch from the southeast (Neudorf)

height 1239  m above sea level A.
location Styria , Austria
Mountains Grazer Bergland , foothills east of the Mur
Dominance 7.2 km →  Gschaidberg
Notch height 310 m ↓  Rechberg
Coordinates 47 ° 15 '37 "  N , 15 ° 22' 10"  E Coordinates: 47 ° 15 '37 "  N , 15 ° 22' 10"  E
Hochtrötsch (Styria)
Hochtrötsch
rock Lime , dolomite
Age of the rock Lower and Middle Devon
particularities First postal rocket launch with official onward transport by Friedrich Schmiedl on September 9, 1931
Hochtrötsch and Fragnerberg from the southeast

Hochtrötsch and Fragnerberg from the southeast

Template: Infobox Berg / Maintenance / BILD1

The Hochtrötsch or Trötsch for short is 1239  m above sea level. A. high mountain in the Grazer Bergland in the Austrian state of Styria . The prominent elevation lies in the market town of Semriach and is a popular hiking destination. In 1931 the Graz scientist Friedrich Schmiedl carried out the world's first “official” post rocket flight from the summit of Hochtrötsch .

Location and surroundings

The Hochtrötsch rises about 800 meters above the Middle Murtal near Frohnleiten in the northwest of the market town of Semriach . It forms a small mountain range with the Rinnweberkogel ( 1041  m ) to the southwest and the Fragnerberg (also Niedertrötsch, 1109  m ) to the southeast , from which it is separated by the Trötschsattel ( 1067  m ). The massif is bounded in the west by the Murtal and in the north by Schremsgraben and Talgraben. In the south Badlgraben and Bassgraben separate it from the Tanneben , in the east a ridge of hills runs from Fragnerberg to Rechberg . There are several settlements on the sunny slopes of the Trötsch, including Laas , Pfannberg (both municipality of Frohnleiten) and Schönegg (Semriach). In the district of Dürnberg on the north-western slope of the mountain is one of the largest landfill sites in the country.

Geology and geomorphology

In space Hochtrötsch the interlock Rannach- and Hochlantsch - facies of the Graz Paleozoic . Due to the massive Pleistocene and recent debris formations on parts of the north flank and several meters of weathering clay in the Schönegg area, the geological structure was initially difficult to see. The distinctive, widely visible summit structure appears trapezoidal from the south and north and essentially consists of a lower to central Devonian dolomite - coral limestone series , which is overlaid by sandstones and green slates of the Ordovician . Above this there are again various limes and dolomites. Against the Trötschsattel form up to 100 m thick Metadiabase the lying of the Devonian Dolomite.

The adjacent Fragnerberg plaice consists of Schöcklkalk with intervening foreign rocks. The tectonic alternation between carbonate and silicate rocks results in a number of terrain levels on the Trötsch massif. In between there are some noticeable leveling areas, for example on the Hochtrötsch just below the summit ( belonging to the pannonen Wolscheneck system) or on the Fragnerberg.

Flora and vegetation

Meadow / cow pasture on Trötschsattel

As an article in the Südost-Tagespost shows , the Hochtrötsch was covered by a dense, natural forest for a long time. After large parts of it had fallen victim to economic interests and storms , the Hochtrötsch established itself as a popular panoramic mountain, which was clearly expressed in hiking descriptions from various Graz daily newspapers until the middle of the 20th century. Today, spruce monocultures dominate with a few interspersed meadows, for example on Trötschsattel or Fragnerberg, which are used as cow pastures in the summer months . The soils consist of more or less calcareous rock brown earth or, as on the Holleggweide on Fragnerberg, brown loam. Real arnica , spring crocuses , different types of gentians and cyclamen , fire lily , stone carnation and occasional Turkish covenant thrive on these locations . Various types of cabbage florets , bluebells and columbines can be found in the forests .

history

The earliest written document is from 1293 and reads "Dretsch". The name goes back to the Slovenian drča (slide for tree trunks, sliding track ). The field name was transferred to the mountain name.

Myths and legends

At the beginning of the early Middle Ages there is said to have been a massive tower on the summit of the Hochtrötsch, in which three “armies” kept a lookout. The servants were mostly raw, wild fellows who demanded tithes from the surrounding farmers . Equipment and food was the responsibility of the neighboring free farmer , who was therefore called the "Rüsterbauer". This designation remained as Vulgoname until today for the address Trötschweg 5 in Semriach-Schönegg.

Over the centuries, numerous sagas and legends have arisen around the rural cultural landscape and the dense forests on the Trötsch . A legend tells of the blissful gold cave:

A simple farmer who lived happily ever after with his family on the Hochtrötsch discovered a mysterious cave in the forest one day. A dwarf with gold-embroidered clothes stood in front of the entrance and invited the man to come along and lead him into the interior of the mountain. They entered a wide, shiny room, the walls of which were covered all over with gold plates. Golden pillars supported a golden ceiling from which long gold pegs hung. “Do not be afraid and take what you can carry! I will allow you, ”said the little man to the blinded farmer. After filling his pockets and hat with gold, the mountain spirit granted him a wish at the end. The farmer asked for rain for his withering fields and the male told him to throw a stone into the cave. The farmer, excited and excited, hurried home to tell his wife everything. The next day he threw a stone into the cave and a fertile rain actually refreshed his arid fields. The chatty farmer's wife couldn't keep the secret to herself and told everyone she knew in nearby Frohnleiten about the gold cave. That same night many greedy men came to the mountain to look for gold, but they did not even find the entrance to the cave.

The so-called jury shower at the rüsterbauer also offers material for a legend. Juri and his father are said to have immigrated from Lower Styria in the 17th century and settled as farmhands with farmers on the Hochtrötsch. According to legend, the young Yuri had bear strength, which earned him the nickname "the strong one". Once he is said to have shouldered a barrel of wine as a bet in Semriach and marched home with it. On the way he picked up another sack of flour and carried the heavy load to his chaste on the Hochtrötsch, without even resting once.

A farmer's rule associated with the mountain reads "Does the Hochtrötsch have a hat, the other day it rains."

First "official" mail rocket flight in the world

Born in Upper Austria, Friedrich Schmiedl began building rockets as a teenager . In February 1931, the qualified technician / chemist launched the world's first mail rocket on the Schöckl mountain in Graz . Schmiedl then optimized his "R 1" rocket, which was 170 cm in length and up to 24.5 cm in diameter. The brass sleeve with control and stabilization surfaces made of sheet aluminum was clad with asbestos on the inside and weighed 7 kg when empty. A self-produced mixture of chlorate and nitrate powder served as fuel . On September 9, 1931, Schmiedl started from the summit of the Hochtrötsch, from where the “bullet” carried 333 letters, postcards and smaller parcels to the nearby Semriach. The rocket was launched from a slide ramp at an angle of 65 degrees towards the location and reached a maximum altitude of 14,000 m at an estimated speed of 2000 m / s before it landed by means of a self-deploying parachute . The post, which was soldered into a metal apple in the rocket head to protect it from moisture and damage, was handed over to the Semriach post office for onward transport three hours after take-off . This event went down in history as the first “official” missile flight with postal delivery.

The rocket launch on Hochtrötsch went unnoticed by the media for the time being. Schmiedl had, however, addressed one of the 333 letters to the editorial staff of the Kleine Zeitung , which meant that it was reported about it with some delay. The scientist financed the project with self-printed stamps , which he illegally sold to the senders of the rocket mail. Since around a third of the letters were sent overseas, the purple stamps with the imprint of a rocket and the designation "R 1" spread and today enjoy a certain value among philatelists . As later became known, there were also a few selected insects on board the rocket, including butterflies , beetles and wasps , all of which survived the flight unscathed. In addition, Schmiedl fired eight other, smaller rockets that day. A photo shows the approximately 2 m high launch tower on the almost treeless Trötsch summit immediately after the launch.

In 1961 the Austrian Post commemorated this event with a special stamp .

tourism

Summit cross on the Trötsch

Although the Hochtrötsch is away from the most popular excursion destinations in the Grazer Bergland, it is still popular due to its easy accessibility. Despite the low altitude and moderate rock faces, the mountain enjoys the reputation of an alpine peak. In the past, the Trötsch was primarily considered an excellent mountain with a view. Wilhelm Ritter Gründorf von Zebegény compared the view in his travel guide Grazer Tourist (1903) with the most beautiful Swiss landscapes. Ernst Coelln called the Hochtrötsch in his work 100 Excursions from Graz (1924) a "lonely mountain with a wide view because there is no inns."

Today the summit is again made up of a dense forest, which only provides a view on a narrow corridor to the northwest (Brucker Hochalpe, valley floor near Wannersdorf ). On the summit, next to the wooden summit cross of the Frohnleiten PES section (including the summit book ), there is a bench with a snack table. The 1239  m above sea level. A. Hohe Berg can be reached from three sides on hiking trails. The easiest or fastest ascent is via the specially signposted Trötsch circular route (R8) from Dreihöfen (Gasthof Trötschwirt) - on the road between Neudorf and Rechberg - to the summit in about an hour. You pass the Holleggweide ("Fragneralm"), the so-called Peace Cross and the Rüsterweide (with a view of Röthelstein and Roter Wand ). The ascent from Trötschsattel to the summit is steep and requires a minimum of surefootedness . The way back leads via the Winterbauer, the highest farm in the district , and the Rüsterbauer.

With public transport accessible starting points, stations are Frohnleiten and Peggau - German Feistritz and the place Semriach. The walking times are between two (Frohnleiten) and three hours (Peggau). A stage of the Grazer Umland-Weg leads over the summit . Hiking suggestions from largely non-motorized times combine the Trötsch ascent with a visit to the Lurgrotte or a tour over Rechberg and Harterberg ( 1036  m ).

Literature and maps

  • Harro Unterwelz: The Paleozoic of the Hochtrötsch-Rechbergzuges. Inaugural dissertation at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Graz 1949, 54 pp.
  • Josef Hanselmayer: Petrographic studies on Hochtrötsch diabase including a brief description of the slate that occurs with them. In: Session reports of the Academy of Sciences, mathematical and natural science class , Volume 159, Vienna 1950, pp. 1–10. Online PDF
  • Helmut Flügel : Geological profiles from the Hoch-Trötsch area. Contributions to the knowledge of the Grazer Paläozoikums V. In: Mitteilungen des Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Steiermark , Volume 85, Graz 1955, pp. 73–80. Online PDF
  • Austrian map 1: 50,000, sheet 4223 ( UTM ). Federal Office for Metrology and Surveying .
  • Freytag & Berndt Vienna , hiking map 1: 50,000, WK 131, Grazer Bergland - Schöckl - Teichalm - Stubenbergsee. ISBN 978-3850847599 .

Web links

Commons : Hochtrötsch  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Helmut wing : The geology of the Grazer Bergland. In: Communications from the Department of Geology, Paleontology and Mining at the Landesmuseum Joanneum , Graz 1975, p. 36. Online PDF , accessed on June 24, 2019.
  2. ↑ a b Helmut Flügel : Geological profiles from the area of ​​Hoch-Trötsch. Contributions to the knowledge of the Grazer Paläozoikums V. In: Mitteilungen des Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Steiermark , Volume 85, Graz 1955, pp. 73–80. Online PDF , accessed June 24, 2019.
  3. ↑ Wing 1975, p. 61.
  4. ↑ Digital Atlas of Styria: Geology & Geotechnics. State of Styria , accessed on June 24, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Harro Unterwelz: The Paleozoic of the Hochtrötsch-Rechbergzuges. Inaugural dissertation at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Graz 1949, pp. 52–54
  6. ↑ Wing 1975, p. 128.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f Georg Maurer: The lonely world of Hochtrötsch. In: Südost-Tagespost , edition of April 13, 1955, p. 6.
  8. ↑ a b Over mountain and valley. The Hochtrötsch (1238 meters). In: Grazer Tagblatt , edition of August 2, 1912, p. 6.
  9. ↑ a b Hochtrötsch and Harterberg. In: Grazer Volksblatt , issue of November 16, 1928, p. 7.
  10. ↑ Digital soil map (eBOD). Federal Research and Training Center for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape , accessed on June 24, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Fritz Frhr. Lochner von Hüttenbach: On the name property of the early Middle Ages in Styria (=  magazine of the Historical Association for Styria . Volume 99 ). Böhlau Verlag, Vienna 2008, p. 37 ( historerverein-stmk.at [PDF; 16.9 MB ]).
  12. ↑ Georg Maurer: The Juri chaste on the Hochtrötsch. In: Sonntagspost , issue of February 6, 1972, p. 17.
  13. ↑ a b c The rocket attempts of a young Grazer. In: Grazer Tagblatt , edition of April 3, 1932, p. 7.
  14. ↑ a b Karl TROBAS: missile, rocket mail, mail rocket. The Austrian rocket pioneer Friedrich Schmiedl. Ed. Werner Emig, RM-Druck-und-Verlag, Graz 1992, ISBN 3-85375-008-7 , pp. 333–343.
  15. ↑ With "R 1" from Hochtrötsch to Semriach. In: Kleine Zeitung , edition of January 12, 1945, p. 6.
  16. ↑ Rocket Mail. In: Grazer Volksblatt , edition of September 27, 1931, p. 8.
  17. ↑ The first real mail rocket. In: Allgemeine Zeitung Chemnitz , edition of November 7, 1931, 4th sheet.
  18. ↑ Karl TROBAS: rockets, rocket mail, postal missiles . Volume 2: Friedrich Schmiedl, a rocket pioneer from Graz. Edited by Ing.Friedrich Schmiedl Foundation, Manumedia-Verlag Schnider, Graz 1998, ISBN 3-900993-89-0 , p. 265 ff.
  19. ↑ Liselotte Buchenauer: Small primeval world on the Hochtrötsch. In: Neue Zeit , edition of June 28, 1974, p. 3.
  20. ↑ Hiking over the Hochtrötsch. ORF , May 6, 2014, accessed on June 24, 2019 .