Rießersee Olympic bobsleigh run
The Rießersee Olympic bobsleigh run in the Upper Bavarian market of Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the first bobsleigh run in the world where the most important curves were lined with blocks of ice. It was first put into operation in the winter of 1910 and in 1966 it had to be closed. On the basis of the Monument Protection Act of October 1, 1973, the bobsled run has been a listed building since 2003, the file number is D-1-80-117-313.
history
With the emergence of winter tourism at the end of the 19th century, the popularity of bobsleigh and tobogganing among guests and locals in Garmisch and Partenkirchen also increased significantly. The first toboggan runs were built on the Rießersee , Hausberg and Gudiberg as early as 1900 . In 1909 the construction of the first bobsleigh run on the Rießersee started, which was opened in the winter of 1910. Bobsleigh enthusiasts founded the Garmisch Bobsleigh Club in 1911 . The track was then the scene of numerous German and Bavarian championships in bobsleigh. The initiators Hansheinrich Kirchgeßner and Wilhelm von Hillern-Flensch then founded the sports club Riessersee with the main divisions bobsleigh and ice hockey in the luxury hotel Riessersee on October 12, 1920 . In later years the SCR provided many German bobsleigh champions, as well as world and Olympic champions. The first expansion of the railway took place in 1921. In 1934 the world championships in four-man bobsleigh took place at the Rießersee. On the occasion of the IV Winter Olympics , the organizers modernized the track in 1934/35 according to plans by Stanislaus M. Zentzytzki and expanded it to a length of 1654 m. Since then, the track has been called the Rießersee Olympic bobsleigh run. In 1938 the world championship in four-man bobsleigh took place on the track, and in 1953 , 1958 and 1962 the world championships in two-man and four-man bobsleigh. The European Championships in 1966 were the last events of this kind on the bobsleigh track, which was subsequently closed. In 2013 the track was prepared for a race for the first time in 46 years, which was held on February 16, 2013. A total of 13 teams with historic bobsleighs competed in these races.
Deaths
Many accidents happened on the bobsled run, which was considered very dangerous. Four bobsleigh pilots had a fatal accident.
- 1911 - N. Oberrüber from Germany
- 1934 - Leonhard Lang from Hammersbach near Grainau / Germany
- Jan. 07, 1951 - Rolf Odenrick from Sweden
- Jan. 31, 1953 - Felix Endrich from Switzerland
description
The Rießersee Olympic bobsleigh run, built on the northern slope of the Rießerkopf, was the most winding run at the time and the first to have the most important curves lined with blocks of ice. So-called “curve masons” built up the track with 15,000 blocks of ice for each race, ready to race in one month. These blocks with the dimensions 30 × 30 × 20 cm were sawed by the curve masons from the nearby frozen Rießersee. Additional safety structures were attached to the most dangerous corners. The bobsleighs reached a speed of 120 km / h on the route.
Technical specifications
The railway had the following technical data:
- Route length start - finish: 1,525 m
- Difference in altitude: 129 m
- Number of turns: 14
- Average gradient: 8.459%
Current condition
After the railway was closed in 1966, it was left to its own devices until it was listed as a historical monument in 2003. Volunteers later cleared the runway and set up information boards. The restored bobsleigh shed is about 350 meters from the finish. There are 17 historical bobsleighs as well as other interesting exhibits and original film material. The bobsleigh shed can be visited free of charge. The valley station of the transport elevator with tracks is located at the bobsleigh shed. A former iron pedestrian bridge, the former pumping station and pumping stations, as well as hydrants for the water supply, flagpoles and the canteen building can still be found along the route.
See also
Web links
- Private site about the bobsled run
- Bavarian Monument Atlas (cartographic representation of the Bavarian architectural and ground monuments by the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Winter sports history in Garmisch-Partenkirchen from 1880. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Garmisch-Partenkirchen Economic Development Agency, formerly in the original ; Retrieved January 6, 2012 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b Wilhelm Neu, Volker Liedke: Upper Bavaria . Ed .: Michael Petzet , Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (= Monuments in Bavaria . Volume I.2 ). Oldenbourg, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-486-52392-9 .
- ↑ Another race after 46 years. Frank Simon, accessed June 3, 2013 .
- ↑ Bobrennen: A life insurance policy . In: Der Spiegel . No. 7 , 1953 ( online - 11 February 1953 ).
- ↑ a b c Historic bobsleigh run on the Rießersee. bobbahn-gap.de, accessed on January 6, 2012 .
- ^ Historical bobsleigh run leaflet (PDF) (No longer available online.) Garmisch-Partenkirchen Economic Development Agency, formerly in the original ; Retrieved January 6, 2012 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b leaflet historical bobsleigh run. (PDF; 2.2 MB) (No longer available online.) GaPa, formerly in the original ; Retrieved January 6, 2012 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Competition venues for the 1936 Winter Olympics
Coordinates: 47 ° 28 ′ 34 " N , 11 ° 4 ′ 48.2" E