Rifle company "Major Josef Eisensteck" Gries
| Rifle company "Major Josef Eisensteck" Gries (SK Gries) |
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|---|---|
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| purpose | sociopolitical, societal and cultural tasks |
| Chair: | Alexander Corradini |
| Establishment date: | 1959 (re-establishment) |
| Number of members: | 33 |
| Seat : | Gries near Bozen, South Tyrol |
| Website: | www.skgries.com |
The rifle company "Major Josef Eisensteck" Gries or SK Gries is a rifle company from Gries ( Bozen ) in South Tyrol .
history
The Gries riflemen were first mentioned in 1410 during the siege of Greifenstein Castle , today's castle ruins above the village of Siebeneich near Terlan , with 100 men. At the battle of Calliano near Rovereto in 1487 they fought together with other Tyrolean rifle companies and Swiss mercenaries against the Venetian army. In 1504 the people of Gries fought on the front lines in the Bavarian siege of Kufstein. In 1759 the Gries riflemen were involved in the transfer of the relic of Blessed Heinrich of Bozen.
They were also present at the celebration in honor of Empress Maria Luise. Even then, the people of Gries wore their blue stockings. In the years 1796/97 the Grieser participated in the fighting in Lavis . The French could be held back for a year before 40 Griesers were killed on October 2, 1797 at the last "Battle of Lavis". In the same year the people of Gries, together with the united companies of the Bolzano area, were awarded four large and 16 small medals for bravery.
The "Badlwirt von Gries" Major Josef Eisensteck , after whom the company is named today, was one of Andreas Hofer's closest confidants . He was buried in Gries on May 1, 1827. He was accompanied by the Grieser Schützen with their band.
In May 1915 the Gries rifle battalion moved to the threatened border in the lower Adige Valley . In June of the same year they fought in Folgaria (Vielgereut) and Lavarone (Lafraun) and were used in the great May offensive in the Adige Valley in 1916 .
After South Tyrol was incorporated into the state of Italy in 1920, shooting was banned. This ban lasted until 1958. In autumn 1958, the then SVP local chairman of Gries, Josef Mair-Jenner, set about re-establishing a rifle company in Gries. As early as January 3rd, 1959, the Gries company was reconstituted at the “Lamm” inn in Gries and a provisional command was appointed.
The Gries rifle company was the first South Tyrolean company to go to Mantua in full strength in costume and with the company flag on February 20, 1977 on the day of remembrance for Andreas Hofer . The company was received by the highest officials of the city of Mantua, the mayor of the city greeted Mantua and presented the captain with a statue of St. Anthony as a gift.
Personalities
- Josef Eisensteck (1779–1827), Tyrolean freedom fighter and kk major
- Josef Mumelter-Möckl , kk major and last German mayor of the market town of Gries near Bozen
- Luis Amplatz (1926–1964), member of the BAS , South Tyrolean freedom fighter
- Karl Mitterdorfer (1920–2017), fighter pilot in World War II (Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht), former state commander of the South Tyrolean riflemen and Italian politician
- Paul Bacher (* 1937), athlete and former state commander of the South Tyrolean shooting association
- Werner Neubauer (* 1956), Austrian politician ( FPÖ ) and member of the Austrian National Council .