Sebastian Abratzky

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Sebastian Abratzky
Fortress with Abratzky rocks
Sebastian Abratzky's grave in the Johannisfriedhof in Dresden

Johann Friedrich Sebastian Abratzky (born August 22, 1829 in Mahlis near Oschatz ; † January 26, 1897 in Dresden ) was a chimney sweep who entered the Königstein Fortress, which had been considered impregnable until then, on March 19, 1848 without aids via the outer wall . This ascent is considered a milestone in the development of sport climbing in Saxon Switzerland .

youth

Sebastian Abratzky was born on August 22nd, 1829 in Mahlis and finished his chimney sweep apprenticeship in spring 1848 at the age of 18. Then he went to the roller coaster and came to Dresden . In Königstein he admired the fortress of the same name and learned that every visitor had to pay one thaler ten new penny admission. Since he had no money, he climbed the almost continuously vertical sandstone wall in a high crevice to the fortress. After an hour and a half he climbed over the parapet with the last of his strength. The town's church bells were ringing at noon. The guard arrested him and brought him in front of the commandant, who put him under arrest for half a day. Then he released him and sent him back to his birthplace in Mahlis . Abratzky later claimed he was detained for 12 days for his daring prank .

Life after climbing

Even before his release, the Pirnaisches Wochenblatt said: “A harmless chimney sweep has done what immeasurable armed forces were unable to do!” Abratzky later published a book and gave lectures in which he embellished his ascent to the fortress.

Age and end

From 1860 Abratzky served a five-year labor house sentence . From 1865 to 1870 Abratzky was imprisoned for theft and vagrancy and for a burglary he had committed. He began to drink, so he was found drunk and helpless in a coma on a street in Dresden. Abratzky then died on January 26, 1897 in a police detention center in Dresden and was buried in the Johannisfriedhof .

Memorial stone

In April 1998 the local homeland association erected the Abratzky stone named after him as a memorial stone on the village square in his birthplace Mahlis.

The Abratzky chimney

The Abratzky chimney named after Abratzky was climbed again for the first time in 1923 after him. A Königstein company then received the order to wall up the chimney, but in the end it was only cordoned off with barbed wire. From 1955 the fortress was open to the public again after the youth work yard was closed . This made it possible for mountaineers to climb the chimney again. The first post-war ascent of the path, which has since been rated as difficulty IV according to the Saxon difficulty scale, took place on August 8, 1955. In 1956 the first wall book was installed. In 1991 the Abratzky chimney was first mentioned in the climbing guide. He since one of the three in the climbing area Saxon Switzerland as exceptions approved solid climbing - usually climbing is only at designated in Saxon Switzerland climbing peaks allowed. Today climbers climb the 34 meter high chimney in around 15 to 20 minutes. However, you have to abseil below the wall, as climbing over the wall is prohibited.

literature

  • Journal articles with the same text:
    • -tz-: The only conquest of the Königstein . In: The Gazebo . Issue 12, 1859, pp. 171–174 ( full text [ Wikisource ]).
    • NN The only conquest of the Königstein . In: The narrator. An entertainment paper for everyone. No. 26 of March 30, 1859, Geiger, Augsburg 1859, pp. 102-104, 106-108. Google books
  • Sebastian Abratzky: The only ascent of the Königstein Fortress. Zerbst 1892 ( digitized version )
  • Walter Fellmann: Saxony Lexicon. Koehler & Amelang, Munich / Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-7338-0234-9
  • Joachim Schindler: Sebastian Abratzky - a Saxon Munchausen? In: Der Neue Sächsische Bergsteiger , SBB newsletter, 13th year, issue No. 2, June 2002, pp. 36–39

Web links

Commons : Sebastian Abratzky  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dietrich Hasse : Cradle of free climbing - Saxon landmarks in global alpine sports until the middle of the 20th century , Bergverlag Rother , Munich, 2nd edition 2000. ISBN 3-7633-8103-1 . Page 42
  2. ↑ NN: The only conquest of the Königstein . In: The narrator. An entertainment paper for everyone. No. 26 of March 30, 1859, Geiger, Augsburg 1859, pp. 102-104, 106-108. Here p. 107
  3. ↑ a b c d e Joachim Schindler: Sebastian Abratzky - a Saxon Munchausen? In: Der Neue Sächsische Bergsteiger , SBB newsletter, 13th year, issue No. 2, June 2002, pp. 36–39
  4. ↑ a b Dietmar Sehn: Chimney sweep Sebastian Abratzky. At the Königstein Fortress . In: Leipziger Volkszeitung, Oschatzer Allgemeine , Oschatz, July 20, 2010
personal data
SURNAME Abratzky, Sebastian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Conqueror of Königstein Fortress
DATE OF BIRTH August 22, 1829
PLACE OF BIRTH Mahlis at Oschatz
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 1897
Place of death Dresden