Reit im Winkl
Encyclopedia
Reit im Winkl is a small village in the southeastern part of Bavaria
, Germany
, in the Traunstein district
. It is situated southwest of Ruhpolding
in the Alps
. The village area has borders with two states of Austria
, Tyrol
and Salzburg
. The small village of Kössen
in Tyrol is the next village following the river Lofer to the confluence into the Tiroler Achen. Reit im Winkl has a population of approximately 2,600. It is a famous tourist resort, especially for winter sports. The skiing area is located in a district of the village called Winklmoos Alm.
Reit im Winkl was part of the parish of Kirchdorf in Tirol
which was itself part of the diocese of Chiemsee from 1275 until 1804.
Historians have assumed the location of the manor of the Herren von Reit (Lords of Reit), on a small hill above the church.
was created 1929 replacing the old coat of arms which showed a blue chapel on a green hill. The new coat of arms shows the eagle on yellow ground of the diocese of Chiemsee in a corner (Winkl derived from the German word Winkel for corner). The burning log and the sapie (axe like tool to trail logs) on the forest green ground are symbols for the clearing of the forest to create pasture and farm land in 11th and 12 century.
chopped down in summer and transported to storage places with horses or by hand. There were two major methods for the transport of the logs down into the valley. In winter the logs were put on sleds and with a man sitting in front using his feet to slow the sled the logs were transported. The work was dangerous and severe accidents occurred regularly. The second method was to build a dam and store the melting water in spring to have enough water for timber rafting
, a rebuilt wooden dam is at display in the Winklmoss Alm. The orientation of the valley made it impossible to sell the rafted wood to the saline
of Reichenhall or Traunstein
which had an enormous fuel consumption. In a contract the wood was sold to the silver works in the Inn valley in Tyrol and as an exchange Tyrol sold logs to the saline in Reichenhall.
and through the valley of the Tiroler Achen to Reit im Winkl and through Ruhpolding
to Reichenhall. The street over the Maserer pass was extended several times in the 20th century, but still is a challenge for poorly equipped tourists on snowy days. One other street is following the Lofer river over the border to Austria from the village Kössen the street goes straight into the Inn valley. The need for transport capacities for the sawmills and logs from the surrounding forest a narrow gauge railway was built from Ruhpolding to Reit im Winkl in 1923. Following some accidents and high maintainace costs due to the conditions in the winter the railway was demolished in the 1930s. The causeway
is used as a bicycle trail in summer and for nordic skiing
in the winter
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in the Traunstein district
Traunstein (district)
Traunstein is a Kreis in the southeastern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are Mühldorf, Altötting, the Austrian states Upper Austria and Salzburg, the district Berchtesgadener Land, the Austrian states of Salzburg and Tyrol, and the district Rosenheim.-Geography:The district is...
. It is situated southwest of Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. The village area has borders with two states of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
and Salzburg
Salzburg (state)
Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
. The small village of Kössen
Kössen
Kössen is a municipality in the Kitzbühel district and is located 24 km north of Kitzbühel as well as 15.50 km north of Sankt Johann in Tirol at the Kitzbühler Ache near the border to Germany.-Geography:...
in Tyrol is the next village following the river Lofer to the confluence into the Tiroler Achen. Reit im Winkl has a population of approximately 2,600. It is a famous tourist resort, especially for winter sports. The skiing area is located in a district of the village called Winklmoos Alm.
Districts
Reit im Winkl is divided into the districts Birnbach, Blindau, Entfelden, Groissenbach, Oberbichl, Seegatterl, Unterbichl and Winklmoos Alm.History
The first signs of settlement in Reit im Winkl are in the 12th century. The date of the foundation is 1160 when Otto de Rute was named in a document. The accuracy of the document is disputed and some historians put the beginning of the settlement to the middle of the 13th century. From this time it has been part of Bavaria.Reit im Winkl was part of the parish of Kirchdorf in Tirol
Kirchdorf in Tirol
Kirchdorf in Tirol is a municipality in the Kitzbühel district and is located 12.20 km north of Kitzbühel as well as 3 km north of Sankt Johann in Tirol at the Kitzbühler Ache. The area is the 2nd largest one in size in the district. The village has got its name from an old church which was...
which was itself part of the diocese of Chiemsee from 1275 until 1804.
Historians have assumed the location of the manor of the Herren von Reit (Lords of Reit), on a small hill above the church.
Coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was created 1929 replacing the old coat of arms which showed a blue chapel on a green hill. The new coat of arms shows the eagle on yellow ground of the diocese of Chiemsee in a corner (Winkl derived from the German word Winkel for corner). The burning log and the sapie (axe like tool to trail logs) on the forest green ground are symbols for the clearing of the forest to create pasture and farm land in 11th and 12 century.
History
In former times Reit im Winkl with its unfavorable climate for agricultural use was mostly depending on the forest. The trees werechopped down in summer and transported to storage places with horses or by hand. There were two major methods for the transport of the logs down into the valley. In winter the logs were put on sleds and with a man sitting in front using his feet to slow the sled the logs were transported. The work was dangerous and severe accidents occurred regularly. The second method was to build a dam and store the melting water in spring to have enough water for timber rafting
Timber rafting
Timber rafting is a log transportation method in which logs are tied together into rafts and drifted or pulled across a water body or down a flatter river. It is arguably the second cheapest method of transportation of timber, next after log driving...
, a rebuilt wooden dam is at display in the Winklmoss Alm. The orientation of the valley made it impossible to sell the rafted wood to the saline
Saline
Saline may refer to:* Salinity, the salt content of a solution** Saline water, water containing significant concentration of salts* Soil salinity, salt content of soil* Saline , a liquid with salt content to match the human body...
of Reichenhall or Traunstein
Traunstein
Traunstein is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a district by the same name. It is situated at the heart of a region called Chiemgau, approximately 11 km east of Lake Chiemsee between Munich and Salzburg, 15 km north of the Alps, and...
which had an enormous fuel consumption. In a contract the wood was sold to the silver works in the Inn valley in Tyrol and as an exchange Tyrol sold logs to the saline in Reichenhall.
Today
The rise of tourism began in the year 1858 with a visit of King Maximilian II. which was reported in the press. The Strength Through Joy movement in the Third Reich and the closed borders after the war boosted the tourism to the number one source of income in region. Comparing the 2700 inhabitants to the 5000 beds for tourists with a number of 90.000 tourists per year gives an impression of the formative influence of tourism for the village.Transport
Reit im Winkl is located at the Deutschen Alpenstraße (B 305) (German Alpine Street), coming from the highway A8 at the ChiemseeChiemsee
Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called the Bavarian Sea. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it...
and through the valley of the Tiroler Achen to Reit im Winkl and through Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
to Reichenhall. The street over the Maserer pass was extended several times in the 20th century, but still is a challenge for poorly equipped tourists on snowy days. One other street is following the Lofer river over the border to Austria from the village Kössen the street goes straight into the Inn valley. The need for transport capacities for the sawmills and logs from the surrounding forest a narrow gauge railway was built from Ruhpolding to Reit im Winkl in 1923. Following some accidents and high maintainace costs due to the conditions in the winter the railway was demolished in the 1930s. The causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
is used as a bicycle trail in summer and for nordic skiing
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
in the winter
Notable people
- Rosi MittermaierRosi MittermaierRosemarie "Rosi" Mittermaier-Neureuther is a former alpine ski racer. She won two gold medals and one silver at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, becoming the most successful athlete there along with Raisa Smetanina of Soviet Union, and earning her the nickname of Gold-Rosi within...
(Alpine skiing champion) - Evi Sachenbacher-StehleEvi Sachenbacher-StehleEvi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a German cross country skier from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998...
(Cross country skiing champion) - MariaMaria HellwigMaria Hellwig was a German yodeler, popular performer of volkstümliche Musik and television presenter.-Life:...
and Margot Hellwig (Folk Singers) - Dettmar CramerDettmar CramerDettmar Cramer is a German former football player and coach who led Bayern Munich to the 1975 and 1976 European Cups. Cramer is commonly considered to be the father of modern football in Japan and is a member of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class...
(Football Coach)