Exploring Bavarian History: A Trip to Passau and Neuschönau with Viana Styria

The border town of Passau and the market town of Neuschönau in the Bavarian Forest were the destinations of the Styria historical association’s excursion. Chairman Karl Dudek put together a program worth seeing. Perhaps it will become reality: the local partnership between Neuschönau and St. Stefan.

STAINZ – The most recent excursion led the historical association Viana Styria to Bavaria. The border town of Passau and above all the market town of Neuschönau were the destinations of the exit last week. The many thank-you SMSes sent by the participants afterwards to chairman Karl Dudek and club treasurer Paula Dudek allow the conclusion that the Event a full Success was. Why was Neuschönau chosen as the address? The town of 2,200 inhabitants and St. Stefan are currently exploring one community partnership. As a link could the medieval glass furnaces serve, which are preserved both in Neuschönau and in St. Stefan. In addition, both smelting furnaces were managed by the same manager, Thomas Kaiser, in the 17th century. The visit can be described as tesserae in the coming together of the two municipalities.

The city of Passau

The first day of travel led pretty straight to the border town Passauwhere cathedral guide Anneliese Stang awaited the tour group and they walked through the magnificent Dom led. In part, the “magnificent” had to be guessed, because the church is currently being renovated. The view of the organ compensated a little over the shortcoming. And the outdoor facilities were not affected anyway. It continued with the sightseeing, city guide Mariele Steinhuber-Hirschl, who gave the guests the historical development of the city. There was talk of the eponymous Roman fort Bavaris, of the appointment in 739 to the seat of a bishop, of a Bundeswehr location, the Passau wolf as a coat of arms and of the awarding of the Europe Prize 1980 as the first Bavarian city.

Glass oven as a connection to St. Stefan

The next day was Glas seen in different ways. Father Florian and son Erhard Köck quickly conjured up a jug, a tap, a heart and a snail from the viscous glass mass. A connection to western Styria: Florian Köck was in fashion as a glassmaker in the 1960s Köflach occupied. The two specialists tried very hard to inform the guests sufficiently about the work steps to inform. We continued to Spiegelau to the Bärwurzerei Gerl. To explain: Bärwurz, an umbel fruit, is a specialty of the region, which – as the travelers were able to convince themselves during the tasting – can be excellently processed into a “clear”.

Worth seeing treetop path

After that, the group split up. Part 1 under the leadership of Karl Dudek explored the The lousethe highest elevation in the region and the transition to the Golden City of Prague, part 2 took its way to the egg in Neuschönau, like the Treetop Walk is called because of its egg-shaped ascent building. While at the Lusen mountain inn it was a native of Leoben who looked after the travelers, while Marianne and Martin Wolf, employees of the Koishüttler local history association and also members of Viana Styria, looked after the travelers at the treetop path Information. Then on the third day the next role reversal: Group 2 was received in the town hall by Mayor Alfons Schinabeck and informed about the historical development of the place, the first group made the treetop path. After lunch, all participants made their way home together. The next Highlight: the special tour on July 10 through the State Library.