Investigations completed

Unterzeiring execution site: many new mysteries await

The historic execution site is located directly on the B 114(Bild: zVg/AGGA)

For 200 years, death sentences were carried out at the Birkachwald gallows in Unterzeiring (municipality of Pölstal). Only very few of the fates that ended here are known. A large-scale investigation is now getting closer to solving the mystery. The "Krone" knows the initial findings.

At the end of May, a project that began in 2013 was continued: research into the Birkachwald execution site. Two striking stone pillars still remind us of the executions that took place here from the 16th century onwards. Who was beheaded, hanged and otherwise torturously killed here? The team led by Peter Koch and Gerfried Kaser from the Working Group for Archaeology wanted to find out.

The evaluation of the GeoSphere soil magnetics: the light blue circles are pieces of iron(Bild: GeoSphere)

Apart from a few excavation finds, around ten skeletons, and court records from the Schwarzenberg family archive, there had not been many findings to date. A ground magnetic survey carried out by GeoSphere Austria at the end of May has now revealed something new: "We assumed that there were a few skeletons around the columns," says Koch. "But it looks like the area extends much further."

Metal parts were found almost all over the area. "These could be belt buckles, swords, hoof nails," says Koch. "Not all the pits necessarily contain skeletons, but you can't rule them out either."

The biggest surprise, however, was the discovery of a road. Further research will have to show how old it is. 

Finances need to be put in place for further steps
What's next for the team? "We have to come up with a concept and get the funding in place," says Peter Koch. "So far, we've excavated around one hundred square meters. But we still have 20,000 left." And the excavations are not enough: the finds also have to be examined by forensic medicine and archaeology. At Admont Abbey, they hope to be able to inspect trial records relating to possible witch burnings.

In short, it will be years before the gruesome mysteries of the execution site are solved. An appointment has already been made with the Province of Styria to discuss further plans - for example, how to prepare the results for the population and tourism.