700 tools on display

On the trail of the old lumberjacks in the Vienna Woods

The history of the lumberjacks of yesteryear is looked after by curator Horst Schmid on a voluntary basis. What once took place in the darkness of the forest has been carefully brought into the "museum clearing" and is carefully guarded for future "annual rings".

(Bild: Antal Imre)

A treasure trove of forestry history is guarded by the Federal Forests in the Vienna Woods, where they can look back on more than 350 years of timber work. And even today, some of the refurbished trees are still providing special protection against flooding.

We have collected more than 700 historical forest measuring and marking devices over the many annual rings here on the Salygraben-Forststraße Schöpfl and are preserving the history of the forestry reclamation of the Vienna Woods here," explains custodian Horst Schmid, who has been looking after this eco-jewel for the local village renewal association for decades. Even in "green" prehistoric times, the idea of sustainability, i.e. reforestation, shaped the actions of the men in the forest darkness. After all, the replanting of felled giant trees was impressively put to the forester's heart as the "order of the day".

The museum is located in our hunting ground. Here you can immerse yourself in the living conditions and working techniques of the lumberjacks of yesteryear.

Bundesforste-Vorstand Georg Schöppl

Bild: Moser Gabriele

272 years of operation ...
Of particular importance in this small universe is the timber drift system built in Klausen-Leopoldsdorf under Emperor Leopold I in 1667. When completed, it had 14 clauses. With an operating time of 272 years and a total flooding capacity of 10 million solid cubic meters, it is one of the most important achievements of pre-industrial times.

The construction was used to transport firewood logs from the inner Vienna Woods to the collecting rake in Baden-St. Helena using the power of water, at low cost and independently of roads. Onward transportation to the destination of Vienna was carried out by wagons and from 1803 also by cargo ships via the Wiener Neustädter Canal. The last drift took place in 1939.

The hermitage now provides protection against flooding
The area surrounding the museum also has a lot to offer, with a core zone of the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve right opposite. Right next to the museum is the Salygrabenklause, also affectionately known as the Schöpflklause, which was built in 1742. "We renovated it in 2010 and it now acts as a retention basin to actively protect against flooding," assures Georg Schöppl, Managing Director of the Federal Forestry Office.

More information at: www.holztriftmuseum.at