Alpine Peace Crossing - Commemorative Hike Recalls Flight of Thousands of Jews During National Socialism
Last weekend, a very special memorial event took place in the Krimml Tauern, Salzburg. The Alpine Peace Crossing memorial association organises an annual hike here, which follows the route of thousands of Jews who fled to South Tyrol via the Krimml Tauern in 1947.
The commemorative event of a special kind took place in the Krimml Tauern, Salzburg. / Picture: © Verein für aktive Gedenk- und Erinnerungskultur APC (Alpine Peace Crossing)
Last weekend, a commemorative event of a special kind took place in the Krimml Tauern, Salzburg.
Since 2007, the Association for Active Remembrance and Remembrance Culture APC (Alpine Peace Crossing) has been organising a commemorative hike that follows the traces of the thousands of Jewish refugees who had to flee from Austria over the Krimml Tauern before, during and after the Second World War.
The commemoration organised by the APC differs from many similar projects and initiatives in one decisive point - it links remembrance and commemoration with a very specific topographical formation: the (high) mountains.
As a group, the Alpine Peace Crossing follows the tracks of the persecuted and thus experiences a very special and at the same time terrifying form of remembrance of the Nazi era and its aftermath.However, the mountain regions of Europe not only played an important role in the flight movements after the liberation in 1945, but they also formed a retreat and agitation space for resisters against the Nazi regime.
In 2022, APC will therefore focus on this complex of topics under the motto "No quiet hinterland - resistance in the mountains".This year, in addition to the current ambassador of Israel, Mordechai D. Rodgold, many descendants and relatives of the once persecuted Jews took part.
In total, 250 participants from all over the world took part in the Alpine Peace Crossing to commemorate the events in 1947.
9 Stunden, 18 km, 1000 Höhenmeter - Geschafft!
— Mordechai D. Rodgold (@RodgoldMD) July 4, 2022
Auch dieses Jahr bin ich gemeinsam mit rund 250 internationalen Teilnehmern beim #AlpinePeaceCrossing mitgewandert, das an die Flucht tausender Juden im Jahr 1947 über die Krimmler Tauern Richtung #Israel erinnert. pic.twitter.com/w7rRWSIOIx
After a sensual commemoration in Saalfelden on Friday and a dialogue forum on Saturday, the walkers set off on Sunday. The commemorative hike follows the traces of the 1947 escape, crossing the Krimmler Tauern and continuing to Kasern in South Tyrol/Alto Adige.
The hike leads through high alpine terrain up to an altitude of 2,634 metres. The pure walking time was a little more than 8 hours, as Ambassador Rodgold also noted.