The thematic trail "Beginnings of the Labor Movement"

The Goisern workers' education association, founded on July 26, 1868, was not only one of the first in the Danube monarchy, it was also one of the most active and successful of its time. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the foundation on September 27, 2018, the most important stages were summarized and documented in the thematic path "Beginnings of the Labor Movement". The approx. 30-minute leisurely walk leads through the center of Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt past the 12 stations.

The thematic trail "Beginnings of the Labor Movement"

1. Protestant Church

The starting point of the thematic path is the Protestant Church. Protestantism and above all secret Protestantism were very distinctive in Bad Goisern and formed the spiritual breeding ground for self-help. The church dates from 1813-1816, the tower was added in 1857.

2. Castle "Neuwildenstein"

The castle "Neuwildenstein" was the manor of the Wildenstein sovereign administration from 1715 to 1848. It housed the nursing office and court as well as the tax office until 1850, which awarded Goisern to the headquarters in the inner Salzkammergut. Today the castle houses the forest administration of the Austrian Federal Forest Association. The functional baroque building encloses an atmospheric courtyard where concerts are still held.
 

3. Woodcutter museum

This typical “Holzknechtstube” was removed in the Weißenbachtal in 1977 and repositioned by the Bad Goisern hometown club and converted into a woodcutter museum. It was furnished with old equipment and tools and illustrates with pictures the visitors an insight into the arduous life of the wood farmhands. Here they had to work, live and sleep together during the week, far from their families. This resulted in a strong feeling of solidarity among the workers.

4. Konrad Deubler monument

The memorial was originally located on the “Deublerallee” below his property. Due to the new construction of the by-pass road, the monument got its current location in the park. Konrad Deubler (1814-1884), who received the nickname "Farmer's Philosopher" due to his diverse interests and intensive studies, was one of the most flamboyant personalities in Goisern. He was a miller in Hallstatt and later a landlord in Goisern and was in friendly contact with many intellectuals and freethinkers of his time. He earned great merits in the early days of the Labor Movement and for the uplifting of tourism. 1870-1871 he was one of the first mayors in Goisern.

5. “Feuerbach Villa”

The property was built by Konrad Deubler for his valued guests. It was named after the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. The villa is now privately owned.

6. Former Pub Wartburg

The house was bought by Konrad Deubler in 1850 and was a meeting place for freethinkers, doubters and revolutionaries. There was a large library on the first floor, which also contained prohibited writings. Today it houses an arms deal.

7. Former Gasthaus Kirchenwirt

This is where the Goisern Workers' Association was founded on July 26, 1868, initially as a branch of Hallstatt, later at Deubler's insistence as an independent association. Today it houses owner-occupied flats.

8. Former consumer building

After the foundation of the Goisern workers' education association, the consumer association was founded in December 1868 to supply the population. It developed into the largest in the Salzkammergut and was the local supplier of Goisern for over 140 years. Here everyone in Goisern, not just their own members, could do their shopping. In addition to the sales business, the consumer association had its own art mill (acquired in 1874), a bakery, a butcher's shop and a pub (purchased in 1888). The building was built in 1873 and houses now owner-occupied flats.

9. Former savings and loan association

The former savings and loan association was founded in 1873 and was located in the building of the consumer association before moving to its own building. In 1952 he joined the banking association and in 1963 moved again to the bank building on the market square. The old building is now privately owned and there is a pizzeria on the ground floor.

10. Elementary school Bad Goisern

The Goisern elementary school was founded because the workers' education association did not want to place the children's education only in the hands of the clergy. This was the second public school in Upper Austria. A beer tax was raised to finance the construction of the school, and just three years later the new building was opened in 1898.

11. Fire damage protection association

The last founding initiative of the workers' education association was the fire damage protection association which was founded in 1892. There was already a farmers insurance association that existed for the surrounding farmsteads. The densely built areas were then included in the new fire damage protection association. The original building also housed the retirement benefit association that was founded in 1876.

12. Library

 The initial inventory of the library of the workers' education association came from Konrad Deubler. Financed by the lending fee, dozens of new books were added every year, so that today it contains over 8000 books. The community library is still run today and is located in the “Schmiedgasse”.

The workers' education association

The workers in the inner Salzkammergut have always been very self-confident, since the monarchy was dependent on the income from salt extraction. In addition, they were mainly Protestants and were not used to submitting to the authorities anyway.
 
Due to the counter-reformation at the end of the 16th century, many Goiserer became secret Protestants. They celebrated their church services at Schwarzenbachloch cave and the “Kalmoos church”. The tolerance patent in 1781 ended the time of the counter-reformation. Only one year later, the Protestant community comprised 1117 people.
 
After the introduction of the State Basic Law in 1867, the Goiserer used the opportunity to organize and found a private association.
 
At the beginning of the movement there was an "educational association" because it was important for the activists to emancipate by their own. But also self-help organizations such as a consumer association, an retirement benefit association, a health insurance association, a savings and credit association (today “Volksbank”) as well as the fire damage insurance emerged.
 
The leader of the labor movement was Konrad Deubler (1814-1884), also known as the "Farmer's Philosopher". The Goiserer landlord and miller opened the "Zur Wartburg" inn in the “Kirchengasse”, where the workers assembled.

You can find detailed information on the individual stations in the corresponding folder, which is available free of charge at the tourist office.

If your are searching for more hiking trails, check out the hiking site of the Dachstein Salzkammergut.


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