19.September 1991:
Mr. and Mrs. Simon from Nuernberg/Germany discover the mummified corpse of a mean near Tisenjoch glacier. Archeologists soon find out that the man has lived around 3200 years BC, that is between the Neolithic age and the Bronze Age; he later becomes known as "Ötzi" or "Ice Man".
Other scientific findings show the following:
About 900 years ago Stone Age hunters camped down at "Hohler Stein" near Vent and other places in Ötztal Valley.
Around 1000 BC:
the first immigrants come from Vinschgau via Hochjoch, Niederjoch and other passes and settle in the Ötztal Valley.15 BC:
the Romans arrive in the Alps and found the Roman province Raetia .Around 550 BC:
the Bavarians advance from the north into Ötztal valley; Vent and Rofen become permanent settlements.1150:
Sölden makes its first appearance in the chrincles of the Swabian Lords of Ronsberg in Allgäu who leave farmsteads to the Ottobeuren Monastery.13th to 16th century:
the sovereign, the Stams monastery and the Frauenchiemsee Benedictine Monastery are Ötztal's biggest landowners; most of their property consists of farms who pay their basic interest in form of small cheese loaves (up to 300 per year) and later also in cash.1817:
Sölden is assigned to the pricinct of Silz.1854:
Vent, which so far belonged the Kastelbell jurisdiction in South Tirol, becomes a municipality of Sölden.19th century:
Ötztal attracs more and more mountaineers, and tourism gets under way.1855:
there are 5 inns in the municipality of Sölden; several of the first inns are run by pastors.1860 - 1872:
Franz Senn, a priest in Vent, realizes that tourism would better the economic situation for the locals.1862:
foundation of the Austrian Alpine Association.1871:
Franz Senn builds Hochjoch hospice, Ötztal's first shelter, on the trail via Hochjoch pass to South-Tirol; by the turn of the century there are already numerous mountain refuges of which most were built by the German Alpine Association.1873:
the German and the Austrian Alpine Associations merge.Around 1900:
Alpine skiing became more and more popular and Ötztal embarks on winter tourism.1898 - 1903:
a road is built trough Ötztal to Sölden.1903:
the valley's landlords publish their first joint brochure titled "The Ötztal".1911:
the road is extended to Zwieselstein, tourism experiences a boom until the outbreak of WW I.1914:
there are 12 inns in the muncipality of Sölden.1918:
End of WW II - Austria is restored to its 1937 frontiers; South Tirol is ceded to Italy and a new frontier to Italy is created across the main Alpine chain; the economic problems in the area mount.1922:
foundation of the Sölden Ski Club, winter tourism grows thanks to the development of the Hochsölden ski area.1928:
Isidor Riml started the first hotel in Sölden.1930:
Sölden logs 88.000 bed nights (90 % of which are attributed to summer tourism)1933:
the "thousand mark" barrier - a kind of tourist tax - is introduced in Germany to disourage travel to Austria; the consequences for the tourism industry are severe.1938:
Austria is incorporated into the German Reich.1948:
construction of the first 1-seater chairlift from Sölden to Hochsölden; tourism experiences a great revival.1953:
there are 45 inns in the municipality of Sölden.1957:
Sölden registers 300.000 bed nights.1966:
opening of the Gaislachkogl gondola giving access to Gaislachkogl mountain.1968:
opening of the Timmelsjoch high Alpine road.1971:
the ski areas of Hochsölden and Gaislachkogl are linked.1975:
Rettenbach glacier is developed for skiing.1985:
the municipality of Sölden records 1,5 million bed nights of which 63 % are logged in the winter alone.2007:
there are hardly any private residences in Sölden anymore; almost all houses are geared toward accommodating tourists; all locals are directly or indirectly involved in tourism; trade and industry produce a high return thanks to the many investments in the tourism. Sölden meanwhile registers 2 million bed nights.
Contact/Information:
If you need further information about the cronicles or if you have interesting material (old postcards, pictures, images, letters...) regarding Sölden contact our local chronicler Ewald Schöpf. He is looking forward to hearing from you!
chronist@soelden.at
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