An historical overview of Warth and its settlement
The glorious mountain village of Warth is located in the upper reaches of the Lech valley in an elevated (1494) Walser settlement. The Walsers (Wallis people) originally came from the German-speaking part of today's Wallis Canton in South-West Switzerland - the longest and most spectacular of the Alpine valleys, in the middle of the Rohneknie, Furka, Berner and Wallis Alps.
Economic hardship, oppression, feuds among the nobility and famine were just some of the reasons behind the mass migration between ca. 1270 - 1300, which saw the people of Wallis migrate to Italy, the cantons of Tessin and Graubünden, as well as the Vorarlberg and Tyrol regions. The first immigrants to the Vorarlberg region often had to settle in almost deserted valleys above the tree-line, enduring a life of hardship as they struggled to survive. Nevertheless, they developed a distinct culture with their own language and enduring customs.
This microcosm of the 'great migration' is characterised by the strength of the people who continue to demonstrate endurance coupled with a love for their mountain homeland. The Walsers, who generally settled in unpopulated areas, were well received by the Alemannic-Swabian rulers, and were accorded special liberties in the "Walser Rights". In remote mountain regions, the old Walser ways have endured until today, with their customs, language and names being preserved. In other areas, historic Walser settlements have integrated with their ethnically dominant neighbours.
A new home on the Tannberg
The oldest traces on the Tannberg indicate a Celtic influence: for example, there are clues relating to linguistic developments. Lech comes from the Old Irish 'Lea', meaning stone, while the Latin 'Flexus' means curved, or a curved road.
Both the Celts and the Rheto-Romans (from the days of the Roman Empire) had settled in the Alps and probably in various locations around the Tannberg before the Walser influx.
Over the centuries, the Walsers had to constantly fight to maintain their rights and liberties against a background of changing rulers and military campaigns.
The name 'Warth' - also known as 'Hinterboden' - occurs as a name in the Alps (in Alt St. Johann) and Eastern Switzerland five times in conjunction with townland names.
In 1540, the citizens of Warth and Teschenberg built a chapel with a bell and altar.
In 1602, the church - including three altars, two bells and a local chaplaincy - was built on the site of the old chapel. Warth became a parish on October 25th 1625.
The priests found their stay in Warth rather desolate - it was basically viewed as akin to 'Siberian exile'. Warth sought ecclesiastical and judicial independence. After separating from Lech and achieving commercial independence, Warth had to pay Lech 'compensation'.
Little is known about the origins of the school, but we do know that the first school endowments were established after 1700. The school in Lechleiten was built in 1831, and 7 pupils from Warth were enrolled in 1885.
Almshouse: The alms master distributed the interest on church assets - known as 'Spenn' or gratuities - amongst the poor. Thus, the disadvantaged were also cared for.
Confraternities held especially frequent services and religious exercises. These were very well attended by the people, and were often very rich as result of sacrifices and contributions.
Hochkrumbach: The borough was merged with Warth on July 3rd 1984. The so-called Salzstrasse, or Salt Road, used to lead to Tyrol or Hall via Krumbach.
Currently, in the context of an extensive drilling drive in the Alpsee ice, it is intended to bore a so-called 'sediment core'. Lake sediments are repositories of information on the history of vegetation and climate. In Innsbruck, agricultural historians have been examining deposits to assess their pollen content. The aim of the research plan is to examine the origins of the cultural and human landscape, as well as the individual settlement phases since prehistoric times.
Although a precise chronological classification of human interventions in vegetation during the Middle Ages is not yet possible, such changes probably coincided with the Walser immigration from Switzerland to the Tannberg region. The latest studies of the Körbersee are intended to facilitate more precise dating.
