Paula Egarter recounts in detail the fate of her mother Anna Egarter, who had to emigrate to Kitzbühel with eight small children while her husband was at the front during the Dolomite War. She describes her mother’s everyday life in Kitzbühel and her return to Sesto/Sexten in 1918. During her absence, the farm was plundered and badly damaged by the Austrian military. Paula Egarter tells of the reconstruction of Sesto/Sexten, which was initially supported by the Austrian side with donations and relief supplies and then co-financed by the Italian state from 1919 onwards. According to Mrs. Egarter, the elementary school of Sesto/Sexten had already been rebuilt in 1918. Special mention is also made of the two emergency churches, which were built in St. Veit and Moso/Moos.
Mrs. Egarter, on the other hand, can no longer remember commemorative events for the war. Most of the Sesto/Sexten families were accommodated in the neighbouring communities of Sesto/Sexten during the war and they supported each other.
When asked how the experiences of the First World War were passed on within the family, Mrs. Egarter replied that little had been said about this period, but that she had the impression that the parents wanted to forget and suppress these bitter times. The fascist period that emerged shortly after the First World War, the option and the Second World War would have had far worse consequences and quickly pushed the experiences of 1915 to 1918 into the background.
Her mother was very happy to be able to live in Sesto/Sexten again from 1918 onwards.
Personal interview with Susanne Elsen and Alexandra Budabin in Sesto/Sexten on 16 July 2021.

She cannot say much about the fate of her paternal grandparents; she talks mainly about the experiences of her parents who were evacuated from Sesto/Sexten. She knows from her grandparents (her mother’s parents) who lived in Moos/Moso that grandmother and her eight children – including her mother, born in 1912 – moved to Kitzbühel to live with friends in 1917.
Her grandfather married her grandmother when she was 17 years old. In 1902 the first son was born, in 1927 the youngest child. She had a total of 13 children, three of whom died as infants. Her family came from Anterselva/Antholz on her father’s side, but her father was born in Sesto/Sexten.
Her father, who was born in 1908 and grew up in Bressanone/Brixen, also experienced the First World War as a child. Her grandfather died during the war in an accident near Fortezza/Franzensfeste. She also reports on the economic and trade relations between Sesto/Sexten and Comelico. At that time, Sesto/Sexten mainly supplied millstones, wooden products, skins and was famous as a place of milliners. In her family, the First World War was rarely discussed, but fascism, the Option and the Second World War were very vividly remembered by her, like others aged 75 to 95 today. As a child, she had little interest in the time of the First World War and her grandparents, or specifically her grandmother, rarely wanted to address the topic on their own initiative.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 19 May 2021.

George Fuchs’ paternal grandparents, Martin Fuchs and Barbara Pfeifhofer, both came from Sesto/Sexten and lived at the Tschurtschenthalerhof on Mitterberg in Sesto/Sexten. Mr. Fuchs’ father was born in 1915; soon after his birth, his mother had to leave the farm – Sesto/Sexten had been fired upon and the evacuation ordered – and move with the children to Versciaco/Vierschach. Mr. Fuchs’ great-grandfather and grandfather had been drafted to the front for military service during the First World War. His grandfather was stationed in Galicia and worked as a medic in a military hospital. The homestead was badly damaged, especially by the Austrian soldiers who inhabited it. After the war, his grandparents continued to run the farm, but his grandfather died in 1930, when his youngest child was only two years old.
Sesto/Sexten war veterans often met in the birthplace of Sepp Innerkofler in St. Veit.
Since both Mr. Fuchs’ grandfather and grandmother died early, he did not hear any war experiences directly from them. In addition, as in many other Sesto/Sexten families, the First World War in the second post-war period was not discussed in much detail. During his childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, he did not learn much about this period from his parents. His mother died in 1977. Mr. Fuchs also tells about the time of the Option and the behavior of many people of Sesto/Sexten who would have voted for emigration to Germany, but were then glad not to have left.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 26 July 2021.

Rudolf Holzer’s father served during the war with the Kaiserjäger in Galicia and later on the Isonzo Front. His mother worked in the hospitality industry during the First World War. Mr. Holzer learned from them about the situation in Val Pusteria/Pustertal before the war and about the dramatic night of 4 to 5 August 1915, when the Sesto/Sexten residents was evacuated. In the interview, Mr. Holzer also vividly reflects on the dynamics of the military attacks from May 23rd, 1915 in the Sesto/Sexten Dolomites. Because it was initially assumed that only military targets would be shelled, the people of Sesto were not prepared to leave their village until August 4. The approximately one thousand villagers – about 300 men were on military service – were accommodated in the surrounding communities. The military forcibly evacuated the civilian population of Sesto/Sexten because the town was under fire directly from the Passo Monte Croce di Comelico/Kreuzbergpass and other positions of the Italian army.
Mr. Holzer recounts the situation in Sesto/Sexten before, during and after the war. He describes in detail the attacks, the evacuation of the village, the supply situation, the relationship of the civilian population to the military and the living conditions of the Russian prisoners. Mr. Holzer goes into great detail about the situation of the refugees. Some war events in Comelico are also discussed. Mr. Holzer is familiar with the history of the reconstruction of Sesto/Sexten, as well as about the role of Hans Watschinger, then mayor of the town. Mr. Holzer has learned little about the history of his maternal family. He discusses the transitional period of the Upper val Pusteria/Pustertal municipalities from November 1918 to September 1919 under Austria and the first years under Italian fascism.
Mr. Holzer describes very precisely the economic coercive measures of the Austrian military in Sesto/Sexten before and after the beginning of the war. The 1700 Austrian soldiers stationed in Sesto/Sexten were in need of support. During the evacuation period from August 1915 to spring 1918, the farmers were only allowed to return at night to cultivate their fields in Sesto/Sexten. Although the Sesto/Sexten families were financially supported by the state, the mothers of large families were often accommodated separately from some of their children and suffered from various deprivations.
When asked what had been passed on in writing both in the family and in public, Mr. Holzer emphasizes that the evacuated peple of Sesto/Sexten had recorded little in writing, while the soldiers had described events in diaries and letters. Mr. Holzer describes the situation of the food supply during the war years. In the First World War, how the gendarmerie came to the fields to count the bundles of grain stalks, because it was feared that the farmers would not deliver everything. Mr. Holzer also discusses the relationship between the military and the civilian population.
Sesto/Sexten lost many men (54) in relation to the number of inhabitants (1,300 people) in the First World War, not least because the Standschützenkompanie Sexten had many members.
Two personal interviews with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 29 April 2021 and 7 May 2021.

Christian Innerkofler reports on the fate of the family of his great-grandfather Sepp Innerkofler, who died on the Monte Paterno/Paternkofel on July 4, 1915. The youngest son of Josef and last grandson of Sepp was Arch. Josef Innerkofler, who died in November 2021 in Bolzano/Bozen. Mr. Innerkofler tells of the construction of the Hotel Dolomitenhof at the end of the 19th century by his great-grandparents Sepp Innerkofler and Maria Stadler. After 1918, his great-grandmother continued to run the Dolomitenhof, which had been barely touched during the war. Subsequently, the hotel was taken over by grandfather Josef (1898-1993).
The Innerkoflers were one of the few Sesto/Sexten families who were allowed to stay in the area during the war. However, they recorded little in writing.
In detail, Mr. Innerkofler discusses the death of his great-grandfather Sepp Innerkofler and refers to the book by Rudolf Holzer and Hans Heiss about Sepp Innerkofler that is entitled Sepp Innerkofler – Bergsteiger, Tourismuspionier (Held. Folio Verlag, 2015). Mr. Innerkofler speaks at length about how his great-grandmother Maria Stadler survived the war, but nothing precise. In the interwar period, the Dolomitenhof soon became popular with Italian holidaymakers, but guests only came in summer. It was only in the second post-war period that winter tourism was expanded in Sesto/Sexten.
Another topic of the conversation was the media treatment of the legendary figure of Sepp Innerkofler as well as today’s ways of dealing with the First World War and especially with the Dolomite War in schools. Mr. Innerkofler is in favour of expanding the existing exhibition of Bellum Aquilarum in Sesto/Sexten. Even in his school days (1970s and 1980s), the Dolomite War was dealt with only briefly.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 9 July 2021

Peter Kübler’s interest in the First World War, especially in the Dolomites region, results both from his personal career as an army mountain commander in the Bundeswehr and from his family background. One of his grandfathers was a medic in the German Alpine Corps, including at the Col di Lana. His father was a soldier in the 1st Mountain Division during World War II. Mr. Kübler served twelve years with the mountain troops of the Bundeswehr.
In 1974, Herr Kübler had his first assignment as a volunteer on the road construction at the former paths used during the war in the Dolomites. In cooperation with the association “Dolomitenfreunde” (Friends of the Dolomites), Mr. Kübler conducted several military history training courses for the Bundeswehr and was then for many years alpine consultant of the Friends of the Dolomites. His fields of work were the Three Peaks plateau, Monte Piano/|Paternkofel and the western Carnic Alps/Karnischen Alpen. Today, Mr. Kübler is a board member of the Friends of the Dolomites in Kötschach-Mauthen and advises the local open-air museum on construction work.
Mr. Kübler talks about the development of the two relevant publications together with Hugo Reider. He comments on the tasks of modern conflict archaeology and on the need for further development and maintenance of the many positions and military installations in the Dolomites. In his opinion, the information boards set up so far by Bellum Aquilarum were sufficient, as were the existing facilities (exhibitions), but special exhibitions should also be shown from time to time. In Sesto/Sexten, an app should also be set up to provide information about the historical background on site.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 6 October 2021

Georg Lanzinger, “Sonna Jörg”, tells a series of episodes and anecdotes from the time of the First World War, which are also available in written form (privately owned). His grandfather had repeatedly spoken about the war period, especially of the privations and hunger in the last years of the war.
Mr. Lanzinger reports on the evacuation and destruction of the homestead near the Fortress Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg by the Austrian army immediately before the war and the subsequent evacuation of his grandparents to Versciaco/Vierschach. The “Sonna vom Mitterberg” had to give way to military preparations even before the war.
Mr. Lanzinger describes in a moving way the destruction of the farms at Fortress Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg as early as 1914, when the fort was abandoned for lack of military value.
His great-grandmother died in Versciaco/Vierschach in 1916 and never saw her homeland again. Only after the war were his grandparents allowed to return to Sesto/Sexten and Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg. In the post-war period, thanks to the perseverance of his grandmother, the family received makeshift accommodation in the abandoned fortress. After that, the reconstruction of the farm began, which lasted until 1923.
In the immediate post-war period, hunger was the biggest problem, because only starting in the summer of 1918 was there the first harvest and in the autumn of 1918 the possibility to bake bread. Mr. Lanzinger also reports on the living conditions of the families during the war as well as on the relationship with the soldiers, who were also undersupplied.
Like other interviewees, Mr. Lanzinger reports on grandchildren’s lack of interest in their grandparents’ war memories. The war veterans exchanged their experiences among themselves, but tried not to burden children and grandchildren with them.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 19 May 2021.

Maragareth Lanzinger Mair narrates the stories of her mother (born 1906), whose mother came from Carinthia/Kärnten. She also offers insight into the social conditions of farmer society in Sesto/Sexten before the First World War. Her grandfather Josef Pfeifhofer had to enlist right at the beginning of the war. The house of her father (born in 1902) burned down after the shelling by the Italian army, whereupon her parents had to leave Sesto/Sexten. Mrs Lanzinger Mair is quite vivid in discussing the evacuation. Her parents and grandparents spent their exile in Casies/Gsies and East Tyrol. She discussed the last years of the war in Sesto/Sexten, living conditions in exile and reconstruction.
Her grandparents had moved with their children to Ainegg near Lienz. On her return at the beginning of 1918, her grandmother would discover that the homestead had been severely damaged and completely plundered. Misery and hunger were particularly severe in 1918, which also affected the many prisoners of war based in Sesto/Sexten and Upper Val Pusteria/Pustertal. After the dissolution of the Dolomite front in autumn 1917, some Sesto/Sexten soldiers returned. It was possible to start with the repair and reconstruction of the houses. Mrs. Mair Lanzinger also describes the supply situation of the civilian population, she goes into details about the “bargaining” (from her point of view unlawful and for purely strategic reasons, the transfer, editor’s note) of the four municipalities of San Candido/Innichen, Sesto/Sexten, Versciaco/Vierschach and Winnebach, which had initially remained with Austria after the invasion of the Italians. Mrs. Mair Lanzinger knows most about the time of fascism, the catacomb school, the Option and the Second World War. She goes into detail about her time studying in South Tyrol, her training as a teacher and her entry into the primary school of Sesto/Sexten immediately after the Second World War.
Personal interview with Susanne Elsen, Waltraud Kofler Engl and Alexandra Budabin in Sesto/Sexten on 16 July 2021.

Oswald Mederle reports on his activities as a collector and expert on the First World War. In this capacity, he has visited numerous theatres of war and led many guided excursions to positions of the First World War in the Dolomites. Mr. Mederle also talks about his work for the Schwarze Kreuz (Black Cross), which cares for war graves and war cemeteries. Mr. Mederle’s father served as a paratrooper during World War II and was probably traumatized. This helped to arouse his interest in the history of the two world wars and motivated him to work systematically as a collector for more than 30 years. Mr. Mederle describes in detail the beginning of his passion for collecting in the 1960s, starting with photos from the family estate and some weapons from the two world wars that were owned by the family.
Mr. Mederle is fundamentally concerned with preservation. An important topic for him is therefore the scientific and financial value of the collections. In Trentino, there are discussions underway for finding a central place of remembrance of the First World War.
Mr. Mederle talks about the motivation for collecting, emphasizes the opportunity to visit his collection in Bressanone/Brixen, reports on his lending activities and his collaboration with Bellum Aquilarum in Sesto/Sexten. In this interview, Mr. Mederle also tells many details about his research and collecting activities. Finally, he comments on the need and possibility of establishing a permanent museum on the First World War in South Tyrol.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter and Waltraud Kofler Engl in Bressanone/Brixen on 29 July 2021.

Pietro Michieli talks about his experiences during guided tours of the open-air museum. The Italian visitors and those interested from German-speaking countries often have different approaches to the First World War. Mr. Michieli mentions possible organizational improvements of these tours and talks about the need to increase the staff, the expansion of the exhibition, the training of young historians, cooperation with museums and historical associations at home and abroad. Challenges around the maintenance of the open-air museum are also addressed, as well as the support from the public sector. He talks about his personal motivations for volunteering for Bellum Aquilarum. Future projects could be developed mainly in collaboration with museums in Veneto, Carinthia/Kärnten, Trentino and with collectors in South Tyrol. It is currently being considered whether a new permanent exhibition should be set up in the fortress of Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg.
Mr. Michieli is credited with the development of the exhibition of Bellum Aquilarum in the so-called “old primary school” in Sesto/Sexten and the open-air museum in the Anderter Alpe/Anderter Alm with regard to the composition of the visitors. The reactions of the visitors are mostly positive. One problem at the moment is the future curation, because there are hardly any young people in Sesto/Sexten who are interested in the First World War and in exhibition management. Bellum Aquilarum has built up an extensive archive of documents and photos. The second exhibition of the association was curated by the historian Julia Walleczek from Salzburg and this exhibition was later also shown in Kartitsch. Mr. Michieli has also collaborated with the museum in Dosoledo and other associations in Comelico.
As a personal motivation for his interest in the First World War, Mr. Michieli cites his professional career as a tax official based in Sesto/Sexten; he is also married to a woman from Sesto/Sexten. He started his work for the Bellum Aquilarum Association in 2008 as a volunteer on the occasion of the construction of the open-air museum and the restoration of the World War II positions on the Anderter Alpe/Anderter Alm and on the Rotwand/Croda Rossa (opened in 2010).
In 2010, the second exhibition “Unvergessen – Der Dolomitenkrieg in Sexten 1915-1918″ was opened. Today, “Spuren der Geschichte – Tracce di storia” (Traces of History) is the third exhibition on this subject in Sesto/Sexten, which has been running since 2019. Mr. Michieli describes the challenges of preparing and running an exhibition. Today there are space problems in the primary school. A permanent exhibition at the Fortress of Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg would be difficult to realize. It is hoped that more resources will be made available to remunerate employees. Cooperation with Italian World War II museums is important and is something to strive for.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 27 August 2021.

The collector Alex Pedratscher explains the reluctance of his grandparents (all from Val Badia/Gadertal) to discuss their World War II experiences as due to the fact that some former Austrian soldiers feared revenge by the Italians after the war or other forms of discrimination by the state. According to Mr. Pedratscher, this also applies to the period during and after the occupation of South Tyrol by Nazi Germany. Many Ladins from the Dolomites were sent to Galicia at the beginning of the war in 1914. Only a few returned. Mr. Pedratscher discusses the events of the First World War in Buchenstein and Ladinien in general. He explains how his interest in history and especially in the Dolomite War arose at a very young age, and cites collectors, authors and family friends who influenced him. Initially, he researched the history of his family, especially that of his great-grandfather and World War II participant Lois Pedratscher, a member of the LandSchützenkorps. Mr. Pedratscher also discusses the role of mountain guides in the First World War.
In Val Badia/Gadertal, there is no exhibition on the First World War, only occasionally are military objects shown in the context of exhibitions on local history. Collectors repeatedly ask themselves how their collections can be shown and how these can be passed on to the next generation. For some collectors, a business interest is paramount, while for others the historical interest is paramount. There is a problem with looters (beutemacher/predoni). The teaching of history in schools is still not optimal.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in San Cassiano/St. Kassian on 15 October 2021.

One of Hugo Reider’s grandfathers was a gendarmerie assistant during the First World War, another was with the Landesschützen at the front. During the war, his grandparents had to leave their home farm in the Palmstatt above Moso/Moos and move to Mühlwald in Tures/Taufers. Already at the age of 5 and 6, Mr. Reider would be left alone on the Three Peaks plateau; it was to some extent his adventure playground. The front line positions had not yet fallen into disrepair as much as they are today. Mr. Reider was able to get to know some war veterans personally: there was old Benitius Rogger as well as the sons and grandchildren of Sepp Innerkofler who went in and out of the Rifugio Locatelli/Drei-Zinnen-Hütte. The war veterans, who were already over 80 years old at the time, often had glorified memories and a selective memory of events.
Mr. Reider’s interest in history arose above all when the Dolomitenfreunde (Friends of the Dolomites) with Peter Kübler as site manager built the via ferrata on the Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten. This resulted in a long-term collaboration and friendship with Mr. Kübler. The results of the research had been incorporated into two best-selling books, which were published in 1981 (see above) which went on to have several editions. With these publications, Mr. Reider developed a passion for collecting. Mr. Reider and Mr. Kübler worked with various authors, collectors and photographers, including Walther and Gabi Schaumann. Mr. Reider also discusses Werner Schaumann’s failed attempt to set up a war museum in the former Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg area above Sesto/Sexten.
Mr. Reider addresses the possible repair work of the old positions in the Sesto/Sexten Dolomites and advises against excessive development and signage. This would attract too many visitors and cause congestion in these places. For the maintenance, the question of costs arises, since the few associations active in this area almost always have to make do with volunteers.
A cooperation between the historical societies in Kötschach-Mauthen, in Comelico and in the Oberpustertal is desirable, further historical hiking trails or Friedenssteige could be opened up in this way. A larger and permanent museum on the First World War in Tyrol would be out of the question for Sesto/Sexten, as the village was too remote.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in San Candido/Innichen on 23 October 2021.

Hansjörg Rogger goes into detail about his relationship with his grandfather Benitius Rogger. In particular, he tells of the episode of the attack on the Monte Paterno/Paternkofel in July 1915. Mr. Rogger also reports on the political assessments of his grandfather, who left behind two diaries written at the front. He refers to an original sound recording of his grandfather (broadcast by RAI Südtirol in 1965). Mr. Rogger takes a very critical view of the history lessons conducted at school and deals extensively with the didactic teaching of the First World War in South Tyrol. The First World War was rarely a topic in the family in his youth (during grandfather Benitius’ lifetime) in the 1960s, which is why Mr. Rogger can only report general information about his grandparents during the war.
Mr. Rogger clearly addresses the “memory gap of the grandchildren”, who were too young during the lifetime of their grandparents (as the war generation of the First World War) to develop an active interest in the time that took place more than 50 years ago in the 1960s. On the other hand, the participants in the war themselves were rarely interested in reporting on their war experiences; rather, they gradually suppressed these experiences or wanted to spare their families. Neither in the village nor in the school was the topic of “First World War” taken up and dealt with.
Also revealing are Mr. Rogger’s remarks on the mood in Sesto/Sexten, which in 1915 on the eve of Italy’s accession was by no means marked by enthusiasm for war, because many people of Sesto/Sexten had already fallen in the first year in Galicia.
Important is Mr. Rogger’s assessment of the reappraisal of the First World War in the school of the 1960s and 1970s: “It was about wars, strategies, war reports, but never about the suffering of the soldiers and the civilian population, about the fates of the individual soldiers. Women’s fates were hardly an issue, especially since they usually did not leave anything in writing,” says Mr. Rogger. In the meantime, the history curriculum for the 20th century has been further developed and significantly improved both methodologically and in terms of content.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 13 May 2021.

Hermann Rogger mainly talks about his grandfather Michl Rogger (1888-1981), farmer, shoemaker and mountain guide in Sesto/Sexten, who was trained as a Kaiserjäger in Innsbruck from 1910 to 1912. He had to enlist in August 1914, was captured in Galicia in June 1915 and spent five and a half years in Russian captivity. Michl Rogger was the last prisoner of war from Sesto/Sexten to return to the town at the end of 1920. On the basis of letters, postcards, stories, his path can be traced quite well. Mr. Rogger has a collection of letters and poems from his grandfather, who died in 1981, and would like to make them available in the form of a publication. As a Kaiserjäger during the war, Michl Rogger kept a diary both during officer training and in captivity in Russia. Mr. Rogger also tells of his grandmother, who spent the war in Thaur near Innsbruck.
Mr. Rogger is curator of an exhibition entitled “Sexten 1905-1915-1925. Leben, Überleben, Weiterleben” (see above) that opened in Sesto/Sexten to commemorate the First World War. This exhibition provides important insights into everyday life in Sesto/Sexten before, during and immediately after the war; it reports on the mood before the war, the shelling and destruction of Sesto/Sexten, the evacuation, the return and reconstruction. This temporary exhibition, shown in 2005, consists of picture and text panels, numerous objects and documents from the war period 1914-1918. The stories of Michl Rogger and Josef Tschurtschenthaler known as “Kromar” are part of the exhibition.
Other topics of discussion are the current exhibition of Bellum Aquilarum and possible new exhibition projects. According to Mr. Rogger, the fate of the Sesto/Sexten prisoners of war deserves more attention. The destruction of Sesto/Sexten, the exile of the inhabitants, the return and the reconstruction could be presented in more detail in a future exhibition. Finally, the culture of remembrance and the didactic communication of the First World War, especially for the younger generation, are discussed in detail.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 7 July 2021.

Daniel Schönegger explains why he is so interested in history and the First World War: His great-grandfather had fought at the Col di Lana. Mr. Schönegger recounts in particular on the attacks and war damage in Dobbiaco Nuovo/Neu-Toblach, which was directly shelled during the First World War. Although Dobbiaco/Toblach, like Sesto/Sexten, was part of the frontline area, there has been far too little interest in this topic. Only on Monte Piano/Paternkofel is there a peace trail with an open-air museum that was built in the 1980s by Walter Schaumann, which reminds us of the war.
Mr. Schönegger began collecting objects from the First World War at the age of 19. In the positions of the former mountain front, only a few relics can be found today. Most of the objects in his collection come from family estates. Further development of the frontline sites with additional information boards should be avoided, says Mr. Schönegger. However, in his opinion, cultural tourism in Dobbiaco/Toblach could be significantly expanded; locals and guests should be made to better understand the numerous historically important places in the municipality.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 6 October 2021.

Alexander Schwabl first reports on the development and designer of the “Small Museum in Lana”, which focuses on the two world wars throughout historical Tyrol and in the Burggrafenamt in particular. Guided tours are offered regularly for school classes and tourists.
Mr. Schwabl is also active as a collector, but there is hardly anything left on the former front sections today. Mr. Schwabl sheds light on the collector scene in South Tyrol, Trentino and northern Italy. There are two types of collectors: on the one hand, there are the passionate hobby historians, and, on the other hand, there are culturally oriented collectors.
In general, he would like to see greater historical interest in order to appreciate the historical value of the relics. Mr. Schwabl’s interest in the world wars was sparked by his grandfather’s life story and experiences in World War II. In the interview, Mr. Schwabl also comments on the failed attempt to organize a large commemorative event for the Second World War in Fortezza/Franzensfeste in 2015. Mr. Schwabl is convinced that there is a need for a central museum on the First World War in Tyrol at a suitable location in South Tyrol.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 18 September 2021.

Mr. Summerer’s paternal grandfather was a soldier in the war, while his grandmother lived in exile in Anterselva/Antholz and his father was accommodated at the Eggele in Winnebach. Mr. Summerer reports in detail about his memories of the interwar period and his father’s experiences in World War II. He refers to the family tree of the Summerers and shows some memorabilia from the First World War.
After the war, the farm was quickly rebuilt with the help of compensation payments. Mr. Summerer recounts of the large-scale deforestation in Sesto/Sexten by the Austrian military before and during the war. He reports on the contacts between Standschützen and Alpini from Comelico, who knew each other from the time before the war; even then there were trade relations over the Kreuzberg Pass. Mr. Summerer’s maternal grandfather, who was a butcher, was not called up for military service because he had to take care of the troops.
The parents – then children –spent the time following the evacuation in Anterselva/Antiholz and Winnebach, but this period of flight and exile was hardly discussed in the family. The past and the war experiences of the parents would not have interested the children. The period of fascism, the Option and the Second World War were felt more strongly and displaced the First World War. Mr. Summerer is convinced that, with regard to the culture of remembrance, the topic of the First World War should be given more space, especially in middle and high schools. He himself owns a single book on the Dolomite War by Gunter Langes called Die Front in Fels und Eis that was published in Bolzano/Bozen by Athesia in 1997.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto on 5 July 2021.

The Tschurtschenthal family experienced two moment of devastation, occurring before and during the First World War. The farms of the ancestors on the mother’s side on Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg in Sesto/Sexten were demolished by the Austrian military before the war because they were too close to the fortress.
As with other families, the early death of the grandparents (his grandfather died in 1968, his grandmother soon after) prevented the grandchildren from learning more about the events of the war. His grandfather Josef Tschurtschenthaler, born on December 17, 1893 in Sesto/Sexten, was drafted at the age of 21 and served as a “Kaiserjäger” in Galicia. There, he was wounded several times; later he was transferred to the Isonzo Front, but was not taken prisoner. His younger brother (Jörg Lanzinger’s great-uncle) was wounded at the Passo di Croce/Kreuzberg Pass and died at the age of 19 in a military hospital in San Candido. Albert Tschurtschenthaler’s grandmother was accommodated by relatives in Casies/Gsies during the war.
The diary of the “Kromar” is very revealing. As one of the few soldiers from Sexten/Sesto, he also left numerous drawings and sketches of war scenes that refer directly to his war diary. After the war, the “Kromar” resumed craft of carving; At the time of the Option, he was known in Sesto/Sexten for his “emigration plaques”, which he painted for the those who took the option to move in memory of their home farms.
The diary of “Kromar” Josef Tschurtschenthaler has also been translated into Italian by Waltraud Tschurtschenthaler (Albert Tschurtschenthaler’s sister) as Trauma Galizia; this was published in Brunico/Bruneck 2014. It is also part of the exhibition realized in 2014 at the Ragenhaus in Brunico/Bruneck. In the book, Ms. Tschurtschenthaler reports in detail on the living conditions of their grandfather at the front in Galicia during the First World War.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 17 June 2021.

Mr. Tschurtschenthaler’s parents were still children at the time of World War I. His father worked as a tenant for a long time until he was able to acquire and build his own farm. His mother grew up at the Außerhöslerhof above Sesto/Sexten. During the evacuation of Sesto/Sexten in August 1915, his grandmother moved with the children to Tesido/Taisten while his grandfather was deployed to the Passo di Croce/Kreuzberg Pass during the war. His maternal grandmother was warmly welcomed in San Candido/Innichen.
His parents were not able to recount much about their experiences during the period of the First World War, because they were too young at the time. His father was accommodated with his parents (especially his mother, Mr. Tschurtschenthaler’s grandmother) in Tesido/Taisten. Both in Tesido/Taisten and in San Candido/Innichen, his grandparents and parents were well received, but also had to work on the farms of their hosts and replace the men who were missing since they were at the front. There are hardly any written documents from this time in the family’s holdings. Mr. Tschurtschenthaler recounts memories of the reconstruction of the Sesto/Sexten parish church, which was completed in 1923. During the war, the population of Sesto/Sexten had to hand over a large amount of supplies (horses, cattle, wood, wagons, grain, potatoes, etc.) to the military. His mother kept a diary during the fascist period, the option of 1939 and the Second World War, but unfortunately it has gone missing.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 25 July 2021.

Sigrid Wisthaler first speaks about the creation and background of the permanent exhibition curated and managed by the Bellum Aquarium Association. This exhibition was completely redesigned in 2019. For this purpose, the Association received numerous permanent loans from the Bressanone/Brixen based collector Oswald Mederle. According to Ms. Wisthaler, there are discussions on the possibilities of exhibiting more of the Mr. Mederle’s holdings in a suitable setting. In the Fortress Mitterberg, there would be enough space for this, but for climatic reasons, this fort cannot be opened permanently. The work of Bellum Aquilarum with its offer of an exhibition and guided hikes in the Freilichtmuseum at the Croad Rossa/Rotwand and Anderter Alpe/Anderter Alm is very much appreciated by visitors interested in history. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find interested and suitable young people who want to take over the guided tours of the open-air museum and the exhibition. In her experience, Ms. Wisthaler finds that South Tyroleans are very interested in the First World War and would be interested in collaborating with the association; however, many are deterred by the high level of bureaucracy involved.
As a high school teacher, Ms. Wisthaler goes into more detail about the topic of the First World War in the classroom; this has improved considerably in recent years. Ms. Wisthaler would very much welcome closer cooperation between the Rudolf Stolz Museum and Bellum Aquilarum. However, an expansion of today’s First World War Exhibition of Bellum Aquilarum would require considerable resources. According to Ms. Wisthaler, a comprehensive presentation of the First World War in Tyrol and South Tyrol within the framework of a museum would make sense. One could also depict the warfare on both sides of the Passo Monte Croce/Kreuzbergpass and cooperate with the people in Cadore.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Sesto/Sexten on 26 August 2021.

Daniela Zambelli developed her interest in the First World War in the Dolomites during a research project at Comelico. On behalf of the Algudnei Cultural Association, she conceived, co-designed and directed the Algudnei Museum of Dosoledo for two years. She works closely with Arc-team (and with archaeologist Rupert Gietl), with whom she is carrying out the INTERREG project “1753” from 2019 to 2022 to explore the borders and boundary stones at the Kreuzberg Pass and Karnischen Kamm. This project is less concerned with the preservation and restoration of the historical border fortifications, but more interested recording and presenting these fortifications in digital form, especially with aerial photographs. In the course of this project, trenches and other military installations have also been uncovered and made accessible again. An info point is planned for the project in Kartitsch and on the Kreuzberg Pass, where the plan is to recount the history of the border from Roman times to the present day.
Ms. Zambelli comments on the current relationship between the municipalities of Sesto/Sexten and Comelico and the possibility of collaborating on museum and historical projects. There are hardly any joint commemorative events, but there is cooperation with Bellum Aquilarum. Today, Ms. Zambelli not only manages the Museum of Glasses in Santo Stefano di Cadore, but also the “Lassù” cooperative for sustainable and historical tourism in the mountains. New projects on the culture of remembrance and conflict archaeology will look at the Visdense Valley. Perspectives for the establishment of a central museum on the Dolomite War in Cadore were also discussed. The Comelico is very interested in cooperation with both public institutions and private associations from South Tyrol, emphasizes Ms. Zambelli.
Personal interview with Thomas Benedikter in Comelico on 19 November 2021.