Settlements and barracks - Written in the landscape

The war at high altitude required considerable logistical and material effort for the care of the wounded and sick. In the high mountains there were only first aid structures, while intermediate structures, more spacious and organized, were located in the valley floor. For the most serious cases, transfer to military hospitals in territories even farther away from the front was organized. In addition to historical photographs, there remain recollections of the health infrastructure and biographies of doctors who worked at the front or who visited it.
For many, religiosity played an important role in making the harshness of war bearable. The private one, of the individual soldiers, can be reconstructed with extreme difficulty through some objects or personal diaries. The rites of official religiosity, on the other hand, are well documented by photographs, drawings and written sources. These sources show that religiosity itself was often exploited for propaganda purposes and to support the war effort. Parish priests and chaplains, such as Feldkurat Josef Hosp on the Austrian side and Don Pietro Zangrando on the Italian side, supported with conviction the causes of their respective staffs, to the extent that they intervened at times: on the front, faith and patriotism were closely intertwined.
The general staff prepared numerous cemeteries for the fallen. At high altitude, there were emergency cemeteries, in some cases located near the front lines. Time has left barely visible traces of these places. On the Austro-Hungarian front, the cemetery of Toblingerdörfl and that of Zirbenboden are known, both well documented by photographs of the time. Between the two wars, the remains of the soldiers were exhumed and moved to the large cemeteries dedicated to the fallen, in ossuaries or in village tombs, partly for ideological and political reasons. (GF, SK)

The landscape that characterizes the area on which the research of the Written on the Landscape project focused is the Dolomite medium and high mountains, upon which military structures and infrastructures were grafted. From a naturalistic point of view, a monographic report of the Italian I Army Corps of 1917 proves to be particularly revealing, in which we read: “The region in question is part of the Dolomite Alps, of which it forms the extreme eastern edge, and, in this region, the characters of the Triassic formation are very marked, with local tectonic disturbances […]. The phenomena of erosion have acted intensely on dolomite, a constituent element of these rocks, so as to form irregular and steep slopes, furrowed by deep gullies. The typical example of the intensity of this erosion is given by the Tre Cime di Lavaredo; and where erosion has manifested itself most, shales and sandstones have been laid bare.”
The report is very detailed and also focuses on the intricate situation of water: “From the orographic complexity of the region results, by natural consequence, a corresponding hydrographic complexity, and it is noteworthy that in a relatively small area there are watercourses unfolding in different and opposite directions. Thus, while the Rio Marzon, the Rio Cengia and the Rio Giralba all have the general north-south direction, the Bacher Bach goes from south to north; and while the Boden Bach runs from west to east, the Schwarze Rienz [Rienza Nera] descends from east to west.” This is followed by climatic considerations, in which the minimum winter temperatures that have been recorded can drop to -30° C, and insights on the vegetation, ranging from coniferous forest, to mountain forest, to rhododendron.1Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, Monografie del I Corpo d’Armata – Genio – Sistemazione difensiva, AUSSME_B1_110D_23A.
A complex natural landscape, therefore, that did not make life at high altitude easy for the hundreds of men who faced each other for twenty-nine months, summer and winter, in the Dolomites. (GF)

For the soldiers who found themselves fighting on the Three Peaks Plateau, winters were long and snowy. The snow fell from October to April and could last until late June in the shaded areas of the highest peaks. The minimum temperature often dropped to -30°C at night, hovering around 0°C during the day.
Frostbite and avalanches soon became familiar dangers. To help the soldiers survive in such conditions, both staffs provided detailed equipment and instructions. Each Italian soldier, for example, received two sets of woolen garments and three heavy blankets. The troops in the trenches also received coats and shoes lined with fur, clogs, balaclavas, leg wraps, socks, waterproof clothing and sleeping bags. To avoid frostbite, antioxidant fat was distributed to spread on the feet. To limit the damage caused by avalanches, officers from both armies had maps at their disposal showing the points most likely to cause snow loss. Despite this, the winter at high altitude resulted in hundreds of victims.
As time went on, the general staffs began to take advantage of winter conditions. The attack on Sasso di Sesto/Sextenstein on 21 April 1917 is a clear example of this. The approach of members of the Austro-Hungarian army to the Italian lines took place through a tunnel dug hundreds of meters in the snow. This tunnel made it possible to catch the sentinels by surprise and temporarily conquer the position. It also required the training of departments specialized in the use of winter equipment, including skis used for stealth and surprise attacks as well as sleds for the transport of materials. (GF)

Shelter at Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten, 1915-1918. AT-OeStA/KA BS I WK Fronten Tirol, 3008. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Wien.
Shelters of the battalion command of Infaterieregiment 59 Zinnenhochfläche, 1915-1918. AT-OeStA/KA BS I WK Fronten Tirol, 1433. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Wien.
Personnel of the “Schanz-Zeug-Depots” by the “Lanzinger-Säge” (in the middle there is Anton Trixl), 1917. TAP, Sammlung Werkmeister Anton Trixl, L147. © Tiroler Archiv für photographische Dokumentation und Kunst (TAP), Lienz-Bruneck.
Looted chancellery barracks, “”Lanzinger-Säge,” 1918. TAP, collection Werkmeister Anton Trixl, L170. © Tiroler Archiv für photographische Dokumentation und Kunst (TAP), Lienz-Bruneck.
Barrack in the Sesto/Sextener Dolomites. © Museo Storico del VII reggimento alpini, Sedico.
Dismountable barrack for the high mountains. AUSSME_GM.1-14 PHOTO13. courtesy of Archivio Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Rome. © AUSSME.
Dismountable barrack for the high mountains AUSSME_GM.1-14 FOTO16. Courtesy of Archivio Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Rome. © AUSSME.
Camp at the foot of the Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten. Summer 2021. Photo of the archaeological documentation, Arc-Team and Gianluca Fondriest. © unibz, WiL Archives.
Village of Tobling/Toblinger Dörfl. Summer 2021. Photo of the archaeological documentation, Arc-Team and Gianluca Fondriest. © unibz, WiL Archives.
Village of Tobling/Toblinger Dörfl. Summer 2021. Photo of the archaeological documentation, Arc-Team and Gianluca Fondriest. © unibz, WiL Archives.
Path to the Austrian latrine “Villa D’LAnnunzio” on the slopes of the Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten. Summer 2021. Photo of the archaeological documentation, Arc-Team and Gianluca Fondriest. © unibz, WiL Archives.
Officers’ mess and kitchen barracks immediately north of the Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten.1915/1917. The photograph is from the K.u.k. War Press Quarters. KudDZ-Kü-Rei-Aufl-2011-S156. © DKA. Dolomite War Archives, Dr. Hugo Reider/Peter Kübler.
Construction of shelters at the forcella Longere (now Auronzo mountain hut). MGR_118_79. Courtesy of Museo Storico italiano della Guerra di Rovereto. © MGR.
Leisure moments at the barracks in area of the Forcella Lavaredo/Paternsattel. MGR_25_23. Courtesy of Museo Storico italiano della Guerra di Rovereto. © MGR.

Report of the I Army Corps on the camps and barracks. Courtesy of Archivio Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Rome. © AUSSME.

Italian map showing the number and location of barracks and the number of soldiers they could accommodate. AUSSME_B1_110D_23A. Courtesy of Archivio Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Rome. © AUSSME.

The Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten with the Austrian positions seen from the north. Drawing by Prof. Dr. Richard Heuberger. KudDZ-Kü-Rei-Aufl-2011-S059-©DKA. Richard Heuberger and Dolomitenkriegsarchiv, Dr. Hugo Reider/Peter Kübler.

Sketch dated March 8, 1916, of the old and newly planned accommodations for the Landsturm and Standschützen battalions on the High Plateau of the Three Peaks. AT-OeStA/KA FA NFA GAK Italian Front Border Section 10 (Tyrol), 1184. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Wien.

Plan of an Alpine Corps magazine barracks, 1915. AT-OeStA/KA FA NFA DK ID 49. ID 1915, 2722. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Wien.

Plan with ground plan and cross section of the k.u.k. Genieirektion Brixen for a kitchen barrack as well as a general plan for the ideal positioning of crew and officers’ barracks, 1915. AT-OeStA/KA FA NFA DK ID 49. ID 1915, 2722. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Vienna.

Plan of the k.u.k. Genieirektion Brixen for an officers’ barracks that was much more comfortable than the one for the enlisted men, 1915. AT-OeStA/KA FA NFA DK ID 49. ID 1915, 2722. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Vienna.

Plan of the k.u.k. Genieirektion Brixen for a crew barracks providing accommodation for about 130 men, 1915. AT-OeStA/KA FA NFA DK ID 49. ID 1915, 2722. © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv – Kriegsarchiv, Vienna.

Lodovico Pogliaghi, Military camp at the ForcellaLavaredo/Paternsattel, 1915-1916. MCRR_VED14_70. Courtesy of the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento di Roma. © MCRR.

Lodovico Pogliaghi, Military camp behind the Cima Piccola/Kleinen Zinne, 1915-1916. MCRR_VED 14_49. Courtesy of the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento di Roma. © MCRR.

Lodovico Pogliaghi, Soldiers resting in a barrack, 1915-1916. MCRR_VED14_42. Courtesy of the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento di Roma. © MCRR.

Lodovico Pogliaghi, Military Camp on the Forcella Lavaredo/Paternsattel, 1915-1916. Courtesy of the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento di Roma. © MCRR.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the village of Tobling, a group of barracks located on scree on the northern slopes of Toblinger Knoten, where the officers’ mess and kitchen were located. Elaboration by Arc-Team and Gianluca Fondriest. © unibz, WiL Archive.

The construction of barracks for the troops and accommodation for the soldiers on the Three Peaks Plateau involved a great deal of work for the army. After the occupation of the combat sector by the Austrian troops, it was necessary to quickly plan and build new barracks in the high mountains. For this purpose, there were special detachments of engineers, but soldiers and especially Russian and Serbian prisoners of war were often pressed into service. In a land often difficult to access, the barracks were built in labor and supply camps near San Candido/Innichen, the Tre Scarperi Rifugio/Dreischuster Hut or the Lanzinger sawmill and then transported in pieces to their destination. Initially, the pieces were transported by pack animals and carriers, but with the construction of cable cars and cableways, transport to the high mountain posts became much easier. The building material was taken by the Austrian army from the surroundings, especially from the forests of Sesto/Sexten: large quantities of timber were used until the end of the war and in some cases the wooded areas, such as the Valle Campodidentro/Innerfeldtal, suffered severe deforestation. In the location of the Torre di Toblin/Toblinger Knoten, construction work was particularly intense from September to December 1915 for the construction of accommodations for the winter, including several barracks for the German Alpenkorps, for the troops and for the officers, but kitchens and warehouses also had to be built to supply the soldiers with food. In the camp of the Tre Scarperi Rifugio/Dreischuster Hut, there was even a barrack reserved for the rehearsals of the military band, where field masses were regularly held by the chaplain Hosp. The location of the barracks and shelters had to be well chosen and considered in light of the possible danger of avalanches.
On the Italian side, too, the situation was similar. A report by the I Army Corps states that in the area of the Three Peaks, camping was only possible from June to September, while “in the other months of the year it is necessary to accommodate [the troops] in double-walled barracks, equipped with wood-burning stoves, or coal or oil. You must always keep collapsible shacks ready to start where needed”.
The map attached to the report shows the position and number of barracks in the sector in March 1917, including 6 barracks, capable of accommodating 200 men, at the Forcella di Toblin/Toblinger Riedl, 22 barracks (500 men) at Forcella Lavaredo/Paternsattel, 31 barracks (450 men) at Forcella Longeres/Longere.1Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, Monografie del I Corpo d’Armata-Genio-Sistemazione difensiva, AUSSME_B1_110D_23A.

(GF, SK)

Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, Monografie del I Corpo d’Armata-Genio-Sistemazione difensiva, AUSSME_B1_110D_23A.

Holzer, Rudolf (2002). Sexten. Vom Bergbauerndorf zur Tourismusgemeinde. Sesto/Sexten: Tappeiner Verlag.

Kriegsarchiv Wien, Kriegstagebuch des Infanterieregiments 59, Entries vom 8.9.1915, S. 56, 14.9.1915, S. 59, 21.10.1915, S. 81 und 6.1.1916, S. 136.

Monografie del I Corpo d’Armata – Genio – Sistemazione difensiva, AUSSME_B1_110D_23A , Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Rome.

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