Memories of the destruction and evacuation of Sesto/Sexten in 1915
In July 1915 began the shelling of Moso/Moos and Sesto/Sexten by Italian artillery. Since the civilian population had to fear for their lives, the section command ordered the evacuation of the entire valley by August 5th. On the afternoon before the evacuation, Father Schwaighofer held a moving prayer service in the parish church, during which prayers were held for a speedy return. Afterwards, several hundred elderly people, women and children prepared for departure, packing only the bare necessities of clothes and linen onto hand carts. At nightfall, they moved out of the valley. Women carried the younger children in their arms, the older children sat or slept on the carts. Some had previously buried belongings in the garden or in the cellar. The refugees found accommodation with relatives or acquaintances in the area or were accommodated by the military with families in Val Pusteria. Some even went as far as North Tyrol. The municipal administration officiated in San Candido/Innichen; the mayor and pastor were quartered in Niederrasen.
The following statements are taken from interviews with inhabitants of Sesto/Sexten that were conducted as part of the project.
Paula Egarter: “We had a large hay ladder truck. There the most important things were loaded: linen, beds, clothes and some provisions. The youngest child was only eight months old. The wagon was pulled by an ox to Innichen San Candido], then the family continued by train. From Innichen [San Candido] via the Brenner Pass to Kitzbühel, that was a long way back then.”1Interview with Susanne Elsen and Alexandra Budabin, 16.7.2021, Sesto/Sexten.
Georg (Jörg) Lanzinger: “My grandparents and parents moved to Vierschach [Versciaco] because relatives lived there. My grandmother is from Tilliach. They had a farm where my grandparents and their children, including my father, stayed. Others went to Gsies and Fulpmes in North Tyrol. They thought that by Christmas the war would be over and then everyone could go back.”2Interview with Thomas Benedikter, 8.7.2021, Sesto/Sexten.
Albert Tschurtschenthaler: “The houses in Sexten [Sesto] were partly burned down and cleared. The houses of my mother’s ancestors on top of Mitterberg were demolished because they were too close to the fortress. This was strategically unfavorable for the Austrian military. Our houses here in Moos [Moso] caught fire during the bombardment in 1915 and everything burned down from here to the church. First Moos [Moso] was evacuated, then St. Veit. Then they shelled the Hotel Post and there were some deaths. Our house then burned down after the shelling. In Moos [Moso] were the lesser houses, in St. Veit there were better houses. In hindsight, it was better that the house burned down. This house was one for three parties and a very primitive hut. There were the Innerkramer, the Außerkramer and the Zigori. It was all assembled.”3Interview with Thomas Benedikter, 17.6.2021, Sesto/Sexten.
Rudolf Holzer: “There were no camps for refugees. Governor Josef Schraffl did not agree to an evacuation of the population in 1914 at the request of the people of Sexten [Sesto]. It was only after the shelling that the military administration decided that the Sexten [Sesto] residents had to leave the village on the night of August 3th to 4th. The population of Moos [Moso] had already had to leave the village on July 1st. The families had to find accommodation and see how they could cope. Most of them have found accommodation in Innichen [San Candido], Vierschach [Versciaco], Winnebach and Toblach [Dobbiaco]. There were no emergency shelters or collection sites. The army command was not prepared for this.”4Interview with Thomas Benedikter, 29.4.2021, Sesto/Sexten.