Mariazell -

Mariazell is an Austrian city in the southeastern state of Styria. Well known for being a hub of winter sports and a pilgrimage destination, it is located 143 kilometres (89 miles) north of Graz. It is picturesquely situated in the valley of the Salza, amid the north Styrian Alps.

It is a site of pilgrimage for Catholics from Austria and neighboring countries. The object of veneration is an image of the Virgin Mary reputed to work miracles, carved in lime-tree wood. This was brought to the place in 1157, and is now enshrined in a chapel adorned with objects of silver and other costly materials. The large church of which the chapel forms part was erected in 1644 as an expansion of a smaller church built by Louis I, King of Hungary, after a victory over the Ottoman Empire in 1363.

On many occasions, I've visited Mariazell with my mother, Gertrude, who was in the BDM. Her story can be found HERE.

The following photos are from Jugend im Reich, Adolf Schmidt - 1942

Drei Hufeisen pg. 129

 Hotel Lauffenstein - page 113

Mariazell Basilica - page 115

KLV Instructor in Mariazell teaching a young girl how to wash and rinse the towel.

Steirmark Austria - Styria is a mountainous, forested state in southern Austria, known for its wine, spas and castles. Graz, the riverside state capital, blends Renaissance and baroque architecture with modern designs such as Murinsel, an artificial island made of glass and steel, and the alienlike Kunsthaus, a contemporary art museum. A funicular runs up Schlossberg, a hill topped by the Uhrturm, a 16th-century clock tower. Gemeinde Alpe - page 100 from Jungend in Reich, Adolf Schmidt - page 100

Zum grünen kranz - pages 24, 25, 

Pages 98 - 99

Page 104

Page 107, 138

Altenmarkt – Blaue Traube – Yspertal – Austria

 Yspertal is a town in the district of Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.

The Altenmarkt im Yspertal parish church is in Altenmarkt in the market town of Yspertal in the district of Melk in Lower Austria. The Roman Catholic parish church dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene belongs to the deanery of Maria Taferl in the diocese of St. Pölten. The church and the cemetery are under monument protection.

Source: Blaue Traube - Altenmarkt - Jugend im Reich - Schmidt, Adolf - 1942 pg 90 + 102 

 

Evacuations of children in Germany during World War II

The evacuation of children in Germany during the World War II was designed to save children from the risks associated with the aerial bombing of cities, by moving them to areas thought to be less at risk. The German term used for this was Kinderlandverschickung (KLV), a short form of Verschickung der Kinder auf das Land ("relocation of children to the countryside").

KLV Maria Taferl, Aufenthaltsort in der K L V, Osterreich, 1938 – 1945 - The Kinder-Land-Verschickung (KLV) Lager system cared for German children and tried to keep them out of harms way during WWII.

Maria Taferl is an Austrian market municipality of 872 people in the District of Melk and the most important pilgrimage site in all of Lower Austria. After Mariazell, Maria Taferl is the most important pilgrimage destination in all of Austria. Maria Taferl is located in the Nibelungengau in Lower Austria on a bank over the Danube and 47.48% of the municipality is forest. The Maria Taferl Market takes place on the so-called "Taferlberg" (Taferl Mountain), and the remaining districts are found in the hilly surrounding area. To the south, the basilica sits on top of the hill and is widely visible throughout the town. First photo source:

Source: Jugend in Reich – Adolf Schmidt book 1942 – Maria Taferl, Austria, pg 80

 

 

Hotel Bissinger Aggsbach - Lower Austria, Austria - 1942

Hotel Bissinger Aggsbach – Aggsbach is a small wine-growing town in the Krems-Land district of Lower Austria, Austria. As of 2001, it has a population of 714 and an area of 13.72 km.² Aggsbach was first mentioned in an 1148 document calling it "Accusabah." Today Aggsbach is most famous for being the place where the Venus of Willendorf was found, in the Willendorf hamlet. The actual female fertility figure is located in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, while a life size reproduction is located in a field in Willendorf. The other hamlets are Aggsbach Markt (the main town), Groisbach, and Köfering. Photo Source: Jugend im Reich - Schmidt, Adolf – 1942 - pages: 81, 84