Hinterbrühl
Encyclopedia
Hinterbrühl is a town in the district of Mödling
in the Austria
n state of Lower Austria
. It is home to the Seegrotte, a system of caves including Europe's largest underground lake. During World War II
, a satellite camp of Mauthausen
concentration camp was opened inside the caverns, producing parts for the He 162
jet fighter.
Like the neighbor areas, Hinterbrühl suffered mightily under the two Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683. Since a majority of the population was killed, the area was inhabited by settlers who moved north from Styria after 1683.
Since 1883, Mödling and Hinterbrühl Tram
, the first electric streetcar in continental Europe, linked Hinterbrühl to Mödling railway station. It was closed on March 31, 1932. Today, only the Bahnplatz remains of this historic achievement.
On August 4, 1943 a satellite camp of Mauthausen concentration camp was built in the city. The prisoners there built parts, sub-assemblies and BMW 003 turbojet engines for the He 162
jet fighter in a hastily-converted underground factory during late autumn and spring 1945. The 162, known as the Emergency Fighter
or People's Fighter (Volksjäger) was an extremely lightweight, cheap and fast plane that could be dicarded if it suffered any damage. Hinterbruhl was just part of a vast crash production program where dozens of factories of varying sizes would make parts for the jet, then send them to sites like Hinterbruhl for final assembly and transshipment to flight test centres — or even directly to airbases, such was the desperate last-minute nature of the enterprise.
In the last days of the war in 1945, the inmates of other camps had to make a 200 km-long march to the concentration camp Mauthausen in Hinterbrühl. Virtually none of them survived. Fifty-one inmates were killed even before the march by a gasoline injections or strangled by SS
officers. In 1988 a monument was erected above the Subterranean Lake to honor the 51 victims of this massacre.
mine. By the end of 1800 it was used to make red and white plaster. In 1912 a blast released millions of gallons of water and flooded the lower caverns of the mine, creating the largest underground lake in Europe. In the 1930s a team of cave explorers found the lake and finally managed to open the grotto for the public. The upper (non-flooded) tunnels of the same old mine were reused by Nazi German authorities as a forced labor aircraft-manufacturing facility called Seegrotte
.
Mödling (district)
Bezirk Mödling is a district of the state of Lower Austria in Austria.-Municipalities:Suburbs, hamlets and other subdivisions of a municipality are indicated in small characters.* Achau* Biedermannsdorf* Breitenfurt bei Wien* Brunn am Gebirge...
in the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state of Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
. It is home to the Seegrotte, a system of caves including Europe's largest underground lake. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a satellite camp of Mauthausen
Mauthausen
Mauthausen is a small market town in Upper Austria, Austria. It is located at about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz, and has a population of 4,850 .During World War II, it became the site of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex....
concentration camp was opened inside the caverns, producing parts for the He 162
Heinkel He 162
The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of...
jet fighter.
History
Hinterbruhl was settled as early as 6,000 years ago. In 1182, the first named Hinterbrühler was found to be Gerungus de Prule.Like the neighbor areas, Hinterbrühl suffered mightily under the two Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683. Since a majority of the population was killed, the area was inhabited by settlers who moved north from Styria after 1683.
Since 1883, Mödling and Hinterbrühl Tram
Mödling and Hinterbrühl Tram
Mödling and Hinterbrühl Tram or Mödling and Hinterbrühl Local Railway was an electric tramway in Austria, running from Mödling to Hinterbrühl, in the southwest of Vienna. The gauge was 1000 mm...
, the first electric streetcar in continental Europe, linked Hinterbrühl to Mödling railway station. It was closed on March 31, 1932. Today, only the Bahnplatz remains of this historic achievement.
On August 4, 1943 a satellite camp of Mauthausen concentration camp was built in the city. The prisoners there built parts, sub-assemblies and BMW 003 turbojet engines for the He 162
Heinkel He 162
The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of...
jet fighter in a hastily-converted underground factory during late autumn and spring 1945. The 162, known as the Emergency Fighter
Emergency fighter
An emergency fighter is an aircraft designed or adapted for use as a fighter during an emergency period in war. While useful as a broad concept or definition, it is not easy to make the category of emergency fighter clear cut, as many aircraft designs are produced under pressure in wartime, and...
or People's Fighter (Volksjäger) was an extremely lightweight, cheap and fast plane that could be dicarded if it suffered any damage. Hinterbruhl was just part of a vast crash production program where dozens of factories of varying sizes would make parts for the jet, then send them to sites like Hinterbruhl for final assembly and transshipment to flight test centres — or even directly to airbases, such was the desperate last-minute nature of the enterprise.
In the last days of the war in 1945, the inmates of other camps had to make a 200 km-long march to the concentration camp Mauthausen in Hinterbrühl. Virtually none of them survived. Fifty-one inmates were killed even before the march by a gasoline injections or strangled by SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
officers. In 1988 a monument was erected above the Subterranean Lake to honor the 51 victims of this massacre.
Seegrotte
The Hinterbrühl Seegrotte (Lake Grotto) is a large underground lake located in Hinterbrühl. This grotto is an important historic site. It is open to the public for tours. The grotto is actually an old gypsumGypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
mine. By the end of 1800 it was used to make red and white plaster. In 1912 a blast released millions of gallons of water and flooded the lower caverns of the mine, creating the largest underground lake in Europe. In the 1930s a team of cave explorers found the lake and finally managed to open the grotto for the public. The upper (non-flooded) tunnels of the same old mine were reused by Nazi German authorities as a forced labor aircraft-manufacturing facility called Seegrotte
Seegrotte
The Seegrotte near Hinterbrühl, Austria is an underground facility that was used for World War II production of Heinkel He 162 jet fighters in Nazi Germany's "second Ruhr"....
.