HISTORY OF THE JAMTAL HUT

In 1882 the first Jamtal hut was built by the German Alpine Association, Swabia section (based in Stuttgart), to serve as an unstaffed base for alpinists in the summer. Sleeping accommodation consisted of seven wooden bunks for men and three hay beds for women under the roof. The first building plan and a picture of the hut are displayed in the hut’s restaurant.

Because of the increasing number of visitors the small hut was extended.

Increasing demand again spurred expansion.

The hut was closed during World War I. Over the following twenty years, ski mountaineering became increasingly popular in winter. This is why the alpine hut underwent comprehensive modernization from 1929 until 1932 (laying out of a drinking water pipeline, installation of a little electricity plant at the Futschölbach brook and a hot air heating run on coal).

Being located in the restricted area between Austria and Switzerland, the hut was closed and occupied by the customs and border protection patrol from 1939 until 1945.

Ski touring has had experienced a resurgence from 1946 onwards. However, all German huts in Austria belonged to the Allies up until 1955.

Then in 1955, the State Treaty between the Allies and Austria enabled the return of the huts to its original owner, the DAV, Swabia section.

From 1958 through 1961 the hut’s growing popularity required the erection of a second building with sleeping quarter and kitchen department as well as the extension of the electric plant in its current form. Up until 1958, the hut’s supply had been accomplished by pack animals or draught horses in summer, later by compact tractors or off-road vehicles.

Until 1962 hut tenants and carriers had to transport the supply goods to the hut on their backs on skis. Only then the first snowmobiles served as means of transportation.

The continuous ski touring hype in both summer and winter often led to a real rush of visitors and thus overcrowding in the hut. As a result and because of the decrepitude of the old building, parts of the original hut were pulled down in 1978 and a new wing with improved water supply and proper effluent disposal plus a better driveway were added. Ever since the hut has been used as permanent training centre for the German Alpine Association.

The years 1992/1993 were marked by renovation and modernization works of the "Robert-Leicht-Bau" sleeping quarter, commissioned in 1961.

On February 22, 1999, the hut’s eastern and southeastern wings were severely hit and damaged by two dust avalanches. Fortunately nobody was injured. The next day, 31 people were killed in the major avalanche disaster in Galtür among them the two hut wardens Hildegard and Edith Lorenz.

Thanks to the concerted action of the owner section Swabia of the German Alpine Association and the hut tenant family, the Jamtalhütte hut was being reconstructed and built to withstand avalanches by extensive additions and renovation works according to the plans of builder Spiß, Kappl/Tyrol.

In 2007 the Jamtalhütte hut celebrated its 125th anniversary.