Giving a signal was the intention of those who met on the Dachstein Glacier last Sunday. “Das Signal am Dachstein”, a landscape opera supported by the Upper Austrian Festival of Regions and carried out by “La Strada Graz”, was intended to draw attention to glacier retreat and climate change in a subtle way.
270 guests who reached the mountain by train from Ramsau am Dachstein and followed the Ratrac trail under the Dachstein shoulder were invited. Alphorn players sent their sounds over the glacier at sunrise, singers joined in. A “magical spectacle”, said those who were allowed to listen to it. But only a day later there were inconsistent background noises.
“Reckless behavior”
Because the event shouldn’t have taken place. Because the glacier is mostly in the municipality of Obertraun and at the same time in the strictest protection zone, the organizers had asked the nature conservation department of Upper Austria for a permit. “Even the toughest environmentalists gave us positive comments in advance. We only followed the well-trodden lane that tourists and mountaineers use every day, ”says organizer Werner Schrempf. In the late afternoon before the event, shortly after the dress rehearsal, the 18-page negative response from the nature conservation department had come. “We only really realized that afterwards,” says Schrempf.
For Manfred Haimbuchner (FP), deputy governor and nature conservation officer, the behavior of the organizers is “inconsiderate towards nature” and must have consequences.
“The organizers, who wanted to draw attention to the melting of the glaciers with their illegal action, have done nature a disservice by putting themselves above the law and at the same time accepting the endangerment and destruction of nature and flora”, says he. Fines of up to 35,000 euros threaten.
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