The painful end of nostalgia: A necessary reconstruction of a former world sensation

Created: 09/01/2022, 20:44

By: Catherine Bromberger

When it was built in 1953, the cross brace caused a minor sensation, but now it's a problem.

This is one of the reasons why there is no future for the silver Graseckbahn gondolas.

© FOTOPRESS THOMAS VERY

It is the oldest small cable car in the world.

But the Graseckbahn will soon no longer be able to advertise with this title.

A new building is needed - unfortunately.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

- Dr.

Vincens Weingart looks at the engine of the Graseckbahn.

On the buttons, switches, cranks and winches.

And the silver gondolas with the black numbers.

He will miss all of that.

His wife Sylvia has the same feeling.

"Our hearts are bleeding." But there is no alternative: the Graseckbahn, opened in 1953, has no future.

she is too old

Graseckbahn gives way to new construction: The end of nostalgia

"Nostalgia is beautiful, but it has its limits," says Vincens Weingart.

The Weingarts, owners of the railway and the health hotel "Das Graseck", tried everything.

The first thing they had checked: Is there a way to bring the system up to date, to keep it?

Large and small cable car companies have asked her - no chance.

The cross support on the rocky outcrop, clearly visible from below, is the sticking point.

During construction, it caused a minor sensation as the world's first horizontal line support.

Today, nobody would build them, let alone use them to operate the railway after renovation.

"No company writes their name on it," says Sylvia Weingart.

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100 percent safe - but the small sensation can no longer be financed

Of course, the system is checked regularly and runs 100 percent reliably, as the Weingarts emphasize several times.

After all, operational safety is their top priority.

But they don't want to wait until nothing works anymore.

And that day will come.

The company that built the railway almost 70 years ago no longer exists.

Replacement parts cannot be ordered.

If something breaks, the railway would quickly stand still for two weeks – because the necessary part first has to be specially manufactured.

Added to this are the high running costs.

The lessee already has to put around 10,000 euros a year into care, maintenance and repairs for the old train.

But these are just two aspects that made the couple think.

Another: accessibility – which doesn't exist.

Also a heavy blow for Garmisch nostalgics: House Hohenleitner is demolished.

New building for everyone: barrier-free, for prams and walkers

Wheelchair users cannot visit the hotel's sun terrace or other destinations in Graseck by train.

A rollator also has no place.

And Vincens Weingart describes it as “extremely sporty” to push a pram up the steep tarred road.

But parents have no choice, it's too big for the track.

The Weingarts don't like that.

"The beautiful high plateau should be accessible to everyone, really everyone," emphasizes Vincens Weingart.

It will be with the new train.

The medical couple, who moved from Lake Ammersee to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2004, invested several million euros in the new building.

It does not want to talk about a specific amount.

In any case, the costs are difficult to estimate given the current situation.

You could explode.

Running the whole thing as a family business is of course associated with risk.

Nevertheless, both believe in the project, which benefits every restaurateur on the mountain.

Soon it will be entirely in the hands of the couple.

Because the lessee is thinking about quitting, the Weingarts will operate the new lift themselves from the start. "Actually, we are doctors." Vincens Weingart says it, laughs and shakes his head.

As if he sometimes couldn't quite believe what he and his wife were putting together.

New gondolas: The municipal council still has to agree

In 2012 they bought the hotel including the train and then invested heavily.

"Das Graseck" was opened in 2015 after a long renovation phase.

Vincens Weingart estimates that they also renovated the cable car cabins from the ground up for around 80,000 euros.

Not much is left except the floor.

The red booths became silver.

They will soon be replaced by modern gondolas, provided the local council approves the project.

In its first offer, the cable car company Doppelmayer proposed cabins with space for 15 people.

The Weingarts refused.

They thought it was oversized.

In the future, according to the plan, each gondola will bring six to eight guests up the mountain instead of the previous four to six.

Both benches can be folded up to transport wheelchair users, mountain bikes and prams.

You will miss your Graseckbahn.

That's why Dr.

Vincents and Dr.

Sylvia Weingart has preserved much of her work, including the original technology including gears and motors, and is showing them in a small museum.

© FOTOPRESS THOMAS VERY

More comfort – and a blessing for the environment

In general, comfort is increased.

About for hotel guests.

At the moment things are often tight with the suitcases.

"There are some limit actions," says Vincens Weingart.

Day tourists can also look forward to it.

Because the new train not only transports more people, it also travels faster.

In this way, the waiting times could be reduced somewhat, especially on the descents.

Some hikers have to wait in line for up to two hours.

Sometimes the doctors inform the hikers that they will only walk about ten minutes.

But few are interested.

"You prefer to wait," says Sylvia Weingart.

We are in the middle of nature, we want to be particularly green - especially at a location like this.

dr

Sylvia Weingart

The couple also uses the train often, as do the hotel employees.

But she would like to use it more often.

Simply because of the environment – ​​another important argument for the new building.

Around 20 times a day, the Weingarts or employees drive down into the valley and back up again in the pick-up.

They transport laundry, food, garbage, drinks.

Things that don't fit on the train.

"We are in the middle of nature, we want to be particularly green - especially at a location like this," says Sylvia Weingart.

Every trip with the pick-up is therefore one too many.

Especially since the consumption rises to 35 liters up the steep road.

"Brutal, what he blows out there," says Vincens Weingart.

And then imagine that the train is down for a long time because a replacement part has to be built first.

Every day 100 to 150 times up and down with the pick-up - sustainable is different.

No farewell forever: part of the Graseckbahn remains

This is not just a word for the doctors, they also pay attention to it when building the new cable car.

So the route is shifted slightly to the left after the cross support disappears and the new pillar is erected on top of the rock.

Ten trees have to be felled for this.

Both of them regret that, but they have specially chosen a route "where you have to interfere as little as possible with nature," emphasizes Sylvia Weingart.

The couple wants to start this winter.

It is expected to take three to four months to build.

The railway will only remain closed for five to six weeks.

The remaining weeks are worked during ongoing operations.

But a piece of the old railway will remain for sure.

The Weingarts want to set up a small museum in today's valley station and on the mountain that tells the story of the first Graseckbahn.

With pictures, all the original technology, the inventory, of course with an old cabin.

Because if a refurbishment doesn't work, says Vincens Weingart, "we want to try to preserve the old as much as possible".

You can find more current news from the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Merkur.de/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.