Rescue operation in the 1960s: Even then, Franz Sollacher was on duty for the mountain rescue service at Lake Tegernsee. © Archive Mountain Rescue Rottach-Egern
Eventful times lie behind the Rottach-Egern mountain rescue service. This year it celebrates its 100th anniversary. Much has changed over the decades. Four comrades remember.
Rottach-Egern – With the advent of the mobile phone age, the number of missions for the mountain rescue service has also increased. Today, excursionists know that they can pull the "Joker Mountain Rescue" at any time, so they may find themselves in a risky situation more often. In addition, many more people are out and about in the mountains, even on weekdays. "In the past, there were maybe 100 or even 130 missions per year," says Franz Sollacher.
Former on-call manager recalls dramatic climbing accidents
The 84-year-old is a veteran of the Rottacher mountain rescue service, from 1981 to 1997 – i.e. for a whole 16 years – he acted as an on-call manager. He remembers dramatic climbing accidents on the Plankenstein ("there were unpleasant things"), dairymaids, accidents with lumberjacks and serious skiing accidents on the Wallberg when the lifts were still in operation there.
Rottacher mountain rescue service looks after Bavaria's second-largest operational area
Today, the number of missions has leveled off at around 200. "Since Corona, the number has declined somewhat – contrary to the actual trend," reports on-call spokesman Alex Stern. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to do for the approximately 60 active mountain rescuers at Lake Tegernsee. After all, they look after the second largest area of operation in Bavaria. It stretches from Waakirchen over Tegernsee's local mountains to the Kreuther Blauberge and to the border with Tyrol.
Wallberg, Neureuth and Auer Alm are among the hotspots today
The "hotspots", to which the mountain rescuers have to move out particularly frequently, are now the popular destinations around the lake. The Wallberg, the Neureuth or the Aueralm. "Everything that is easily accessible," explains Markus Schober (59), who has been supporting the readiness as an active member for many years. "The Wallberg is a classic," adds Matthias Schube. The 69-year-old has been on standby for 50 years and has often experienced hikers suddenly unable to descend under their own power after the ascent by train. In winter, the missions are added because of the skiers on the Sutten and the tobogganers.
Then as now, the active members of the mountain rescue service move out when it comes to rescuing people from mountain distress. © Archive Mountain Rescue Service
The fact that there is now a well-organized mountain rescue service at Lake Tegernsee is thanks to a development that began 100 years ago. In 1923, the then board of directors of the DAV section Tegernsee launched an appeal to athletically ambitious men to make themselves available for the rescue service in the mountains. Apparently with success. Initially, there were individual trains for the valley communities, only later did they merge into a joint mountain rescue group Tegernsee Valley, as Felix Oswald, chronicler of the mountain rescue service, has researched.
Individual platoons only later grew together to form the Tegernsee Valley Mountain Rescue Service
"Our ancestors had a good idea," says Sollacher about the merger. In this way, there would also have been many synergies in the equipment of the mountain rescue service. By the way, the fleet of vehicles and equipment were still spread over different places for a long time. It was not until 1979 that the rescue station at the lime kiln in Rottach-Egern was inaugurated, where the standby still has its central location today.
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Long-time comrades (from left) Markus Schober, Franz Sollacher, Matthias Schube and Alex Stern. © Thomas Plettenberg
The greatest progress in the rescue came with the radios
A lot has happened in the equipment of the mountain rescue service over the decades. "The biggest progress came with the radios," says Sollacher. In the early days, these were still "murderous debris". Nevertheless, the communication between the mountain rescuers, which is so important, has made it much easier. In 1976, the Rottach mountain rescue doctor Dr. Ludwig Höfle set new standards when he constructed an "emergency doctor's crane" and designed it in such a way that it could be used functionally for work in the mountains. Less decisive, however, was the development of operational clothing. "Today, we may wear Gore-Tex instead of loden," says Matthias Schube. However, then as now, the most important "basic equipment" was the active person himself.
First woman sued by court order in the Rottacher mountain rescue service
Nowadays, by the way, it is a matter of course that women also slip into the red and blue mountain rescue outfit. "The proportion of women is growing – and that's a good thing," says Alex Stern. After all, a dozen female activists are currently supporting the Rottacher Bereitschaft team. The female advance began at Lake Tegernsee, of all places: in 1992, a woman had enforced her admission to the Rottacher Bereitschaft by court order. Sollacher remembers the excitement at that time with a smile: "Actually, the statutes at that time only spoke of innocent men." Since then, however, good experiences have been made with "the girls", Markus Schober emphasizes from today's perspective. "They're totally involved in the operation."
Increased deployments and greater administrative burden are creating a problem for willingness
The many missions, the large catchment area and the increased administrative effort have demanded a lot from the Rottacher mountain rescue service in the recent past. After the Sollacher era and the subsequent – also 16-year – term of office of Martin Stumpf, there were several changes in the on-call management. Since 2021, Stefan Schmidtchen has been at the helm of the Tegernsee Valley Mountain Rescue Service. "In the past, we only had accidents in the mountains on Saturdays and Sundays," says Sollacher. In the meantime, the excursionists are out and about in the mountains all week long. But it is precisely then that the active members are also tied up in their jobs. "Today, you can't get away from work so easily," Schube makes the problem clear. New offspring is therefore always sought. "Sometimes," says Schube thoughtfully, "people may forget that we all do this on a voluntary basis."
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Rottach-Egern mountain rescue service, a special exhibition will take place from 22 May to 22 October in the Tegernsee Valley Museum on Seestraße in Tegernsee. Various exhibits from the history of mountain rescue are on display - they provide insights into the work, operations and history of the mountain rescue service. As part of the exhibition opening on Sunday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 16 p.m., various special units of the Bavarian Mountain Rescue Service will also be on site and present their work.
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