Book launch:"‘From Forest to Water" by Georg Neuhauser

THE LEGACY OF THE LOGGERS

For over 500 years, the Brandenberg timber rafting operation shaped the Lower Inn Valley in Tyrol – until 1966, when Tyrol’s last rafting operation was shut down. With it disappeared a centuries-old craft that demanded generations of loggers to work under the harshest conditions. From Forest to Water preserves an important history from oblivion. In this richly illustrated book, the author recounts the development of an industry that shaped the region for centuries. Drawing on historical sources, interviews with eyewitnesses and archaeological findings, an impressive picture of this era emerges. It highlights the techniques of forestry and timber floating, as well as the lives of the people who worked under adverse conditions and developed a deep understanding of nature.

Yet this work does not merely look back: in the face of climate change and the debate on sustainable resource use, this historical knowledge is taking on new relevance. The history of the Brandenberg timber drift demonstrates how people have dealt with the constraints of the natural environment and climate over the centuries – experiences that can provide valuable insights for today’s challenges in sustainable forest management and the use of renewable resources.

Admission by voluntary donation. Bookings by phone on 0664 93411257 or by email at brandenberg@bibliotheken.at