To Oberammergau and the Alps in an Austin Sixteen: Round the Alps and Home Again, including some Precipice Hunting in an Austin Sixteen [Reel 5]

Journey to and from the Oberammergau Passion Play and the Alps by car in 1930.

Fifth of a series of film reels recording Eustace and Eunice Alliott’s trip to and from the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1930, by way of a motor tour through Belgium, Luxembourg and the Rhine, before travelling further south to northern Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, returning to London via Germany and Belgium. The fifth reel in this series records details of Alliotts' journey through the Tyrol in Austria, and Italy. The records details of the Alpine scenery and observations of the activities of the inhabitants in the Tyrol, with a particular fascination with agricultural labour and the work of women. Shots include: the Alliotts leaving Oberammergau; flags in Mittenwald celebrating the ‘freeing’ of the Rhine; alpine landscapes in the Tyrol at Seefeld, Reith im Alpbachtal, Lanser Kopfe, Hafelekar, Serles, Vipeteno, Lake Misurina, Croci Pass and Monte Piana; agricultural and rural labour in the Tyrol; women washing laundry in a village in the Stubaithal; road construction near Misurina; the Austin Sixteen off the road ascending Monte Piana, assistance provided by Austrian motorists.

Featured Buildings

Maria-Theresien-Straße, Innsbruck

Keywords

Alps; female labour; agricultural labour; rural labour, village scenes, labour of women, road construction

Intertitles

Our Oberammergau friends give us a good send off as we start for Innsbruck Flags were flying in Mittenwald in honour of the freeing of the Rhine; and hay-making was in full swing in the mountains A picnic marked our entry into the Tyrol, and there was a fine panorama near Seefeld We looked across the Inn Valley at Reith storm clouds were gathering as we ran down into Innsbruck Innsbruck is the heart of the Tyrol. We found many delightful scenes nearby On the Lanser Kőpfe, (near Iglis) just outside the city A cable railway took us high above Innsbruck to Hafelekar. (7,695 ft.) A brief storm shut out the view, but the sun soon shone on the rocky Karwendel peaks The peak of Serles guards the entrance to the Stubaithal Every Stubai village had its fountain decorated with a brightly coloured figure of Saint or Hero Meiders was nearly as ‘forbidden’ to motors as Thibet [Tibet]. We were fined for taking the ‘Austin’ there Stubai manure carts are picturesque, but did not quoodle sing – “Goodness only knowses the noselessness of man” A few miles brought us into Italy – scenes near Stertzing (now Vipeteno) On the Col. S. Angelo the road to Misurina was under repair The peaks of the Drei-Zinnen tower above Lake Misurina In the Croci Pass, beneath the shadow of Sorapis Flowers were everywhere here is an alpine clematis; later, beyond the stream, an alpine lily We ascended Monte Pian [Monte Piana] by a rough war road, but soon a front wheel dropped into a hidden hole Austrian motorists wrenched a door from a war-time dug-out and came to the rescue Every time the car swayed an Austrian passenger, pop-eyed with fright whispered “The Twelfth Hour”!! There were many traces of bitter warfare on the summit of Monte Pian [Monte Piana] The obelisk was a storehouse of relics To be continued on next reel

Other Places

Oberammergau; Mittenwald; unidentified location near Seefeld; Reith [im Alpbachtal] (Inn Valley); near Innsbruck (Tyrol scenes); Lanser Kőpfe (near Iglis); Hafelekar; near Serles; Meiders; near Vipeteno (Stertzing); Col. S. Angelo; Lake Misurina; Croci Pass; Monte Pian [Monte Piana]