Exploring the Little Ice Age Legacy in Erz der Alpen UNESCO GLobal Geopark
In the heart of the Austrian Alps, the Erz der Alpen UNESCO Global Geopark is a place where legends of divine punishment for a godless society that bathed in milk and rolled butter loaves down the valleys, echo a past event of climate change.
At 2941 m the Hochkönig is the highest mountain in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Salzburgerland, Austria.
Just a stone's throw away from Salzburg, the Ore of the Alps UNESCO Global Geopark, as it is also known, was once this region's prehistoric copper mining epicentre. Today, a glimpse into human ingenuity in search of natural resources can be seen at the Larzenbach/Hüttau mine and by hiking the 54 km of the Ore Trail which connects several geosites, mines, museums and the Geopark's visitor's centre. But what about that intriguing legend?
Well, the key to unravelling it, is hard to miss as the Hochkönig mountain, standing tall at 2941 metres, rules over the region. The limestone giant is home to a permanent glacier, known as the “Übergossene Alm” (meaning “covered mountain pasture”), a remnant of the Little Ice Age, a period of global cooling between the 14th and 17th/19th centuries, which had profound effects in the Northern Hemisphere.
Estimated temperature variations for the northern hemisphere and central england. Source: Encyclopædia Britannica
While there is consensus on the cooling, there is still debate over its causes, which include decreased sunspot activity, increased volcanic eruptions, and potentially man-made factors such as decreased CO2 levels due to mass deaths in the Americas. During this period, temperatures dropped as much as 2ºC (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit for our American friends) leading to failed crops and frozen rivers and lakes. Amongst the most famous impacts of this cooling period are the Thames Frost Fairs, a series of events held on the frozen waters of River Thames. Organised by the Thames boatmen, unemployed due to the frost, these fairs had it all, from boats on sledges, to plays performed on immobilised barges, as well as games and sports such as bowling, fox hunting, horse racing, and bull baiting. At the last Frost Fair, in 1814, an elephant was even led across the frozen river!
Frost Fair in the River Thames, London.
Some historians think that the disruption in harvests led to a fundamental shift in the social order in Europe, dismantling feudal systems which, combined with new religious and economic ideas, paved the way for the rise of markets and commercialism. For the people in the Austrian Alps, harsh winters likely led to food shortages and struggles. Some saw these challenges as divine punishment for ignoring God's calling.
It is unlikely these beliefs are still shared by locals. Nonetheless, the fact is that, in the Advent season, they take to the streets in a spectacular nocturnal procession featuring terrifyingly clad Krampus figures with young men donning animal skins, intricately carved masks, and large cowbells. In a time of human-induced climate change, one cannot avoind thinking that perhaps revisiting pagan teachings advocating for harmony between human society and nature wouldn't be such a misguided notion after all.
Learn more about the Erz der Alpen UNESCO Global Geopark.
Krampus figure in the Austrian Alps.
