Brandenburger Haus

The Brandenburger Haus is a high-alpine mountain hut (Schutzhütte) owned and operated by the Sektion Berlin of the Deutscher Alpenverein (German Alpine Club, DAV). It stands at 3,277 metres above sea level in the Ötztal Alps in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, between the Gepatschferner and Kesselwandferner glaciers. This makes it the highest refuge in the entire German Alpine Club network. The nearest settlement is Vent, part of the municipality of Sölden in the upper Ötztal, roughly 10 kilometres away in a straight line. The hut was planned and built between 1905 and 1909 by the former Sektion Mark Brandenburg of the Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein (DuOeAV). Its construction was driven partly by scientific considerations common to many comparable refuges, but also by the rivalry between the Sektion Mark Brandenburg, founded in 1899, and the older Sektion Berlin, founded in 1869, which already owned numerous huts, especially in the Zillertal. In 1903 it was proposed to build a house at the Gepatschferner to open up one of the largest contiguous glacier areas of the Eastern Alps for mountaineers. A south-facing slope safe from avalanches at the Dahmannspitze (3,397 m) was chosen as the site, later named after the hut's architect. At that altitude, construction work is only possible during a few weeks in high summer, so all building material except locally quarried stone had to be carried up by mules and human labour. The house was completed in 1909 at a construction cost of about 47,000 Marks, plus roughly 40,000 Marks for path construction. The opening took place from 15 to 18 August, first in Vent and then at the hut. The first hut warden was Max Ehrich, after whom the Ehrichspitze (3,420 m), the northern neighbouring peak of the Dahmannspitze, was to be named. Today the Brandenburger Haus offers around 36 beds, 28 mattress dormitory places and 6 emergency places, according to the operator's information. Its facilities are described as very cosy and, given the altitude, almost comfortable, though showers or a continuously heated drying room cannot be provided; instead it offers the atmosphere of a genuine mountaineers' accommodation. The approach to the hut is itself a high-alpine tour, since all routes must cross the Kesselwandferner or the Gepatschferner; rope, ice axe and possibly crampons are part of the required equipment. Even the easiest route, from the Hochjoch-Hospiz, requires this, because glacier retreat in recent years has not reduced crevassing. For better acclimatisation, the operator recommends an overnight stay at the Hochjoch-Hospiz or another hut at this altitude before ascending to the Brandenburger Haus. The hut offers the tourer around a dozen summits in almost all grades of difficulty. The summer season 2026 is scheduled from 19 June to 13 September, with winter season 2026/27 dates to be announced at the beginning of September. The valley access points are Vent (1,896 m) in the Ötztal and Feichten (1,289 m) in the Kaunertal.

The Brandenburger Haus was planned and built between 1905 and 1909 by the former Sektion Mark Brandenburg of the Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein (DuOeAV). As with many comparable refuges, scientific considerations were decisive for its construction. A major role was also played by the competitive situation of the Sektion Mark Brandenburg, founded in 1899, against the Sektion Berlin of the DuOeAV, which had existed since 1869 and owned numerous huts, especially in the Zillertal. In 1903 it was proposed to erect the house at the Gepatschferner in order to open up one of the largest contiguous glacier areas of the Eastern Alps for mountaineers. A south-facing slope safe from avalanches at the Dahmannspitze (3,397 m), later named after the hut's architect, was chosen as the site. At this altitude, construction work is only possible within a few weeks in high summer. All building material, except stones quarried on site, therefore had to be brought up by mules and human labour. In 1909 the Brandenburger Haus was completed; the construction costs amounted to about 47,000 Marks. A further roughly 40,000 Marks were added for the construction of paths. The opening finally took place from 15 to 18 August, first in Vent, then at the hut. The first hut warden was Max Ehrich, after whom the Ehrichspitze (3,420 m), the northern neighbouring peak of the Dahmannspitze, was to be named. At the beginning of September 1915, at the start of the mountain war of 1915–1918, the Austrian k.k. mountain troops occupied the hut to conduct ski courses. One of the instructors was Luis Trenker, who dramatically describes his experiences at the Brandenburger Haus in his autobiography Alles gut gegangen – Geschichten aus meinem Leben. The damage to the house caused by military use was considerable. A partially destroyed interior and large amounts of waste were to be deplored. The waste thrown into glacier crevices in the form of tin cans, equipment and animal carcasses could only be partially removed from 1980 onwards, in the course of climate-related glacier melting. Only in 1920 was a first inspection of the hut after the war possible again by the Sektion Mark Brandenburg. In contrast to the other damaged and plundered refuges of the section, the Brandenburger Haus had survived the war years almost structurally intact. In 1921 summer operations could be resumed; 1,495 mountaineers visited the house, the highest number since its opening. The winter room, however, had not been opened again because of vandalism the previous year. In 1922/23, due to inflation, only a few guests from Germany visited the house, as travel costs had risen too much. This was offset by numerous mountaineers from Vienna, who increasingly visited the Brandenburger Haus in those years. From 1927 there was public passenger transport by bus and private car in the Kaunertal and Ötztal, which greatly shortened travel time. The result was further growing visitor numbers at the huts, which led to the Brandenburger Haus often being overcrowded with emergency camps. 3,011 visitors were counted in the summer of 1927. At the end of May 1933 the so-called Thousand Mark Barrier against Austria came into force, with which the new German National Socialist Reich government wanted to weaken the economic power of the tourism-dependent country. As a result, tourists from Germany stayed away almost completely; the Brandenburger Haus nevertheless counted 3,184 visitors in 1933. In 1936, after an agreement between Austrofascists and National Socialists, the restrictions ended; as a result, more German tourists could again visit the Brandenburger Haus. At the beginning of the Second World War, overnight numbers fell again, tourism came to a standstill, and in 1945, after the end of the war, the Sektion Mark Brandenburg — anti-Semitic since its founding in 1899 (Jews were not admitted as members) — was dissolved and banned by the Allies. German hut property in Austria was expropriated and placed under Austrian administration. As administrator and trustee for non-Austrian hut property, the Tyrolean provincial government in 1945, with the approval of the French occupying power, appointed the educator and Alpine Club official Martin Busch. In 1949 the Alpenverein Innsbruck, a successor organisation of the old DAV (before 1938 DOeAV), applied for a licence to serve alcohol for the Brandenburger Haus; operations got going again by 1953 with 1,556 overnight guests. In 1954 and 1955 the numbers declined, and the hut showed numerous structural defects. At the beginning of 1956 the Brandenburger Haus, like all other huts, returned to German ownership. The Sektion Berlin of the Deutscher Alpenverein, newly founded in 1950, took over the house for a symbolic price, but had to fundamentally renovate the by then almost dilapidated hut in the following years until 1964 for about 770,000 Austrian schillings (= 110,000 DM = 55,000 €). Since the end of the 1950s visitor numbers rose again, as the economic miracle also promoted alpine tourism. The construction work ended with the building of a toilet facility. The Brandenburger Haus received prominent visitors in August 1998, when the then Minister-President of Brandenburg...

• 1998

  Prominent visit by the then Minister-President of Brandenburg in August.

• 1964

  Major renovation completed for about 770,000 Austrian schillings.

• 1956

  Hut returns to German ownership; Sektion Berlin takes over for a symbolic price.

• 1953

  Operations resume with 1,556 overnight guests.

• 1949

  Alpenverein Innsbruck applies for a licence to serve alcohol.

• 1945

  Sektion Mark Brandenburg dissolved and banned by the Allies; hut placed under Austrian administration.

• 1933

  Thousand Mark Barrier against Austria; 3,184 visitors despite restrictions.

• 1927

  Public bus and car transport begins in Kaunertal and Ötztal; 3,011 visitors counted.

• 1921

  Summer operations resume; 1,495 mountaineers visit.

• 1920

  First post-war inspection of the hut by Sektion Mark Brandenburg.

• 1915

  Austrian k.k. mountain troops occupy the hut for ski courses.

• 1909

  Hut completed and opened 15–18 August; construction cost about 47,000 Marks.

• 1905

  Construction of the Brandenburger Haus begins.

• 1903

  Proposal to build a house at the Gepatschferner.

• 1899

  Sektion Mark Brandenburg of the DuOeAV founded.

Highest mountain hut of the German Alpine Club; a high-alpine refuge requiring glacier crossing for access.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  36 beds, 28 mattress dormitory places, 6 emergency places.

• High-alpine tours

  Access to around a dozen summits in almost all grades of difficulty.

1. 1Brandenburger Haus - DAV Berlindav-berlin.de
2. 2Brandenburger Haus - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Brandenburger Haus - Wikidatawikidata.org