Pforzheimer Hütte

The Pforzheimer Hütte, also known as the Adolf-Witzenmann-Haus, is an Alpine Club hut belonging to the Pforzheim Section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV). It sits at 2,308 metres above sea level in the Gleirschtal valley of the Stubai Alps in Tyrol, Austria, near the village of St. Sigmund im Sellrain. As a mountain hut, it functions as a hospitality and accommodation brand within the DAV network, offering food, lodging and a base for mountaineers and hikers exploring the surrounding peaks. The hut was inaugurated on 5 September 1926 after two years of construction, originally named the Neue Pforzheimer Hütte, at a cost of 126,000 Reichsmark. Over the decades it has been repeatedly modernised: a new WC facility, washrooms, a heating annex and a winter room were added in 1968; a material cable car from the Gleirschbach was installed in 1974 to improve supply; a hydroelectric plant followed in 1984; and a major annex with a new kitchen, washrooms, warden's apartment and staff room was built between 1992 and 1994. Between 2012 and 2016 the building services were comprehensively modernised, including a new energy and electrical system, a hot-water heating system, renovated sleeping areas, a biological sewage treatment plant, a combined heat and power unit running on domestic plant oil, a 12 kW photovoltaic array and a buffer battery. The name was shortened to "Pforzheimer Hütte" in 2012, and in 2016 the hut was awarded the Austrian environmental seal of approval. Today the hut is connected to the internet via satellite and offers Wi-Fi to guests. It serves classic Alpine routes: access from St. Sigmund im Sellrain takes about 2.5 hours on foot, and it is a stage point on longer traverses to the Schweinfurter Hütte, Westfalenhaus and Winnebachseehütte. Numerous summit tours start from the hut, including the Zischgeles, Zwieselbacher Rosskogel, Rotgrubenspitze, Grubenwand and Lampsenspitze. The hut is marked on the Alpine Club map 1:25,000, sheet 31/2, Stubaier Alpen, Sellrain.

The Pforzheimer Hütte was built over two years and inaugurated on 5 September 1926 as the Neue Pforzheimer Hütte, at a cost of 126,000 Reichsmark (equivalent to about 35,000 euros). It was erected by the Pforzheim Section of the German Alpine Club in the Gleirschtal valley of the Stubai Alps in Tyrol, Austria, at an elevation of 2,308 metres above sea level. In 1968 the hut was expanded with a new WC facility including washrooms, an annex for the heating system and a winter room. A warm-air heating system with an oil stove was installed at a cost of 1,455,562 Austrian schillings (about 225,512 Deutsche Mark or 115,175 euros). Until then, the hut had been heated only with wood and coal in both summer and winter operation. The winter room remained open all year. To improve supply logistics, a valley and mountain station were built in 1974 and a 620-metre material cable car was installed from the Gleirschbach to the hut. This allowed an off-road vehicle to reach 2,133 metres and to transport goods, drinks and other materials in 250 kg loads up to the Pforzheimer Hütte at 2,308 metres, at a cost of 550,000 Austrian schillings (about 85,000 Deutsche Mark or 43,500 euros). Until 1984, electricity on the Neue Pforzheimer Hütte was generated by a diesel generator, which produced about 35 kW of electrical power from 100 kW of engine output at roughly 30 percent efficiency. With the construction of a hydroelectric plant in 1984, water power generated 35 kW in summer, while in winter gas was used for cooking and the diesel unit supplied electricity at times. Between 1992 and 1994 an annex was built to meet regulatory requirements. It housed a new kitchen, washrooms with WCs for women and men, a warden's apartment and a staff room. A storage cellar and a utility room were also created, and a three-chamber sewage treatment plant was installed, at a cost of 7,385,300 Austrian schillings (about 1,145,000 Deutsche Mark or 585,000 euros). Between 2012 and 2016 the building services were modernised throughout the hut. A new energy and electrical system was installed, a new hot-water heating system with a new drinking water distribution was fitted, and all sleeping areas were modernised and renovated. A sewage treatment plant with grease separator and biological secondary treatment completed the construction measures. Winter electricity generation was switched to a combined heat and power unit (CHP) running on domestic plant oil, with an efficiency of 96 percent. Electricity generation was supplemented by a 12 kW photovoltaic system. A large buffer battery secures the power supply throughout the day in both summer and winter operation. The kitchen was equipped with professional cooking appliances and stainless steel kitchen equipment. Today the mountain house is connected to the internet via a satellite system, and guests can log in via Wi-Fi. New fire doors and a fire alarm system ensure that the requirements for a mountain hut in the 21st century are met. Since 2012 the name has been shortened to "Pforzheimer Hütte", and in 2016 the hut was awarded the environmental seal of approval, at a cost of 575,000 euros. The hut is accessed from St. Sigmund im Sellrain (1,513 m) in a walking time of 2.5 hours. It serves as a stage point for traverses to the Schweinfurter Hütte (2,028 m) via the Gleirschjöchl (2,751 m) in 4 hours; to the Westfalenhaus (2,276 m) via the Satteljoch (2,735 m) and on via Praxmar-Lisens in 5 hours, or via the Zischgenscharte (2,936 m) in 4.5 to 5 hours; and to the Winnebachseehütte (2,361 m) via the Roßkarscharte (3,053 m) in 6 hours, a high-Alpine tour. Summit tours from the hut include the Samerschlag or Metzgersteinhöhe (2,831 m, 2.5 hours), Zischgeles (3,004 m, 3.5 hours), Zwieselbacher Rosskogel (3,082 m, 3 to 3.5 hours), Gleirscher Rosskogel (2,994 m, 2.5 hours), Rotgrubenspitze (3,040 m, 3 hours), Grubenwand (3,165 m, 4.5 hours), the traverse Zwieselbacher Grieskogel-Sonnwandspitzen-Gleirscher Fernerkogel (3,194 m, 5 hours), Lampsenspitze (2,875 m, 3 hours), Schöntalspitze (3,008 m, 3.5 hours) and Haidenspitze (2,975 m, 3 hours). The hut is shown on the Alpine Club map 1:25,000, sheet 31/2, Stubaier Alpen, Sellrain.

• 2016

  Awarded the Austrian environmental seal of approval; modernisation completed at a cost of 575,000 euros.

• 2012

  Name shortened to "Pforzheimer Hütte"; start of comprehensive building services modernisation (completed 2016).

• 1992

  Start of construction of an annex with new kitchen, washrooms, warden's apartment and staff room (completed 1994).

• 1984

  Hydroelectric plant built, generating 35 kW in summer; winter cooking switched to gas.

• 1974

  Valley and mountain stations built and a 620-metre material cable car installed from the Gleirschbach to the hut.

• 1968

  Expanded with new WC facilities, washrooms, a heating annex and a winter room; warm-air heating with oil stove installed.

• 1926

  Inaugurated on 5 September as the Neue Pforzheimer Hütte after two years of construction, costing 126,000 Reichsmark.

A traditional German Alpine Club mountain hut in the Stubai Alps, modernised for year-round sustainable operation and serving as a base for high-Alpine tours.

• Mountain hut accommodation

• Alpine food and beverage service

• Winter room

• Base for mountaineering and hiking

1. 1Pforzheimer Hütte - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Pforzheimer Hütte - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Infos zur Pforzheimer Hütte - Sektion Pforzheim des DAValpenverein-pforzheim.de