Region Seefeld – Tyrol's high plateau
The history of Reith
The exact date of the establishment of Reith is not known, but urn graves indicate that the area around Reith was already settled during the Bronze Age, around 1800 to 750 BC. The inhabitants of that time are attributed to the tribe of the Veneto-Illyrians. It was not until the Romans, who under Drusus and Tiberius shifted the borders of the Roman Empire across the Alpine ridge to the Danube, that the first written records about the place Reith were made.
In 80 AD, the Romans began to settle. Eight Roman milestones were found along the route from Vipitenum (Sterzing) to Partanum (Partenkirchen), indicating the settlement of the Romans. However, the date of the milestone at the entrance to Zirl remains unclear, as it bears no inscriptions.
The first documented mention of Reith dates back to 1095. According to this document, Bishop Megenward of Freising had granted a "Hube in der Leite," south of the Scharnitz forest, to a Pillung from Brucko for use. Thus, Leithen appeared as the first settlement in the municipality of Reith. "Auf dem Gereut" (Reith) is only mentioned 60 years later.
With the document around 1260, a settlement agreement between the monasteries of Benediktbeuern and Wessobrunn at "Gereut" confirms both the settlement of the main village and the beginning of Reith's history. Reith today consists of several districts: the first district Reith itself, Auland, Leithen, Mühlberg, Maxhütte, Krinz, and Gschwandt. The place name Mühlberg is first mentioned in a document in 1281.
The opening of the Karwendelbahn in autumn 1912 not only improved access but also revitalized tourism. The rising development was weakened in 1925 by war shortages and currency devaluation but experienced a resurgence from 1932 onwards. The Second World War followed, bringing much suffering to the population of Reith. The bridge of the Karwendelbahn became the target of Allied bombings in 1945. Within six days, nearly 300 bombs were dropped on the municipality. The attacks completely destroyed 22 houses, while another 12 houses, the church, and the schoolhouse were severely damaged. After the withdrawal of the occupying forces in 1955, there was a significant construction boom across the whole plateau. During this time, numerous tourist businesses and facilities were established, many of which still exist and are in use today.
Relevant to the topic:
The currently running exhibition of the Violin Making Museum in Mittenwald: “The stone that burns and heals – Oil shale mining in the Karwendel”.
