Österreichisches Felsbildermuseum

Useful Information

Location:	In the former Stift (convent), Spital am Pyhrn. (47.664742, 14.339535)
Open:	closed. [2025]
Fee:	closed. [2025]
Classification:	Museum
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Franz Mandl (1999): Das Erbe der Ahnen - Ernst Burgstaller/Herman Wirth und die österreichische Felsbildforschung, Mitteilung der ANISA, 19./20. Jg. H.1/2, 1999. online
Address:	Österreichisches Felsbildermuseum, Stiftsplatz 1, AT-4582, Spital am Pyhrn, Tel: +43-7563-249. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1957	the Wildmeister Franz Gressenbauer from Spital discovers the engravings.
1979	museum created and opened to the public.
04-JUL-1998	museum reopened after renovation.
2013/14	Museum restored, Nazi ideology removed.
2019	museum closed.

Description

The Österreichische Felsbildermuseum (Austrian Rock Art Museum) showed engravings from the Höll in the municipal area of Spital am Pyhrn, obviously the reason why this museum was established here. But the exhibition also showed many other engravings from Austria and all over Europe. A TV documentary moderated by Sepp Forcher explains the development of the unique landscape of the Pyhrn-Priel region. It also gives a historic overview of the importance of the Pyhrn Pass for pilgrims, for the trade in goods from Venice and with iron ore for the production of scythes. An important exhibition is about the development of writing, from rock engravings to the alphabet.

The Höll is a landslide area with huge rocks, located below the Teichlboden on the Wurzeralm, between Schwarzeck and Stubwieswipfel. If you follow the Teichl river across the Wurzeralm to the Teichlschwund, where the river vanishes into the loose blocks, an unmarked path leads downhill into a landslide area. The rocks here are covered all over with engraved pictures. Some are showing Christian symbols, mostly crosses and Jesus monograms, with dates, for example 1714, 1764, 1900, 1935. There are also hunting scenes and geometric forms. Pentagrams, mill boards, sun symbols or celestial ladders can also be found. The meaning of many signs is unknown to us, but seems to have had a meaning to the person who carved it. There is a total of 13 rocks with engravings, showing about 500 different motives. The most impressive engravings are a man in a tower and a family.

The museum was founded by Prof Dr. Ernst Burgstaller (*1906-✝2000). He explored such engravings all over Austria for decades and was convinced they were of prehistoric origin. Unfortunately there is no way to determine the age with geophysical methods, but the limestone is weathered rather fast, and so modern interpretations assume they were created since the Middle Ages. It seems the symbols have religious meaning, the Christian symbols are obvious, a few seem to be of pre-Christian or at least pagan origin. However, the dates already mentioned are a clear indication of a much younger age. The place was used by dairymaids to pray for the fertility of the alpine pastures once a year until World War II. In other words, Ernst Burgstaller probably had rather eccentric, almost esoteric views on the origin of engravings.

Unfortunately, Ernst Burgstaller was not only an esotericist, he was also very strongly influenced by NAZI ideology. He was probably a follower of NAZI ideology until his death. In order to legitimise themselves, the NAZIs tried to establish a scientific theory about Germanic origins. Archaeological finds were interpreted in a very idiosyncratic way. The museum was only opened in 1979, but Burgstaller still managed to convey these Nazi theories in the exhibition. At the same time, he was a famous folklorist and was often recognised and honoured for his work, making it difficult to criticise his theories. It was not until 15 years after his death that the exhibition was fundamentally revised and the NAZI references removed. At this point, the museum probably had hardly any supporters left, and it was finally closed in 2019 and the collection dissolved. From the outside, you get the impression that those responsible were embarrassed and the museum disappeared without a trace. There is now a hotel in the former monastery.

However, we would like to add why we have listed and still list this museum on showcaves.com . Basically, the first question is what connection there is to caves, and it must be said that although these rock engravings are not in caves, most of the rock carvings are preserved in caves. It can be assumed that many more carvings were made outside caves, but that most of these have been destroyed by weathering. And these rock carvings in the Höll are also located in weather-protected areas of a landslide, which is geologically very closely related to talus caves. Cave paintings and rock carvings are therefore generally classified as cave archaeology. We generally leave pages of temporarily or permanently closed objects because non-existent companies do not spend money to declare on a website that they are closed. We therefore warn potential visitors before they are faced with closed doors after a long journey.