Follow-up Report on the Alpine Peace Crossing 2026

The 20th Alpine Peace Crossing in Krimml (Salzburg), held in the 2026 World Cup year, appropriately focused on the theme of “sports.” The weekend was marked by a large number of participants, interesting discussions with historians, and creative contributions at the dialogue forum.

Saturday, July 4, 2026

Even before the Dialogue Forum began, members of the APC team guided interested visitors – in both German and English - through the traveling exhibition “Overcoming Borders – Jewish Flight in the Salzburg High Mountains, 1947”, which was set up at the Krimml elementary school. At the Dialogue Forum, historians Martin Krist and Andreas Praher provided insight into the topic “Sports as a Playing Field for the Nazi Dictatorship”, which was the focus of this year’s weekend. Martin Krist spoke about soccer during the Nazi era, while Andreas Praher discussed the Nazi legacy in skiing. Their presentations addressed both the populist co-opting of sports for Nazi propaganda purposes and the sporting activities in the Theresienstadt and Mauthausen ghettos that were tolerated by the Nazis. It was also interesting to see how Austria’s postwar history was incorporated into the discussion: In the Second Republic, skiing played a decisive role in shaping Austria’s national identity, as sports were perceived as apolitical. In addition, many myths have emerged surrounding role models from the world of sports who are said to have resisted Nazi rule – myths that were deconstructed by the speakers and can be read about in the current issue of “Alpendistel” (also available online). We were accompanied that day by “Zelinzkis kleines Wanderorchester”, which made an artistic statement with a wide range of musical expressions and anti-fascist lyrics in dialect. Another special highlight was the magnificent spoken-word performance by the artist Mieze Medusa (Doris Mitterbacher), which explored Austrian commemorative culture.

Sunday, July 5, 2026

Only once before has the Alpine Peace Crossing had more participants than this year – 270 people took part in the commemorative hike on July 5, 190 of whom crossed the pass between Austria and Italy, while smaller groups on the short and medium routes had already returned to Krimml earlier. Despite weather forecasts to the contrary, we were fortunately only caught by a few raindrops.

All participants started at the Tauernhaus, where we were traditionally welcomed by the “host”, Friedl Geiser, whose family is closely tied to the history of the refugees. At the first stop, the “Grove of Escape”, Evan Talit from the U.S. gave us a glimpse into his family history: His grandparents, Moshe and Bella Talit, helped organize the escape of thousands of people across the Krimml Tauern in 1947 through the Bricha organization. It was only through APC that their grandson learned about his grandparents’ story. Evan Talit emphasized the importance of the Alpine Peace Crossing as a means of building connections.

At the second stop, the Windbachalm, the APC team provided a historical overview of the situation facing the refugees in 1947 who had fled across the Krimml Tauern. For the third part of the program, we were joined by Elsa Logar from the Peršmanhof in Carinthia, who spoke about the significance of the Carinthian Slovenes and the role of the partisans. At the Peršmanhof, in the final days of the war, the Nazi authorities carried out a massacre of a family that had supported the partisans. A police raid on a local anti-fascist camp in 2025 sparked public and media outrage and is still the subject of legal proceedings. Elsa Logar also emphasized that anti-fascist work is never complete, but rather involves a constant engagement with the issue.

The participants in the longer route finally reached the pass and, a few hours later, Kasern/Casere. We would like to thank all participants both for their extraordinary interest in the Alpine Peace Crossing and for the many fascinating conversations and encounters that enrich our commemorative hike every year!

Our special thanks go to:

The municipality of Krimml for its long-standing and generous support, especially Erich Czerny, Andrea Mair, and Silvia Nothdurfter.
The municipalities of Prettau and Ahrntal for their hospitality and cooperation, represented by Mayors Robert Steger and Markus Gartner.
Petra Czerny and her many helpers.
Christian Gruber, our “mountain doctor,” as well as Diandra Danci and Martin Krenn.
The Krimml Mountain Rescue Service for their long-standing support.
The Hohe Tauern National Park for their support and understanding of our cause.
Zelinzkis kleines Wanderorchester for their moving musical accompaniment.
Mieze Medusa for her wonderful spoken-word performance.
Andreas Praher and Martin Krist for their interesting presentations.
And above all, to all the “Helping Hands” – the many volunteers whose tireless efforts before, during, and after the event made it all possible. Your dedication is at the heart of the Alpine Peace Crossing!