Jenbach

Jenbach is a municipality with 6897 inhabitants (01/01/2010) in the district of Schwaz in Tyrol, Austria. Many inhabitants of Jenbach believe that the name "Jenbach" is derived from "Jenseits des Baches", which means "Beyond the brook", however earlier versions of the name, for instance "Umbach" give hint that it could also be derived from "Um den Bach [herum]", which means "Around the brook". At least this coheres with Jenbach's history as a village built around the Kasbach. The inhabitants of Jenbach are called "Jenbacher". People speaking the Bavarian dialect tend to pronounce "Jenbach" as "Jembåch".

Geography

Neighbouring municipalities

Buch bei Jenbach, Eben am Achensee, Stans, Wiesing.

History

In Jenbach housings could be found which date back to the end of the early Bronze Age and of the early La-Tène-Age. Jenbach was first officially named in a document of the year of 1269 as "Ymbach". From 1410 onwards the Fugger constructed melting furnaces in order to proceed the silver and copper won in the mines near Schwaz. After these mines could no more deliver these resources Jenbach started to work on iron. Until 1865 these early industrial infrastructure remained private, however afterwards the state took ownership. In 1870 the factory was resold to the Salzburg-Tiroler-Montangesellschaft. In 1881 Julius & Theodor Reitlinger purchased it from this company and modernised it. The company remained a possession of the family until 1938, when the son of Julius Reitlinger, Friedrich Reitlinger, committed suicide due to the Anschluss (the merging of Germany and Austria) in 1938. Afterwards it was taken over by the state and later resold to Ernst Heinkel (Aryanization). After 1945 the company was not restituted to its former owners, but remained under public administration.

In February 1945 31 tons of bombs were cast upon the railway station during the Operation Clarion in order to prevent the Reichsbahn from transporting war-material. This was necessary for the impeding invasion of Germany and Austria. The air attack on Jenbach destroyed 35 houses and left 8 people dead.

During the war the Heinkel-factories produced motors for the Me-163, the first engine-powered airplane, and other parts for the V-2 missiles fired at southern English cities during the summer of 1940.

In April and May, remainders of SS-units, among them the main staff of the SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, withdrew from the quickly advancing French units commanded by Charles de Gaulle, to Tyrol, where Nazi propaganda had virtually inscenerated a "fortress in the Alps". SS-commanders ecouraged their soldiers to fight "to the last bullet". Direct infenteristic confrontations were rare, as the SS could be convinced of the better: On 2 May, they withdrew to Bavaria, leaving an amount of weaponry in the Achensee. Mayor Somweber and a lieutenant of the Austrian resistance, Nentwich, negotiated with both, the SS and the allies, to withdraw and not to air raid Jenbach anymore.

Today the GE Jenbacher AG is the word-leading company in the production of gas-engined motors.

Economy

Jenbach is an economically significant place due to the companies situated there: GE Jenbacher, Siko Solar, TIWAG, Katzenberger, Gubert, and Holz Binder. During the 20th century, the Jenbacher Werke produced waggons, locomotives, motors and other goods. The Kasbach serves as a source of energy for several smaller water plants. Jenbach also has a highschool specialised in mechanical and economical engineering.

Transport

The railway station of Jenbach contains three different railways:

• The ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen) (Standard Gauge)
• The Achenseebahn (Metre Gauge) - Europe's oldest cog railway using the Riggenbach system, which is still steam operated
• The Zillertalbahn (760mm Gauge)

Jenbach is - due to its infrastructural importance - the only location in Austria where railways with three different gauges meet.

Sources

• Thomas Albrich/Arno Giesinger: Im Bombenkrieg, Tirol und Vorarlberg, 1943–1945, Seite 244
• Gemeindechronik von Jenbach
• History of Jenbach
• Local tourism information site