Welcome Innsbruck - Sommer 2018

W E L C O M E 50 K U L T U R „Wir freuen uns, dass wir durch die Umbauarbeiten quasi ein tem- poräres Fenster in die Innsbrucker Stadtgeschichte öffnen konnten� Durch die Dokumentation der Arbeiten wird das Wissen auch für kom- mende Generationen festgehalten“, so Mag� Johannes Pöll vom Bundes- denkmalamt� Im Sommer wird die Innsbruck Information wiederer- öffnet� „Für die Fundstücke werden wir eine Präsentationsmöglichkeit schaffen� Und vor allem die Futterluke im Gewölbe, deren Existenz die Archäologen bestätigen konnten, gibt uns neue Möglichkeiten für das Beleuchtungskonzept“, so Karl Gostner� W T he Tyrolean capital’s official gazette once described the build- ing at Burggraben 3 as one of “the most important historical structures and most relevant in terms of building history�” Its story could now be captured in detail in the course of a re- construction� Thanks to the removal of the modern concrete floor, the various phases of the building’s utilisation became visible� The masonry too could be classified in terms of age and functionality� The large room on the ground floor, which also in future shall be used as an information point for tourists, in the past used the medieval city wall for its southern limitation� In 1548, the building for the first time was mentioned in a document, as royal mews� The one-floor building was used as an outbuilding by the arch duke’s provincial court, situated nearby in the Hofburg� So there is a reason why the street behind the building, today known as Stiftgasse, used to be called Stallgasse (lit� mews street)� There didn’t used to be an entrance, or exit, towards the moat, originally� The latter was added only at a later stage� Two centuries afterwards, there were no horses any longer, yet two floors� In 1717, twenty-four Rumorknechte, the town watch, moved in� Another one hundred years after that, military offices were installed� In 1809, the year of the Tyrolean uprising against Napoleon, the then main guardhouse was alternately occupied by Bavarians, Austrians and Tyro- lean peasants and became the hub of embittered battles� In 1848, it became the sight of a battle once again, when students occupied it and demanded an open state parliament and free elec- tions� In 1921, the building finally was acquired by the city of Innsbruck and renovated� Subsequently, the large hall housed the municipal re- cord section, the passport, the lost property, and the ration card office� The house moreover was home to the school for the constabulary and the criminal police office� In 1929, a police museum was furthermore opened for educational purposes� The police moved out in 1936, and the building subsequently used exclusively for municipal administra- tion purposes� “We are proud that the hall of ‘our’ Innsbruck Information plays a spe- cial role in the context of Innsbruck’s urban history� The stated aim of the redesign consequently also was to make visible again the hall’s orig- inal proportion and appearance� Just as important for us was to plan the renovations in close collaboration with the Federal Monuments Office and to use this unique opportunity to enable diggings in this historically important place,” Dr� Karl Gostner, head of Innsbruck Tourismus, explains� “We are happy that through the renovations we were able to open a window, as it were, on Innsbruck’s history� Thanks to the documentation of the works, the knowledge is also set down for coming generations,” says Mag� Johannes Pöll, on behalf of the Federal Monuments Office� In the summer, the Innsbruck Information will re-open� “For the find- ings we will find a way of presenting them� And especially the feed hatch in the vault, whose existence the archaeologists could confirm, gives us new options for the lighting concept,” Karl Gostner adds� W I N F O R M A T I O N Bis zur Eröffnung voraussichtlich im Juli ist die Innsbruck Information im Innenhof des Stadtturms untergebracht (Herzog- Friedrich-Straße 21)� Öffnungszeiten: Montag - Samstag: 9:00– 18:00 Uhr, Sonntag: 10:00–16:30 Uhr� // Until the re-opening, planned for July, the Innsbruck Information is situated at the city tower (Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 21)� Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:00 to 18:00, Sunday: 10:00 to 16:30�