Alpenverein, Österreichischer, ÖAV#
Alpenverein, Oesterreichischer (Austrian Alpine Association) OeAV, founded in 1862 in Vienna as the first Alpine Club on the European continent ("Sektion Austria" of today), 5 years after the founding of the English Alpine Club; the goal of the OeAV is to promote mountain climbing by theory and practical measures (presentations, publications, cartography, building of mountain sanctuaries and paths, mountain guides, libraries, museum collections, education of members, community activities). Merged in 1873 with the German Alpenverein co-founded by F. Senn to form the "German and Austrian Alpine Association" (DuOeAV). After that, the Alpine Association was divided into sections. Loss of possession of refuges in 1918/1919 (South Tyrol); "German nationalist" tendencies between the wars (the question of anschluss, anti-Semitism; E. Pichl). In 1938 merged with the German Alpenverein; after 1945 the OeAV was re-established as legal successor. In 1993, membership totalled 234,000 in 190 sections (including 1 English, 1 Flemish and 1 Dutch section), the OeAV owned 270 mountain refuges and bivouacs. Verband alpiner Vereine Oesterreichs.
Publications#
Mitteilungen, 1863ff.; Jahrbuch (with map insert), 1865ff.; Wissenschaftliche Alpenver.-Hefte (occasional).Further reading#
A. M. Mueller, Geschichte des Deutschen und Oesterreichischen Alpenver., doctoral thesis, Muenster 1979; H. Hanke, 100 Jahre Oesterreichischer Alpenverein 1862-1962; Mitteilg. des Oesterreichischen Alpenver. 112/42, no.3, 1987.