Truppenübungsplätze#
Military Training Areas have been established for the Austrian Armed Forces since the 18th century (Hloubetin near Prague, Turas near Brno, Muenchendorf to the south of Vienna). The military training grounds at Bruckneudorf close to the Kaisersteinbruch (today barracks and shooting range) were established in 1867, shortly after the introduction of universal compulsory military service. In 1878 the Schuettachgraben hollow near Hochfilzen (Tirol) was enlarged, made into a shooting range for the artillery and used until 1908; in 1938 it was taken over by the Wehrmacht (German armed forces); when the Austrian Armed Forces were re-established in 1955 it became a shooting range of the Austrian Army
Several military training areas were established by the Wehrmacht in
Austria. The largest military grounds were established at Doellersheim
in the Waldviertel: from 1938 onwards the population of a large area
situated between Allentsteig and Kamp, the monastery of Zwettl and
Neupoella (42 villages, 6,800 people, 6 farmsteads, 10 mills, 1,389
houses, alt. 470-630 m) was forcibly resettled. In 1941/1942
the municipalities were gradually abolished and the area converted
into military property. Between 1945-1955 Doellersheim was used by the
Soviet army, later the area was reduced to 157 km2,
handed over to the Austrian army and renamed Allentsteig training
area. Other military training areas in Austria are: Dachstein/Oberfeld
in Upper Austria, Lizum/Walchen in Tirol and Carinthia consisting of a
number of small military grounds, and Seetaleralpen in Styria.
Literature#
L. Gros, Uebungsplaetze des Bundesheeres heute - morgen, in: Truppendienst, No. 14, 1975; Der Truppenuebungslatz Allentsteig, Studien und Forschungen des Niederoesterreichischen Instituts fuer Landeskunde 17, 1991.