The forgotten women's fire brigade from Waidhofen: Brave heroines in action!

The forgotten women's fire brigade from Waidhofen: Brave heroines in action!

A remarkable part of the fire brigade history of Waidhofen an der Ybbs comes to light: During the First World War, from 1914 to 1918, a women's fire brigade, which arose from the need, formed the dwindling man of the existing fire brigade. Peter Greßl, district clerk for fire brigade history in Waidhofen, discovered documents and photos of this extraordinary event on his archive trips, which has so far been largely untouched. A firefighter had recorded the first assignment at the fire of the Forsterbach inn in the Redtenbach valley, which is now made accessible to the public.

historical insights

"The First World War naturally had an impact on the team of the 46 -year -old volunteer fire brigade in Waidhofen. The first women's fire brigade in the city of Waidhofen emerged from this emergency situation," explains Greßl. The historical recordings show young women who once bravely dipped into the fire service to protect their city. The importance of these women is underlined by the fact that after the war, on April 12, 1919, 159 men were counted at the general meeting of the active fire brigade - 16 men had fallen during the fights and left a gap that the women filled at times.

The discovery proves that women can take decisive roles in times of crisis and make the historical context of this remarkable women's fire brigade appear in a new light. These snapshots from a turbulent period were largely documented by the Berta Pillgrab-Zacharias family, the heir of which now contributes to honoring the merits of these unique firefighters, as well as bfk-amstetten.at reported.