Family grateful

After the Easter inferno: farm resurrected

The Egghof at the time of the fire inferno (left) and today (right)(Bild: Zoom.Tirol, Christof Birbaumer)

The inferno broke out over lunch on Easter Monday and the 800-year-old "Egghof" farm in Alpbach in the Tyrolean district of Kufstein was reduced to ashes and rubble. But then the family experienced incredible support and can believe in the future again.

Who should we highlight, who should we thank in particular? Christine and Gottlieb Margreiter look at each other, almost at a loss. The family is well connected in village life and is popular with everyone. When tragedy strikes, the village is there to help. Everything in life comes back, they say.

Many friends and the rural youth, in which the twins Christoph and Lisa are involved, handed over donations or helped in the midst of the rubble. "At one point, there was even a delegation from Fieberbrunn at the door," says Gottlieb. Closer to home were his mountain railway colleagues or his shooting buddies, who worked shifts. The mountain rescue service supplied the food from the "Zirmalm" inn. Then there is the tractor manufacturer, Christoph's boss, who provided a tractor for an entire summer. Many large and small gestures for which there is not enough space here.

Family sacrificed vacations
From the very beginning, the help of the extended family, including from Christine's home in Wildschönau, was paramount. Vacations were sacrificed and Christine's parents almost single-handedly managed the alpine pasture, while the new Egghof slowly grew out of the building hole. "The origins go back to the 12th century," Gottlieb learned at elementary school.

The Kassettl jewelry and a satchel as rays of hope
The remains after the terrible hours were manageable - and yet they were rays of hope. "I grabbed the 300-year-old quill pen satchel in the hallway when sparks were already flying in my face," Gottlieb looks back with a shudder. Under one and a half meters of charred rubble, Christine found her hair clip and the decoration for the traditional Alpbacher Kassettl, which are held in honour during processions. And Gottlieb even found his wedding ring in the remains. He also found a bell from 1847, which his great-great-grandmother's father had once placed around the neck of a cow.

Gottlieb Margreiter with the rescued bell from 1847(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

The Tyrolean grabbed the 300-year-old quill pen in the hallway.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Christina Margreiter found the decoration for the Alpbacher Kassettl in the charred rubble.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Workers from the local carpentry workshop are working on the roof.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Joachim from Germany, a tenant of the family, also lends a hand.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Little by little, the Egghof in Alpbach is being built.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

When the flames spread in a flash from the tractor battery to the living quarters on Easter Monday, all that was left to do was drive the cows out of the barn. "Without the wind, we could probably have saved more," muses Gottlieb. But they are also grateful that everyone survived the day in one piece. Thoughts and everyday life have long since turned to the future.

Several companies are trying their best
Six months after that memorable day, the building shell already has a roof to protect the cows in winter. Companies, often under time pressure and stress themselves, are trying to do their best for the Egghof. The dimensions are considerable, but are also explained by regulations: "I would never have thought of a playpen in my life," explains Gottlieb. And yet he only wants to increase the number of cows slightly from twelve to 15. Farming as it has always been in the valley - that's how it should remain for the most part.

Insured, but there's also inflation
The financial side? It's a worry - despite overwhelming help and donations. The farm was properly insured according to current standards - "but inflation has overtaken us," says Gottlieb. Various specifications had surprising things to offer: a lightning protection system for 28,000 euros, a basin for rainwater for 15,000 euros. 22 concrete trucks for a single ceiling. Despite all the adversities: At some point next year, they want to leave the building next door, which was left standing thanks to a courageous fire-fighting effort. If the fire department had not discovered a burning cardboard box behind the pile of wood there using a thermal imaging drone, it might have burned down too.

Now there is no longer any doubt that the history of the proud farm high above Inneralpbach will continue after 800 years. "Without you," says the family, referring to the many helpers and donors, "it wouldn't be possible."