MEMORIES from the
2005 European School of High-Energy Physics
Kitzbühel, Austria, 21 August - 3 September 2005

Poster Session
Excursions
Press and TV
Links to official photo and students' photos

Ninety-seven students coming from thirty-three different countries attended the thirteen in the new series of the European School of High-Energy Physics, which took place in Kitzbühel, Austria, from 21 August to 3 September 2005.

Emmerich Kneringer from the University of Innsbruck was the local director of the School, co-chaired by Laurenz Widhalm from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna with Manfred Jeitler, also from Vienna as the third member of the local committee. In addition Andreas Salzburger was acting as a very efficient “assistant” to the local team. Mr. Otto Langer from the Kitzbühel Rotary Club also helped bringing the School to Kitzbühel and provided important links to the town authorities.

Short History.

Kitzbühel is a fascinating destination in the Alps and a charming town that has preserved the original character of its alpine chalets.  It is a famous ski resort and the birthplace of Toni Sailer, three times Olympic Champion and seven times World Champion. Its major attraction is the ski slope "the Streif" on Hahnenkamm.  Held on the steepest and most dangerous slopes it draws the biggest crowds of all ski races in the world. During Summer time for those who want to go up in the mountain world, the Kitzbühel area offers magnificent mountain scenery, beautiful countryside, a large choice of walks and treks of various lengths for every taste and level of ability.  The lifts take hikers and walkers up to the start of the best mountain trails in the Kitzbühel Alps.

 Kitzbühel first became part of the Tyrol in 1342 through the marriage of Margarete Maultasch to Bavarian Duke Ludwig The Brandenburger. After the death of her husband and the six-year war between Bavaria and Austria, however, Margarete relinquished her territorial claim to the Tyrol. About 500 years ago the Emperor Maximilian conquered Kitzbuehel and the fortification of Kufstein, thus incorporating Kitzbühel in Tyrol and the Habsburger empire.

Kitzbühel

Poster Session

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EXCURSIONS and SPECIAL EVENTS were organized during the school.
The first Monday, a welcome drink offered by Professor Rudi Grimm, Dean of the University of Innsbruck, was served in the bar of the Hotel. Professor Tilmann Märk, Vice rector of the University of Innsbruck, Dr. Klaus Winkler, Major of Kitzbühel, Mr. Otto Langer, who helped to get the School in Kitzbühel and Egil Lillestol, Director of the CERN Schools of Physics gave nice welcome speeches.  Mag. Renate Danler, Head of the Tourism office in Kitzbühel, offered each participant the  Kitzbühel pin of the famous stylized chamois designed by Alfons Walde. 

The first Wednesday afternoon was a guided tour of Kitzbühel. The tour, which was organized as a travel in time, was very interesting allowing the participants to learn about the region’s history and the beautiful architecture of the town.
The guides, who were dressed in costumes of the 16^th century when Maximilian the First integrated Tyrol in his Empire, were playing the roles of Maximilian the First and of his two wives, Marie de Bourgogne and Maria Bianca Sforza.  The tour made the city come to life under our eyes and we could easily imagine how the local inhabitants lived in older times.  We could almost hear the clip-clop of the horse hooves on the old cobbles as we walked along taking in all the information from the guides.

 
Maximilian, his two wives and a miner

Saturday was a visit to Salzburg. On our way to Salzburg we saw how the valley is nestled between the high mountains.   The road took us across Germany, the so called kleines deutsche Eck, a worry to some of the Eastern students with single entry visas, but we had to trust our guide that the students would be allowed back to the school.

The city of Salzburg - and especially its historic city center – is in fact one of the loveliest places in Europe, winning international acclaim in 1997 when it was designated a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The participants were split into two groups each with an official guide, and the tour went across the Mozart Square with the memorial of the city's genius, followed by the Market Square, the Residence Square with its splendid fountain and the Cathedral Square.  The Cathedral, which was originally built in the 7th century can take up to about 8000 people! We continued over the Kapitel Square at the foot of the Hohensalzburg Fortress and crossed the St Peter cemetery with the catacombs.  We saw the Monastery of St Peter, the Horse Pond, the Toscanini courtyard and the Festival House.  We passed the Nonnberg Abbey, the oldest monastery for nuns in German speaking countries. It was also interesting for many to see the house where Doppler had lived.

After the official tour, most of the participants ended up in the romantic gardens of the Mirabell Palace, built by the Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress and their children. Today, the palace hosts the city council on the other side of the river Salzach.  There was also plenty of time for a walk through the countless narrow streets which feature buildings from the Middle Ages, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance periods as well as the elegant classical burghers' houses dating from the monarchy.  We explored charming shopping lanes with romantic courtyards and admired the high, narrow houses tightly nestled together with beautiful portals, like the portal of Mozart's Birthplace where the Mozart Museum is located in the rooms formerly occupied by the Mozart Family.

The Hohensalzburg Fortress, built in 1077 and considerably enlarged during the 15th Century, is the largest, fully-preserved fortress in central Europe. The fortress could easily be reached by a funicular, but most of the participants walked up the steep footpath only to discover the rather high entrance price, which discouraged many to go inside.