Museum 1915–18

The Museum 1915–18 stands in the town hall of Kötschach-Mauthen, a small market town in the Austrian province of Kärnten. It is run by the Verein der Dolomitenfreunde and focuses on the mountain war fought between Austria-Hungary and Italy from 1915 to 1918. Over 600 square metres of display space use photographs, documents, artefacts and life-size reconstructions of alpine positions to show the senselessness of war. The exhibits follow the front line from the Ortler to the Isonzo and tell the stories of ordinary soldiers and civilians on both sides. School programmes and a children’s play corner make the lessons accessible to younger visitors. The museum also holds special exhibitions each year, such as reconstructions of First World War uniforms in miniature or displays on the role of carrier pigeons and radio telegraphy. A short drive away, the Plöckenpass-Kleiner Pal open-air site brings the same history outdoors. Restored trenches, barracks, tunnels and observation posts mark the old front line. Visitors can walk the rebuilt paths and see how the war was fought high in the Alps. The whole area serves as a reminder of the struggle and a call for peace in Europe.