Already in November 1914 representatives of the Austro-Hungarian military and civil authorities met in the Welser Heide to inspect the site of the subsequent Marchtrenk camp. In 1915, Austria-Hungary began the construction of the camp in the Upper Austrian community, where POWs of various nationalities were intended to be housed. The barrack settlement, around three kilometres long and consisting of three sub-camps (Camps I, II and III), was capable of accommodating up to 35,000 persons, and had its own infrastructure to supply and “manage” the military prisoners. The water tower was constructed in 1915/16 by several companies, including the Allgemeine österreichische Baugesellschaft (today: PORR AG). It was intended to supply the camp with clean drinking water. Following World War II, a residential settlement was constructed on the former camp grounds for expelled Transylvanian Saxons and Danube Swabians (the “Roithner settlement/camp”). The water tower houses a small permanent exhibition about the history of the Marchtrenk POW camp. The military cemetery also commemorates the events of World War I and is regularly visited by Russian and Italian delegations among others.
Historic Water Tower
Wasserturmstraße
AT–4614 Marchtrenk
+43 7243 552 – 0
gemeindeamt@marchtrenk.gv.at
https://www.museumsvereinmarchtrenk.at/
