On May 21st at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – The Dead Mountains – unusual, barren and yet rich in species. Surrounded by the landscape of the Salzkammergut and protected by steep rocky slopes, at an altitude of just over 2,500 meters, lies a wild and almost untouched high plateau between Upper Austria and Styria – the Totes Gebirge. With an area of more than 1,000 square kilometers, it is the largest karst plateau in Central Europe. The interior is criss-crossed by underground watercourses and caves, but the center is dry and bare on the surface. A mystical, seemingly hostile place. But appearances are deceiving. This “Desert of the Alps” is, apart from the barren and vegetation-free rocks, a paradise for wild animals and one of the most diverse habitats in the entire Alpine region, as director Franz Hafner’s Austrian “universe” “The Tote Mountains – Wonderful World of Life” on Tuesday, March 21st. May 2024, at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 2. The documentary was created as a co-production by Interspot Film and ORF in collaboration with ZDF/ARTE and ORF-Enterprise, supported by TV Fund Austria, Cinestyria and the State of Upper Austria.
“In the middle of Europe, an area that can only be reached by walking for hours: I was surprised that it still exists. The terrain is wild, riddled with dangerous crevices and fissures. In my opinion, the Dead Mountains are one of the last areas in Central Europe where you can experience a large wilderness and get a feeling for how small and exposed we humans are to it,” says director Franz Hafner, surprised. It is not without reason that this landscape is of particular value and designated as a European protected area. Around the karst plateau you can still find crystal-clear lakes, pristine forests, meadows or moors and thus form a spectacular contrast to the desolate karst landscape.
One of the most interesting wild animals in this largely untamed wilderness are the grouse. These include ptarmigan, black grouse and also the capercaillie. These animals are seriously threatened by the increasing loss of their habitats. The remote and structurally rich landscape of the Dead Mountains offers them a refuge – from the mountain forest up to the high altitudes – making it a true hotspot for this species. “Typical” Alpine inhabitants such as red deer, foxes, eagle owls and golden eagles are also at home on the high plateau, but also rather unknown creatures such as the snail-tailed kanker (also known as the snail-tailed kanker). The snail canker is a harvestman that hunts snails with crab-like scissors. The courtship display of the capercaillie, the hidden dormouse, the daffodil blossoms and rare species of woodpecker are further natural highlights of the Dead Mountains.
The Dead Mountains have always required a particular degree of adaptation from its inhabitants – people and animals alike. It is also about the diverse relationships between geology, human history and living nature. Humans have also been involved here for several millennia: by mining salt, pushing back the forests for alpine pastures and fishing lakes and rivers. The nature of the Dead Mountains is the result of huge geological forces that occurred long ago. To this day, it is shaped by water, wind, snow and ice and shaped by people involved in economic activity. This is how a true world of wonders of life was created, which nature filmmaker Franz Hafner and his team explored for the “Universum” audience over more than three years: “If you stand on the karst plateau and discover fossilized mussel shells that were deposited 250 million years ago, then you get an idea of the dimensions of the earth’s history and of the tremendous natural forces that shape the earth.”
Interspot film producer Niki Klingohr: “I am extremely pleased that Franz Hafner, after working for our productions abroad for many years, has devoted himself with complete dedication to life in the Dead Mountains and has once again created a special ‘universe’. “
The program and other editions of the nature film series “Universum” are available on ORF ON and in the TVthek app.