Camping, campfires, community and adventure – the Boy Scouts continue to fascinate young and old to this day. Their history goes back a long way; the movement was founded in England in 1907. The Kleinmünchen-Auwiesen scout group is not that old, but it is still 90 years old and is celebrating its anniversary on Saturday at the traditional spring festival. For this purpose, the meadow behind the scout home at Flötzerweg 31a will become a festival meadow.
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On October 10, 1934, Martin Springer founded Kleinmünchen’s first scout group in the cellar of the rectory. It was the beginning of an eventful history, because just four years later Austria became part of the Third Reich and the Boy Scouts were banned by the Nazis.
Refounded in 1946
After the war, the group was re-founded by Willi Zimmerbauer. The first home evening took place in his apartment, then from 1950 onwards in a barracks on Franz-Kurz-Straße. In 1954 the scouts moved to Flötzerweg, first into the basement of a residential building, then in 2003 into a new building next door. In between there were a few difficult years for the group, a “trough,” as the breaking latest news puts it. In the mid-1970s they were given a new lease of life by Ernst Radner.
Image: Boy Scout Group Linz 5
“}”> The Kleinmünchen scout group in 1956 Image: Linz 5 scout group
After that, things went well until Corona came 50 years later. The Boy Scouts were like many clubs: suddenly home evenings were only possible online and events were prohibited. “Some stopped and never came back,” says secretary Andrea Lüdecke in an OÖN interview. There are almost 100 members today. In addition to the falling membership fees, there were rising energy costs for home operations after the Russian attack on Ukraine. “These are tough times for clubs,” says Lüdecke, herself a Girl Scout since she was six.
But she is optimistic despite the challenges. “There is once again a good, young team that is very motivated and enjoys leading the scout group into the future,” she says. And she believes in the appeal of the Boy Scouts. “The Scout life is a piece of freedom in our hectic world,” she says – the summer camp, the time outside in nature without a cell phone, the community and friendships that often last a lifetime. The highlight of the scout year is undoubtedly the summer camp, where the children and young people can apply the skills they have tried out in their home lessons.
Quite a few scouts remain loyal to the movement as adults. On Saturday, not only the 90s of the Scouts will be celebrated, but also 30 years of the “Guild”. Named after Willi Zimmerbauer, the guild is a group of former Boy Scouts and friends of the Boy Scouts who take part in events – such as punch at Christmas time. The spring festival begins on Saturday at 3 p.m., followed by a morning pint on Sunday at 10 a.m.