The Counter-Drive
The horse neighs loudly as its front hooves enter the deep water. Each horse is connected to the main rope through a side rope. The rope attendant quickly strikes a long hammer on a wooden post, to which the two ropes are knotted. The horse is instantly free and can be safely led out of the Traun.
For mining and salt production in Hallstatt and Ebensee, enormous amounts of wood were consumed, requiring logging in the region's forests. Until the early 16th century, rafts, boats, and ships were only built to be dismantled at their final port on the Danube after unloading the goods, and then sold as construction or firewood. Therefore, new boats had to be built for every salt transport. The damage caused to the forests of the Salzkammergut was immeasurable, to the point that even the salt production in the Hallstatt salt mine was at risk. To restrict the wood demand in shipbuilding and preserve the forests from depletion, Emperor Maximilian I ordered the return of all boats to their places of origin in 1509.
This transition did not go smoothly initially. The Reformation libel of 1524 indicates that the regulations favoring the counter-drive using horse traction were not immediately accepted but rather faced massive resistance. The salt producers feared for their income from selling boats at the final port, and fishermen were concerned about the ability to fish in the Traun. Farmers feared for their meadows and fields along the shore and the crop losses associated with the counter-drives. The dispute escalated to the point where boat trains upstream were repeatedly sabotaged. Archduke Ferdinand I even felt compelled to threaten the saboteurs with armed force.
In the early 16th century, in addition to the protests from the local residents, traffic-related difficulties also hindered the smooth operation of the counter-drive. The Traun had to be made navigable, as the riverbed was originally hardly wide enough for two boats to pass. Additionally, two rock formations, the Traunfall and the "Wilde Lauffen," posed significant dangers.
The Traunfall had already been made navigable under Queen Elisabeth in 1311 and renewed in 1416. The expansion of the canal for counter-drives took place from 1552 to 1554 by the forest warden Thomas Seeauer, who was also responsible for the large shipping canal at the "Wilde Lauffen." About fifty years earlier, around 1500, Emperor Maximilian had a winch building with a counter-drive winch erected in the village of Lauffen.
By the early 17th century, the technical problems of the counter-drive were overcome, and the necessary towpaths were established, allowing the return of boats. The paths always had to be in excellent condition to ensure the safety of the horses, as a horse was almost worth more than a human life. A counter-drive in calm water consisted of 2 boats pulled by 4 horses, with a front rider checking the water depth. However, at the Traunfall, 10 to 12 horses pulled only one boat.
With the introduction of the counter-drive, food such as farm grain, fat, wine, bacon, and other goods for the population could be transported on boats to the Kammergut, thus securing the supply.
