Information

Year 1416: Duke Friedrich provokes the King to anger. He was banned from the Empire at the Council of Constance and loses everything, is hounded by his enemies, takes shelter as a servant at the Rofenhof Farm, escapes with the help of maid Anna from north to south across the mountains in order to strengthen his position solider than ever. This story takes place at the original venue in Ötztal, which today hardly looks any different than it did back then. A live road movie along one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Alps, presented by the artistic network of Lawine Torrèn (Hannibal, Schafberg 1911, Hochwald).

Still today, little more than a hundred people live in the vastness of the rear Ötztal valley. Large parts of the landscape are cultivated as they were 600 years ago, at the time of Friedl. "Niederes Tal" area shows barely noticeable traces of the 21st century. From all points of view the landscape forms an authentic backdrop for Friedl's escape over the main Alpine ridge. This backdrop lingers in itself, the spectator hikes right through it. A reserve of time, a chamber of wonder of the annual return of animals, people, plants, weather.

Friedl, the maid Anna, an unknown woman, Oswald von Wolkenstein. Ambition, hopelessness, wantonness, loyalty, betrayal, love, jealousy, fear of death and success. The scenes of this walking theater are either staged along the route in very close vicinity or quite far away. Thanks to small earplugs the audience is always in the acoustic center of the huge natural scenery. The hikers can experience the dialogues and events like unseen observers. Shepherd song and motet, herd instinct and courtly dance, narration and drama paired with contemporary music of the 15th century: the FRIEDL Hiking Theater merges social boundaries in a playful way. The new radio transmission system creates a dense, film-like atmosphere in the mind of the walking audience.

is German, an always understandable mixture of High German and Ötztal dialect. The latter was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO - also because of its proximity to medieval German, of which we don't know what it really sounded like in the spoken word.

The unique Hiking Theater is staged by director Hubert Lepka and his lawine torrèn network of artists. It is a cooperation of lawine torrèn and Ötztal Tourismus with the support of the Province of Tyrol and Austria's Federal Chancellery. A carefully staged play that - without spectacular technology - directs the focus on nature, people and history, making it all the more exciting.

Codex Montpellier, Schule von Notre Dame, Oswald von Wolkenstein, Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin des Prez, Hans Brüderl / Ana Atalaya