On the Grasberg near Gmunden, a seventy-five-year-old man was found with an Italian passport; he claimed that he came from the village of Reindlmühle at the foot of the Grasberg, which, of course, the police, who had taken him to the Hotel Schachinger in Reindlmühle to warm up—he was suffering from total hypothermia—did not believe. The man, who called himself de Orio in his passport, was, according to his own account, actually called Pfuster and in 1907, when not yet eight years old, had gone with a traveling circus that had set up its big top in Reindlmühle first to Bohemia and from there via Poland and Romania to Italy and had finally stayed with the circus. Shortly before World War II, in 1937 to be precise, he had come back with the circus to Upper Austria and into the Traunsee area, and the circus had, in fact, set up its big top in Reindlmühle again. At that time, however, so he said, he had not revealed his true identity and had not had the slightest desire to stay in Reindlmühle; he had left with the circus again, this time for Hungary and Macedonia. It was only now, when he had, so to speak, reached the end of his tether, that he had made the effort to return to Reindlmühle. After a short time the police established that the man’s statements—he actually did come from Reindlmühle though he was officially an Italian—were true. It was also made known that for a long time people had thought the young Pfuster had fallen into the raging river Aurach and had been washed away.

Photographers

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Many years ago a photographer took up residence in Ebensee; from the very first day he was rumored to have spent several years in prison for having molested a thirteen-year-old boy from Ischl. Not a single person had their photograph taken by the photographer, who expected to do good business in Ebensee, where so many weddings take place throughout the year, or at the very least to make a decent income, and he finally had to close down his business and move out again. It is said that there was no truth to the rumor; it was originally spread by the Traunkirchen photographer Strößner. Strößner has now stated that his colleague has committed suicide, but it is not known how.

Schluemberger

SCHLUEMBERGER