Austrian Speleological Association


The Austrian Speleological Association is a national caving organization was founded as an umbrella organization of Austrian caving clubs and show caves in 1949.

Activities

The Association coordinates the activities of 25 speleological associations; 24 in Austria and one in Germany. Membership in these associations automatically grants membership in the umbrella organization. Individual memberships are not accepted. The Association maintains:
  • a website featuring the 32 show caves found throughout the country.
  • a list of Austria's longest and deepest caves.
  • a library of 2,800 books and other materials.

Awards

  1. The Golden Cave Bear is "a badge of honor for special services to Austrian caving." It was first awarded in 2014.
  2. The Poldi Fuhrich Award, named in honor of the Austrian woman who was a caving and karst pioneer Leopoldine Fuhrich, is presented to young speleologists for "outstanding work in the field of caving, cave documentation and public relations." It was first awarded in 2010.

Publications

  • Die Höhle - Journal of Karst and Speleology
  • Association newsletters
  • SPELDOK series
  • Karst range and Karst vulnerability maps

Collaborations

The Association works with
  • the Karst and Speleology Working Group of the National History Museum to manage SPELDOK, a database containing data on over 15,500 caves.
  • international karst and speleological organizations on research projects.

Associations

The Association is a member of these international organizations:

Notable members