Born in  St.Georgen, Attergau, Professor Johannes Eisner (*11.04.1915 – †21.10.93) had a significant impact on amateur astronomy and its development in Austria in the post-war period.

After concluding his studies, he worked as a secondary school and vocational college teacher in Gmunden.It was here that he saw how the ruins of the powder tower on Calvary Mountain (Kalvarienberg) could potentially be used as the basis for building an observatory.To form the core observatory instrumentation, Professor Eisner acquired a variety of instruments from the director of the Vienna University observatory.

In 1951, he recorded a list of all the astronomy enthusiasts associated with the observatory and formed the “Verband von Sternfreunden in Österreich” (“Austrian Astronomy Enthusiasts Association”), which subsequently spawned the “Arbeitsgruppe für Astronomie” (“Astronomy Working Group”) in the House of Nature in Salzburg in 1979.

Prof. Eisner is particularly merited with the organisation and successful implementation of two eclipse expeditions (1961 and 1966) carried out within the scope of the association.

In 1957, Karl Silber, who had been an employee since 1952, became head of the observatory. Through the support of friends and volunteers, the organisation of guided tours and observations was ensured over a period of fifty-two years. He did this with the help of his passion for the subject, the concentration of poker spieler and a real dedication. He is a true example of the benefits of hard work.Since the beginning of 2010, the facility has been run by Hagen Tolle.

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