Biography Parth Family
Tradition is not the worship of ashes,
but the passing on of fire.
(Jean Jaurès, French politician)
but the passing on of fire.
(Jean Jaurès, French politician)
This fire has been felt in the Parth family for generations. The family members are hosts out of tradition and passion.
Katharina Parth
This passion probably started with Katharina Parth. It is rumored that she was the first emancipated woman in Paznaun. She was born Katharina Mattle in Galtür in 1881. Her professional career took her from Ischgl via Meran to the Stüdlhütte on the Großglockner. After a while she was able to take over as a tenant. A second hut was to follow, the Payerhütte on the Ortler. Needless to say, a woman in the Alpine region running a business independently and unmarried was a sensation at the beginning of the 20th century. Her desire to settle down and start a family led her to open her first guesthouse in 1927 on the site of today’s Hotel Yscla. At that time it was the first guest house in the region in which every room had running and warm water. Katharina Parth was 100 years old.
OSR Dir. Josef (Pepi) Parth
Her son, OSR Dir. Josef (Pepi) Parth was born in 1921. After the Second World War, he trained as a teacher and worked as director of the elementary school in Ischgl for many years. According to traditional stories, the imparting of knowledge, discipline and order were more important to him than his personal popularity in this activity. Like his mother, Peppone was never at a loss for a humorous comment. For example, he is said to have said, “I liked being a teacher, but I wouldn’t want to be one anymore.” His wife Ella, who grew up in the Zeinis inn, not only had extensive experience in the hospitality industry, but also the necessary strength to succeed alongside a busy and successful man. What a real Parth is not satisfied with just one job. Josef Parth also worked, among other things, as organist, chairman of the music band, music director, local councilor, board of directors and supervisory board of Silvrettaseilbahn AG and tourist association managing director or chairman. He also founded the community newspaper “Schnerfr”, which is still published today. Ischgl thanked him for his great and diverse commitment with the community’s Ring of Honor. However, he considered his wife Ella and his two daughters and four sons to be his greatest and most important achievements.
Alfons Parth
When it comes to his commitment to the tourism industry, Alfons Parth is in no way inferior to his father. After intensive and busy years abroad and in his parents’ business, he took over the Hotel Yscla in 1990 together with his wife Maria-Odile, who also came from a long-standing host family. Over the past few decades he has transformed his business from an inn into a boutique hotel. Quality and service were always his top priority. But Parth is not only characterized by his efforts for his own company, but also the professional development and leading position of Ischgl was and is very important to him. As chairman of the tourism association, he was responsible for the fortunes of his homeland for more than three decades and made a significant contribution to Ischgl’s development into an international brand. A number of other committees he led, such as the Association of Ischgl Tourism Companies and the Association of Tyrolean Tourism Associations, were able to benefit from his extensive know-how, strong political contacts and his persistence.
When awarding the honorary title of Commercial Councilor 2019, the Chamber of Commerce stated that Ischgl’s upswing is inextricably linked to Alfons Parth.
Benjamin Parth
Speaking of upswing: Yscla with its in-house gourmet restaurant Stüva has been considered one of the finest addresses in Austria for years. Alfons Parth’s son Benjamin is responsible for this. Listing all of his awards would go beyond this scope. As the youngest award-winning chef in Austria, he can already look back on a number of career highlights despite his young age: Chef of the Year 2019, member of the exclusive restaurant association “Les Grandes Tables du Monde”, “Young Chef Award 2020” from the French restaurant guide “La Liste”, and many more. Parth describes his own style as “French classic interpreted in a modern way, puristic and cosmopolitan”. The love for the job was literally born in my cradle. He always remembers his first attempts at cooking cheese dumplings with Nona Ella, whom he describes as a phenomenal cook. Irma, the maternal grandmother, also left a lasting impression on the young star chef with her baked goods. He even rates their nut rolls and Linzer cakes as the best in the world. “My grandmothers always worked hard, but always found time for their grandchildren,” says Parth.
Sarah
But with Benjamin, Yscla is in good hands. Especially since he – like his father and grandfather before him – is very lucky to find in Sarah a partner who not only understands his passion, but also shares it. After all, she is an award-winning host herself. She is not only the only ASI sommelier in Austria, but as Maître d’Hotel she is now also the main person responsible for the well-being of the guests. Born in Pettneuer, she shares her passion for skiing with her famous cousins, the Matt brothers, Olympic and world champions.
Clara, Sarah and Benjamin’s daughter, is the youngest member of the Parth family and chances are good that she will also continue the hosting tradition.
