The island of Alcatraz, in the bay of San Francisco, is famous because of the strongly secured prison of the same name located there, which operated from 1934 to 1963. The history of the island goes back to 1775, when the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala discovered the island and put it on the map with the name 'La Isla de los Alcatraces' or, 'The Island of the Pelicans'. In 1850, President Fillmore decided that Alcatraz was a strategic site and that a fortress should be built; it was finally completed in 1859. The lighthouse on the island was the very first on the west coast of the USA. However, Alcatraz was never involved in any military battle.
ater, during the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century, the first prisoners of war were sent to the island. The first civil prisoners arrived in 1906 as a direct consequence of the destructive earthquake which hit San Francisco. In 1933, Alcatraz became the property of the United States Department of Justice and became the best-known prison on earth. As its buildings deteriorated and the cost of upkeep became too expensive, the prison was closed in 1963. From November 1969 to June 1971, Alcatraz was occupied by a group of Indians who wanted to draw attention to their request to create an Indian Cultural Centre. Unfortunately, during this occupation several buildings were damaged and the house of the lighthouse keeper was destroyed by fire. Since 1972, Alcatraz has been administrated by the National Park Service and is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In this piece, the composer Fritz Neuböck takes you on a trip to the island to discover the atmosphere of 'The Rock'.
