SILENT NIGHT FOR THE WORLD. FROM AUSTRIA. TH 2OO ANNIVERSARY 200 year anniversary of a world hit Ideas for group tours and events SALZBURG · UPPER AUSTRIA · TIROL WWW.SILENT-NIGHT.COM Fly to Salzburg! The home of »Silent Night« fly.salzburg-airport.com air_Anz_Koffer_215x280_EN_JAN18_def.indd 1 13.02.18 11:24 200 years of “Silent Night” The song as a message of peace Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear travel partners! The words are gentle, soothing and move the heart: “Silent Night” is a song whose magic has remained uninterrupted for 200 years. A song that promises solace and gives hope. Over the centuries, the song has crossed borders and survived crises. It brings people together independently of their origin, age or religion and lets us relate back to the time of its creation. 200 years ago, Joseph Mohr, a priest from Salzburg, and Franz Xaver Gruber, an Upper Austrian teacher, sang the song for the very first time at the St. Nikola Church in Oberndorf near Salzburg. Joseph Mohr wrote the original lyrics that the song was based on, whilst Franz Xaver Gruber created the melody upon Mohr’s request. Only a few years later and with the help of the singing families from the Zillertal valley, the song embarked on a journey from Austria to Europe and to the rest of the world. Today, it is sung in more than 300 languages and dialects. On the occasion of the song’s 200-year anniversary, we have put together attractive activity ideas for a journey into the “Land of Silent Night”, which you will be able to find on the following pages. Individual tours and travel routes take you to the most important destinations in SalzburgerLand, Upper Austria and Tirol, where you can explore the origins of the world-famous Christmas song during any time of the year. Warmly, Petra Stolba Leo Bauernberger Josef Margreiter Andreas Winkelhofer Österreich Werbung SalzburgerLand Tourismus Tirol Werbung Oberösterreich Tourismus 2OO Years “Silent Night” CONTENT 4 5 4 200 years Silent Night 16 Gruber & Mohr How the song came to be in SalzburgerLand 5 In search of peace 19 Following the traces A song comes to be amid difficult times — the story of Franz Xaver Gruber in Upper Austria 9 The protagonists 21 From Tirol Mohr, Gruber et al. into the whole world 12 Sights and attractions 23 Tour operators in the Silent Night locations and incoming partners 14 Discovering the Land of Silent Night 24 National exhibit From Hochburg-Ach to Oberndorf and from Salzburg Celebrating 200 years of myth, history and into the Zillertal valley the message of peace 26 “My Silent Night” The new musical play at Salzburg’s Felsenreitschule theatre 28 The search for the Silent Night Historical re-enactment at the Hochburg-Ach parish church 29 “Mauracher and Mohr“ Stories and songs about Silent Night 31 CD TIP: 200 years of the world peace song 21 38 24 30 Peace to the world 34 Advent events Historical re-enactment in Oberndorf Tradition and music 31 Selected Silent Night products 35 More great events Here you will find gifts and souvenirs Countless more events throughout the anniversary year 32 Salzburg Advent Festival 36 Silent Night, a song for the world “Silent Night” at the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg The story of the world’s most famous Christmas song as a film 33 Festive Advent markets 37 Silent Night A paradise for Advent aficionados The song and its six verses /stillenachtweihnachten 2OO Years “Silent Night” Parish church in Hintersee 200 years Silent Night How the song came to be The song “Silent Night” was created during a time of radical change in Europe. For decades, political upheavals, wars and economic misery tortured and trau- matised the people of the Archbishopric of Salzburg, the Habsburg Monarchy and Bavaria. By way of wars and countless military campaigns, Napoleon had disempowered, plundered and burned to the ground entire strips of land. On top of that, a natural catastrophe occurred in 1816 with devastating effects on the European continent: Crop failures, debt and the “Year Without a Summer” led to hunger and even more misery. With all of this in the background, Joseph Mohr composed his famous poem “Silent Night” in 1816 in Mariapfarr. On Christmas in 1818, he handed the poem to Franz Xaver Gruber, who added a melody to it in Arnsdorf. On that same night, the song was performed toward the end of the Christmas mass for the very first time in Oberndorf. The song was written for two singers and guitar accom- paniment. The result was a Christmas message of peace that offered hope and solace and began to spread like wildfire throughout the world via the Strasser Siblings from Laimach and the Rainer Singers from Fügen (both in Tirol). In 2011, “Silent Night” was recognised by UNESCO as part of our Intangible Cultural Heritage. There is barely anyone today who has never heard the soothing melody, but very few people know that the song’s origins lie in SalzburgerLand, that Franz Xaver Gruber grew up in Upper Austria and that the song’s dissemination began in Tirol. Today, the song’s path leads through SalzburgerLand, Upper Austria and Tirol. Lovingly furnished museums, special exhibitions, churches, chapels, memorials and theme trails across the Silent Night Locations tell the story of the famous song and its dissemination and inform us about the lives and works of Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber. 4 | silent-night.com Pageant in Hochburg-Ach In search of peace A song comes to be amid difficult times — the story War, natural catastrophes, hunger, misery, poverty 1792 - 1815, Europe: including effects on Bavaria and Austria. As a result and epidemics: “Silent Night” is created in difficult The Napoleonic Wars (Coalition Wars) bring Salz- of the cold spring months of 1816, the region ex- times. The song’s creators, Joseph Mohr and Franz burg, Austria and Bavaria two decades of violence, periences substantial crop failures and famines. Xaver Gruber, also grow up in an environment ab- hunger and deprivation. Epidemics spread, people die and Europe experi- solutely unsuitable for children or adolescents: ences one of the first major emigration waves. French troops, occupations and violent crimes are 18.10.1813, Ried im Innkreis: part of everyday life. Their parents struggle to let As a result of the “Treaty of Ried”, the Kingdom of 18.06.1815, Waterloo (Belgium): their children out of the house or even feed them. Bavaria switches sides to the anti-Napoleonic allies. Napoleon returns from his exile on Elba and reclaims A devastating political and economic landscape power for only one hundred days: The Battle of offers little to no future. Evaluating their circumstan- 18.09.1814 - 09.06.1815: Waterloo leads to his ultimate defeat. ces, hopelessness overcomes the people. Those Following the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, the with strong faith in God can have something to fall Congress of Vienna begins the reorganisation of 14.04.1816, Munich: back on. Others become desperate, losing trust Europe. Salzburg, Tirol and Upper Austria are also The “Treaty of Munich” triggers the end of tensions and confidence in a better future. Perhaps it is ex- affected. After years of war, the people suffer great- between the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Austrian actly this traumatic environment that makes people ly and yearn for peace. Empire. However, it also results in significant territorial so receptive to a new song. Like a beacon of light losses on both sides: Bavaria hands the Innviertel and during a dark night, it gives off a shimmer of hope April 1815, Indonesia: Hausruckviertel regions, as well as Vils in Tirol, back and warmth. Mount Tambora erupts on the island of Sumbawa. to Austria. The areas of the former Berchtesgaden A natural catastrophe with global consequences, provostry and the Rupertiwinkel region, on the other silent-night.com | 5 2OO Years “Silent Night” The book printer Joseph Greis was the first to distribute what today is the world’s most famous Christmas song among the people. The first printed version of “Silent Night” was made in Steyr. hand, remain with Bavaria — a particular blow to Salz- the church songbook of Blasius Wimmer, organist and burg. Among other things, it leads to the separation teacher in Waidring, which now appears lost. It is of the affluent maritime town of Laufen: Laufen and its quite possible that Carl Mauracher passed the song entire administration remain Bavarian, whereas on to him during his “repair travels”. Oberndorf on the outskirts joins Austria. On 1 May 1816, the Bavarian seal at the prince-archbishopric December 1822, Fügen: residence in Salzburg is replaced with the Austrian Emperor Franz I of Austria and Tsar Alexander I of double-headed eagle. After years of changing rulers, Russia are guests at the castle of Count Dönhoff. The Salzburg is no longer part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Count asks the Rainer Siblings to perform folk songs to entertain his guests. The Tsar is especially impres- 1816, Mariapfarr: sed. He invites them to his court in St. Petersburg. Figure: Ur-Rainers in England Joseph Mohr, a young assistant priest from Salzburg, around 1827. composes a poem with six stanzas in Mariapfarr. Its Autumn 1824, Fügen: title is “Silent Night”. The Rainer Siblings begin their first journey abroad and travel to Germany. They found the era of the 24.12.1818, Arnsdorf: “Tyrolean national singers”. Joseph Mohr, now an assistant priest in Oberndorf, hands the poem to his friend Franz Xaver Gruber November 1825, Fügen: and asks him to compose a melody to it. Gruber is The Rainer Siblings (“Ur-Rainers”) begin their second a teacher in the neighbouring Arnsdorf as well as an concert tour.