Music and Culture in Salzburg (Austria)

The Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical principality and state of the Holy Roman Empire, which comprised the secular territory ruled by the archbishops of Salzburg. The Diocese of Salzburg was already founded on Bavarian territory in the 8th century, but it needed until the 13th century to gain political autonomy. Around 1600 Salzburg was one of the richest German States. Its autonomy Salzburg was able to maintain until the chaotic times at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1803 Salzburg was secularised and became an electorate under the former Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1805 it became a part of Austria and in 1809 it became a part of Bavaria, before it ultimately lost its autonomy after the Congress of Vienna. Since then is Salzburg a part of Austria. Today it forms one of the nine states of Austria.

Especially the City of Salzburg, as capital of the Prince-Archbishopric, became an important cultural centre under the archbishops. It was the point where the Italian and German cultures met and which played a crucial role in the exchanges between these two cultures. In 1996 the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg was one of the first two Austrian sites to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 1756 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg. One of the most famous Austrians was thus not a real Austrian but a Salzburgian. Together with his older sister Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart he got music lessons from their father very early and soon he was considered to be a musical child genius, who later went on to become one of the most influential composers of the Classical era. In his childhood he made many voyages in Europa, but used to live in Salzburg. A patron and employer of Mozart was Hieronymus von Colloredo, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Annoyed with Mozart's frequent absences he later dismissed him and in 1781 Mozart moved from Salzburg to Vienna, where he worked as freelance composer and where he also died impoverished in 1791.

When Salzburg had already lost its autonomy, another exceptional musical history began in the Salzburgian town of Oberndorf. On 24th December 1818 Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr performed the Christmas carol Silent Night for the first time in the local Saint Nicholas' Church. Mohr had written its text already in 1816 and Gruber composed the melody shortly before Christmas 1818. Soon after its first performance it began to be spread around the World and until today it was translated into more than 300 languages.

In 2011 Silent Night became an Intangible Heritage of the Austrian UNESCO and it was also proposed for the European Heritage Label.
A special memorial for the carol is the Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf. It was built at the site of the former Saint Nicholas' Church, which had to be demolished after it was damaged during the floodings of the Salzach in the late 19th century. The Silent Night Chapel was built between 1924 and 1936 and is today a popular tourist destination.
Of the original autographs of Gruber and Mohr only a few survived until today, but one of them is kept in Salzburg.

The Iberian Peninsula between Christianity and Islam (Spain)

The Umayyad Caliphate had conquered the Iberian peninsula in 8th century, but already in 718 the Reconquista started and the Christians began to establish new kingdoms to foster the power of Christianity on the peninsula. The first kingdom, that was founded by the Christians, was the Kingdom of Asturias in 718. First it was just a small state, but soon started its expansion.

One of the churches built in the Kingdom of Asturias was San Miguel de Lillo in the kingdom's capital Oviedo. The Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias are since 1985 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Cordoba had its period of greatest glory after it had been conquered by the Moorish armies in 711. In 766 it became the capital of the Emirate of al-Andalus and also remained the capital after the emirate became the Caliphate of Cordoba under the Umayyad dynasty in 929. It was an important centre of education and had a big library. In 1236 Cordoba was captured by King Ferdinand III of Castile.

The Great Mosque was built between 784 and 987. After Cordoba had been captured by the Christians, it was turned into a Catholic church.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba is since 1984 on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1994 the rest of the city's historic centre was added.

The Alhambra was first built in the 9th century. In the 13th century it was largely renovated by the Moorish Emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of Granada and in 1333 it was converted into a royal palace by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada. 

In 1492 the Reconquista ended when the Emirate of Granada surrendered to the Christian monarchs after the Granada War. 

Afterwards the Alhambra became the Royal Court of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. There Christopher Columbus received the royal endorsement for his expedition. 

The Alhambra is today the best example of Islamic architecture in Spain and also one of the country's most visited sights. Since 1984 is the Alhambra on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

26.11.2016

Charlemagne and Widukind (Austria, Germany)

Charlemagne was born in 742. He became King of the Franks in 768 and lead the Frankish Kingdom to its biggest expansion. He operated as protector of the papacy, removed the Lombards from power in northern Italy and fought against the Muslims in Spain. His rule also spurred the Carolingian Renaissance. In 774 he became King of Italy. In 800 he was crowned by Pope Leo III the first Holy Roman Emperor since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During his reign he united big parts of Western Europe and is today known as Pater Europae. Charlemagne died in 814.

Albrecht Dürer's Charlemagne from the collection of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

Around 796 Charlemagne started the construction of a chapel for his palace in Aachen. The church, which later became the Aachen Cathedral, is one of the most important Carlolingian monuments and was constantly enlarged over the centuries. In 814 Charlemagne was buried in the church and between 936 and 1531 thirty German Kings were coronated in the cathedral. In 1978 the Aachen Cathedral was one of the first twelve sites to be listed as World Heritage of the UNESCO.

In 772 Charlemagne started the first attempt to conquer Saxony. These Saxon Wars ended after 32 years and eighteen battles in 804, when the last rebellion of disaffected tribesmen was crushed. Afterwards Saxony was incorporated into the Frankish realm and the Saxons were forcible converted to Catholicism.

Widukind was a leader of the Saxons and Charlemagne's chief opponent during the Saxon Wars. In 785 he surrendered to Charlemagne and was baptised. Later many legends developed around Widukind's life.

Imperium Romanum and its remains in Rome (Italy)

Ancient Rome was one of the largest empires of the ancient World. Once the complete Mediterranean area was under Roman rule. The modern day countries of Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crimea, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Georgia, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Libya, Macedonia, Malta, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Vatican belonged at least in parts to the Roman Empire. The Empire existed for more than 1000 years and its remains can still be seen today in its former territory.

According to the legend Rome was founded in BCE 753 by Romulus, who introduced the monarchy. Romulus and his brother Remus were the sons of Mars, the Roman God of War, and Rhea Silvia. They were later abandoned in the Tiber, breastfed by a wolf and nursed by a shepherd.

In BCE 509 the monarchy was overthrown and the republic was established. The government was then headed by two consuls advised by the senate. Firstly only the aristocratic Patricians had political power, but over the years also the common Plebeians got more and more rights.

The Senate had it seat at the Forum Romanum, the heart of Ancient Rome and the centre of Roman public life. Today it is one of the most important excavation sites about Ancient Rome.

Until the 3rd Centenary BCE the Romans were able to bring the complete Italian peninsula under their control. In the following Rome was able to gain the control in the western Mediterranean area after they defeated Carthage in the three Punic Wars and also in the eastern Mediterranean area after they conquered the Kingdoms of the Diadochi. But the Republic did not have the ability to control the large territory. A time of civil wars followed. Caesar emerged victorious, abandoned the republic and put himself in charge. But not for long, in BCE 44 Caesar was killed and a new civil war broke out. Caesar's adopted son Octavius won and became monocrat. The principate was introduced and the Roman imperial period began, a period of peace and stability. The emperors led the Ancient Rome to a new heyday, although the principate was also weakened by scandals.

A famous monument from this time is the Colosseum. The construction was started in 72 by the Roman Emperor Vespasian. He want to ingratiate oneself with the people while staging panem et circenses (Bread and Games). His son Titus finished the construction. Inside was enough space for 50000 viewers. It is one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.

Under the rule of Trajan the Roman Empire reached its largest expansion. Due to external pressure starting in the 3rd century the Romans became more and more impatient with the government. With the Edict of Milan, issued in 313, the Christianity was admitted.

Arch of Constantine commemorating the victory of
Constantin the Great in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312

In 395 the Roman Empire was divided. Constantinople became capital of the Eastern part, the government of the Western part was housed in Milan. The end of the Western part came in 476 with the dismissal of the last emperor, the Eastern part became part of the Byzantine Empire.

After the fall of the Roman Empire Rome fell under the control of the Pope. In the 8th Century it became the capital of the Papal States, in 1871 of the Kingdom of Italy and in 1946 of modern day Italy. Since 1980 is the Historic Centre of Rome on the UNESCO World Heritage List.