On Carnival Uprisings and Rebellion
Any form of external paternalism has always been met with near-allergic reactions in the Salzkammergut. The history of the Salzkammergut is indeed a history of unrest and uprisings.
The new teachings of Protestantism spread very quickly in the Salzkammergut. “As in many mining areas, Lutheranism quickly gained followers, and by the 1520s, for example, Gmunden was considered a ‘Lutheran nest’. The Protestants remained so persistent in their faith that the onset of the Counter-Reformation at the end of the century met with extreme resistance.”
In Bad Aussee, it was apparently once forbidden to celebrate in the streets – so the festivities were moved to the rooftops. In Ebensee, there was even a “Carnival Uprising” in 1733.
BILD © 06_Carnival in Ebensee @Anita Kahr_Salinen Austria AG.JPG
In addition to religious tensions, there were also significant climatic problems. After a medieval warm period, Europe experienced a “Little Ice Age”. The climate noticeably deteriorated in the Salzkammergut as well, especially in the 17th century. This naturally had a significant impact on the supply of the population, which in the Salzkammergut was always dependent on now much more expensive imports.
"Already in 1392, there was an uprising in Lauffen and Hallstatt against their lord, Duke Albrecht III. Citizens and coopers, miners, and sluice workers (in Steeg) and others were mentioned. The punishments imposed by the Duke were harsh: Several rebels were blinded and hanged, others were imprisoned for many years, and the rest submitted and pledged obedience."
Gerhart Baron: Der Beginn.
Die Anfänge der Arbeiterbildungsvereine in Oberösterreich. Linz, 1971, S. 46.
(The Beginning. The Origins of Workers' Educational Associations in Upper Austria.)
"Also in the Salzkammergut, during the very sensitive 1730s, there was the so-called 'Shrove Tuesday Revolt.' In the critical year 1733—amid religious turmoil and one year before the beginning of the expulsion to Transylvania—the saltworks administration unnecessarily provoked the workers' anger. Traditionally, the workers were given time off at noon on Shrove Tuesday, with full pay, to celebrate. In an exaggerated effort to save money, they wanted to cut the approximately 36 gulden cost for the entire workforce in Ischl (470 people). This unwise measure, affecting only a tiny expense, was the last straw. The workers left work early on Carnival Saturday, gathered in front of the administrative building [...] and demanded [...] the continuation of the traditional practice. The salt commissioner Seeau in Gmunden got wind of the matter, and since the uprising came at an inopportune time, when a religious rebellion was threatening, he canceled the petty regulation, and as before, the afternoon of Shrove Tuesday was free."
Michael Kurz: Salzkammergut-Geschichte(n).
Von der Industrie- zur Welterbelandschaft. Bad Ischl, 2005, S. 204.
(Salzkammergut Stories. From Industrial Landscape to World Heritage.)
More information and a few tips:
https://www.salzkammergut.at/aktivitaeten/winter/fasching.html
NÁBOŽENSTVÍ A REBELIE
Na jakékoliv vnější zasahování reagovali obyvatelé Salzkammergut odjakživa téměř alergicky. Historie Salzkammergut je skutečně historií nepokojů a povstání. Nové učení protestantismu se v Salzkammergut šířilo velmi rychle. „Stejně jako v mnoha těžebních oblastech si luteránství rychle získalo příznivce, už ve 20. letech 16. století bylo například Gmunden považováno za ‚luteránské hnízdo‘. O to vytrvalejší zůstávali evangelíci ve své víře, takže nastupující protireformace na konci století narazila na extrémní odpor.“
V Bad Aussee bylo prý jednou zakázáno slavit na ulicích – a tak se oslavy přesunuly na střechy. V Ebensee došlo v roce 1733 dokonce k „masopustnímu povstání“. K náboženským napětím se přidaly ještě velké klimatické problémy. Po středověkém teplém období došlo v Evropě k „malé době ledové“. Zejména v 17. století se klima v Salzkammergut výrazně zhoršilo. To mělo samozřejmě velký vliv na zásobování obyvatelstva, které bylo v Salzkammergut stále závislé na nyní mnohem dražších dovozech.