Think of the Peasants' War – Upper Austria 1626: My, your, our history?

OÖ 1626 – A Contested Heritage
The Upper Austrian Peasant War of 1626 resulted from tensions that had built up over years: political foreign rule, economic burdens, and conflicts over faith. Previously, the Frankenburger Criminal Court of 1625 had condensed these experiences into an event that has been deeply inscribed in the collective memory.
The consequences of the war extended far beyond the military defeat. Repression, pressure on faith, and emigration shaped entire generations – and later became an important part of regional and Protestant memory and identity.
However, the way the Peasant War is remembered has changed repeatedly: sometimes as an illegitimate uprising, sometimes as a struggle against foreign rule, sometimes as a testimony of faith, later also as a social-revolutionary liberation struggle, as a national-religious popular uprising, or as a reminder of tolerance and against violence. The various places of remembrance in Upper Austria alone show: history is not a fixed possession, but the result of negotiation. Different political and confessional groups interpreted the events anew and used them for their present – up to this day.
Our event series invites you to engage in dialogue about these multifaceted interpretations – openly, controversially, in respectful listening, and with the guiding question:

OÖ 1626: My, your, our history?
After a few short presentations, these will be discussed and reflected upon together among the audience. Musical accompaniment and food and drink will be provided.

Speakers:
LAbg. Elisabeth Gneißl, farmer from Frankenburg
Hermann Schneider, artistic director of the Landestheater Linz
Mag. Matthias Fellinger, former editor-in-chief of the Linz Church Newspaper
Mag.a Gabriele Müller, art educator and jewelry designer
Alois Ferihumer, chairman of the Stefan Fadinger Museum Association in St. Agatha

Moderation:
Christoph Lindinger

Music:
Jakob Gnigler, saxophone