Andreas Hofer

If you have already been to pretty San Leonardo in Passiria, you certainly admired the memorial and museum dedicated to a man called Andreas Hofer. ‘Cause here he was born, the legendary freedom fighter Andreas Hofer.

It started in far away 1767, when at the Sandwirt inn near to San Leonardo in Passiria a baby-boy with the name Andreas Hofer was born. At this stage whole South Tyrol still belonged to Austrian Tyrol. Tough times began for Austrian Tyrol, when in 1805 it was handed over to German Bavaria and Napoleon. Oppressions and intolerable interferences into the Tyrolean culture and religion finally resulted in uprisings and revolts, led by nobody else than 42 years old Andreas Hofer. Three times the outstanding man was able to defend his country and people.

His last battle at the Bergisel mountain was lost, however, and the man escaped to a mountain pasture called Pfandleralm near to his birthplace in Val Passiria. There he was betrayed and on February 20, 1810 after a brief trial Andreas Hofer was executed in Mantova.

Today, numerous South Tyroleans consider Andreas Hofer a patriot and regional hero, with a number of memorials remembering the brave man. Every year on February 20 they celebrate their hero and also the stunning mountain fires on the second Sunday after Corpus Christi are dedicated to Andreas Hofer.

By the way: The MuseumPasseier right after San Martino in Passiria tells you everything about this man and the valley’s history. Definitely worth seeing!