“Stille Nacht Gedächtnis Kapelle” (Silent Night Chapel) in Oberndorf, Austria

It is Christmas Eve, and I would like to take this opportunity to share a little history about my favorite Christmas carol, and in my humble opinion also the most beautiful.  “Silent Night” (or in German “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”) was written by Joseph Franz Mohr (1792-1848), a poet and vicar in Wagrain, a mountain village south of Salzburg, and coincidentally the place I was born.  On Christmas Eve of 1818 he presented a poem, which he had written two years earlier, to his friend Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863), a primary school teacher, organist and choir master in Oberndorf, another small town north of Salzburg, and he asked him to compose a melody for church service.

Manuscript of the carol from 1820-25 by Franz Xaver Gruber, the original from 1818 is lost (Image: courtesy of Salzburg Museum)

Gruber wrote the music within hours, and the the iconic carol had its world premiere that same night  in the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf.  It was performed by its creators: Gruber sang the bass part and Mohr tenor,  while accompanying them on the guitar.  The song met with general approval by all in attendance, mostly shipping laborers, boat builders and their families.

The mountain battalion of Salzburg in 1809 (Drawing: Joseph Eder)

These were difficult times around Salzburg, as the end of Napoleonic wars (1792-1815) and the creations of new borders decided at the Congress of Vienna (September 1814 – June 1815) caused the Principality of Salzburg to lose its status as an independent state and to secularize.  The Duchy of Salzburg was divided; the larger portion became incorporated into the Austrian Empire, and the smaller part was delegated to Bavaria.  The Salzach river became the border in parts, and Oberndorf lost its city center Laufen to Bavaria.  An entire territory that had been united for centuries was now divided.  Salzburg did not recover culturally nor economically until the end of the 19th century.

“Die Klostersuppe” (The Soup Kitchen) painting by Georg Ferdinand Waldmüller, 1858
(Image: courtesy of  Museum Georg Schäfer)

For centuries the transport of salt down the Salzach river had provided the basis for the local economy.  But then the salt trade declined during the Napoleonic wars and never fully regained its importance.  This caused a depression, with the shipping companies, boat builders and laborers facing unemployment and an uncertain future.  It was during those challenging times that Mohr wrote the words to “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”, which reflected a longing for peace and well-being.

Oberndorf-Laufen (Photo: courtesy of Rainer Regiment)

It was also the beginning of the Biedermeier era (1815-1848) when in the repressive climate under Chancellor Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich the Austrian masses lived in poverty and the middle class had little freedom and turned to a more domestic lifestyle.  As the home became an idyllic refuge it inspired a demand for beautiful furnishings and decorative objects, which created the refined and delicate style of Biedermeier design.  And as the theater was the subject of much censorship dancing became the ‘opiate of the people’.  Johann Strauss I, along with Joseph Lanner, popularized the waltz and set a foundation for his sons to carry on his musical dynasty into the early 20th century.  It was the birth of the tradition of the ball in Austria.  But the Biedermeier was also a time of technical innovation, with the invention of the steamship and steam railway, sewing machines and gas lighting.

Biedermeier interior with fitted carpets, unified draperies and framed engravings in a restrained classical style

Much changed during that time in life styles, design and innovations; but a small thing relating to Christmas should be noted as well.  Although the tradition by certain guilds of decorating a tree with foods, such as apples, pears, gingerbread, and nuts for the poor dates back to the early 15th century, the Christmas tree, as we know it, did not come to Austria until 1814.  Credit goes to Franziska “Fanny” von  Arnstein, the wife of the Viennese banker Nathan Adam von Arnstein was the daughter of Daniel Itzig, a member of one of Berlin’s most influential Jewish families.  Together with her husband she entertained the celebrities of the Vienna Congress, such as the Duke of Wellington, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgod, and Karl August von Hardenberg.  On Christmas of 1814 she introduced the custom of the decorated pine tree to Vienna’s society at one of their celebrations.  After Henriette von Nassau-Weilburg, wife of Archduke Karl of Austria picked up the tradition it spread throughout all social classes.  Although Fanny remained a loyal jew throughout her life and was buried in a Jewish cemetery, she was clearly encouraging greater integration and tolerance.

Christmas celebration during Biedermeier (Image: courtesy of Austria Lexicon)

It took a while until “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”  reached everyone’s Christmas celebrations.  But as we look back, the collaboration of two ordinary men almost 200 years ago, during very difficult times, resulted in a carol so sweet it has captured hearts all over the world.  It has now been translated into over 130 languages and recorded by over 300 artists from the world of Classical music, Gospel, Jazz, Pop, R&B, and Country.  I have never met anyone in the world who would not recognize its tender melody.  Just listen to the magical voices of the Vienna Boys Choir singing \”Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht\”

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Cheers,