Andreas Nikolaus Hofer

Andreas Hofer (St. Leonardo (St. Leonhard in Passeier his original and official name in German), South Tyrol, November 22, 1767-Mantua, Italy; February 20, 1810) was a Tyrolean innkeeper and patriot. He was the instigator of the rebellion of the Tyrolean mountaineers against Bonapartist imperialism, the beginning of Pantirolian nationalism.

Biography Andreas Hofer was born in 1767 in San Leonardo (St. Leonhard in Passeier in German), the largest village in the Passeier Valley, located in South Tyrol. Innkeeper, like his father, in 1791 he married Anna Ladurner and was elected parliamentarian.

During the war of the Third Coalition against the Napoleonic forces he was appointed captain of a militia and, after the Tyrol was handed over to Bavaria after the signing of the Pressburg Treaty in 1805, Hofer became leader of the anti-Bavarian resistance movement.

The zip line guerrilla In January 1809, he went to Vienna where Emperor Francis II offered his moral support in the face of a possible insurrection. On April 9, 1809 the Tyrolean rebels, helped by the Austrians, got their first victory over the Bavarians in Isel. On 11, his troops defeated them in Sterzing. These victories allowed the occupation of Innsbruck. Hofer was proclaimed commander of the army and, above all, his notoriety conferred on him the title of charismatic chief of the Tyrolean patriotism.

Napoleon's victory against the Austrians of Archduke Charles dispelled the hopes of success of the Tyrolean. The Bavarians reoccupied Innsbruck but, when the Napoleonic troops left, the rebellion regained its momentum. On May 25 and 29, Hofer's troops defeated the Bavarians in Iselberg and took Innsbruck on the 30th of that same month.

On May 19, Hofer received a letter from the Austrian emperor in which he assured him that he would never sign the Tyrol cession treaty; An Austrian mayor was elected to administer the country.

Wagram's victory on July 16 ended the previous successes. The armistice of Znaim (July 12) left the Tyrol in the hands of the French troops, which was then ceded to Bavaria. Napoleon sent 40,000 men to occupy Innsbruck.

The guerrillas continued fighting. Hofer's head was priced. On August 13 and 14, the rebels defeated Marshal Lefebvre in Bergisel after a 12-hour battle and again took Innsbruck again.

A charismatic leader

Execution of Andreas Hofer in Mantua. Hofer becomes commander in chief of the troops after the battle of Hofburg fought on behalf of the Emperor of Austria. On September 19 he is awarded an imperial medal and the emperor assures him of Austria's support.

The Treaty of Schönbrunn redirects to the scenario of Znaim's armistice whereby Tyrol is returned to Bavaria. Hofer and his troops lay down their weapons under the promise of an amnesty.

On November 12, Hofer receives information about alleged Austrian victories, prompting him to resume the fight. This time the mobilization of the rebels was not so numerous and Franco-Bavarian troops quickly reduced the guerrillas. Hofer fled and took refuge in the mountains of his native Passeiertal. 1500 florins were offered for his head. Josef Raffl, his neighbor, betrayed him and Hofer was captured by Italian troops on January 2, 1810, who sent him to the martial court of Mantua.

Hofer's Fall According to legend Napoleon would have ordered a "trial just before he was convicted" (later he would trust Metternich that Hofer had been executed against his decision). Andreas Hofer was shot on February 20, 1810. Hofer is considered a martyr in Germany and Austria. His name was a point of reference against Napoleonic power.

A symbol of independence In 1823 Hofer's remains were transferred from Mantua to Innsbruck and in 1834 the tomb was covered by a marble mausoleum. In 1818, his family received a title of nobility granted by the Emperor of Austria. In 1893, his bronze statue was erected in Bergisel (Innsbruck). Each year his epic is represented in Merano.

Andreas Hofer's anthem is the official anthem of Tyrol. During the years of linguistic controversy in South Tyrol, Hofer's memory was often used as an example of the resistance of the German-speaking people to the attempts of Italianization that arose, especially during the fascist regime.

In relation to this theme, a very popular propaganda film was made at the time: Der Rebell, El Rebelde in Spanish, starring the German-Italian actor Luis Trenker and directed by Kurt Bernhardt, produced by Paul Kohneren in 1932 Filmed in locations in Innsbruck and its surroundings, with black and white photography, distributed by Universal Picture outside Germany. In Der Rebell, references to the political situation in Germany can be seen immediately before the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship, as well as anti-democratic tendencies and extreme nationalism.

Andreas Hofer. (2019). Retrieved 19 August 2019, from https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Hofer