- CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA -

Salzburg Part 2

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In the years 1772 to 1803, under Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo, Salzburg was a centre of late Illuminism. In 1803, the archbishopric was secularized and handed over to Ferdinand III of Tuscany, former Grand Duke of Tuscany, and, two years later it was annexed to Austria together with Berchtesgaden. In 1810 it was returned to Bavaria, but after the Congress of Vienna (1816) it was again restored to Austria. In 1850 it became an independent territory of the Austrian crown.In 1921, in an unofficial poll, 99% of citizens voted for annexation to Germany.

On March 13, 1938, during the Anschluss, German troops occupied Salzburg; political opponents and Jewish citizens were subsequently arrested, and the synagogue was destroyed. Several POW camps for prisoners from the Soviet Union and other nations were organized in the area.

During World War II Allied bombing destroyed 7,600 houses and killed 550 inhabitants. Although the town's bridges and the dome of the cathedral were demolished, much of its Baroque architecture remained intact. As a result, it is one of the few remaining examples of a town of its style. American troops entered Salzburg on May 5, 1945.




Wall decoration at the Concert Hall in Salzburg (left)

The house, now a cafe, in which Constantia Mozart is reputed to have lived after her husband's death (left and below)

One of the three universities in Salzburg (left)



In the city of Salzburg several DP Camps were established following World War II. Among these were Riedenburg, Camp Herzl (Franz-Josefs-Kaserne), Camp Mülln, Bet Bialik, Bet Trumpeldor, and New Palestine. Salzburg was the centre of the American-occupied area in Austria.

As of 2006, Salzburg's Jewish community consists of little more than 100 people. The synagogue at Lasserstrasse 8 is still the religious center.

On January 27, 2006, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Mozart, all 35 churches of Salzburg rang their bells a little after 8PM (local time) to celebrate the occasion.

In the foreground, the Residenz and Benediktinerstiftskirche St Peter with the Hohensalzburg in the background (right)

The Festung Hohensalzburg, the city's fortress, was built in 1077 and expanded during the following centuries.

The Kollegienkirche(right and below)