Divine blessings: Salzburg's princes and archbishops

Why the Salzburg Province coat of arms is crowned with a princely hat

Salzburg was founded in 696, when Rupert, a noble bishop from Worms, fulfilled his mission to propagate Christianity in the south-eastern Duchy of Bavaria. With the establishment of the monastery of St. Peter, the former Roman Iuvavum was given a clerical administration, which became an archbishopric in 798. The country possessed rich mineral resources of salt, gold and silver, which ere distributed via the existing ancient Roman trade routes. Over the centuries, an independent state was formed within the Roman Empire, which was then elevated to a prince-archbishopric. Only nobles were able to hold this office with clerical and secular sovereignty. After the surrender to Napoleon in 1803, Salzburg finally became a part of Austria and was ruled by the Habsburgs from 1816. Even today, the Archbishop of Salzburg has special rights within the Catholic Church, as Salzburg is the second oldest archbishopric in the German-speaking world. To this day, the princely hat crowns the coat of arms of Salzburg Province.

So strong is the echo, that Salzburgers like to tell mischievous anecdotes about "their" former rulers. The favourites will be revealed here.

Leonhard von Keutschach - The heraldic turnip

From 1495 to 1519, the cultured and pious Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach reigned over Salzburg, which flourished due to skilful politics, expansion of mining and highways. His coat of arms features the turnip, a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The following legend tells how this root vegetable found its way into the coat of arms:
When young schoolboy Leonhard visited his uncle, he criticised him harshly for his poor performance at school. The boy's impertinence prompted his furious uncle to pull up a turnip from the field and throw it after him with the words: "If you don't improve, never darken my door again!" Leonhard took this admonition so much to heart that he went on to become a diligent student and later Archbishop of Salzburg. Anyone who is interested can still find up to 58 heraldic turnips in Hohensalzburg Fortress today.

Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau – A happy love affair with an unhappy ending

A man of power, influenced by Machiavelli, took over the rule of the Prince-Archbishopric in 1587 at the age of 28. His network extended as far as Pope Pius IV, his uncle. Rome, with its emerging baroque architecture, became a model for him. To this day, the rumour persists that he had the Romanesque cathedral and 55 medieval town houses burnt down in order to redesign the city according to Baroque plans. As a result, Salzburg is now considered the oldest Baroque town north of the Alps.
In 1595, he met a daughter of the middle-class who was nine years his junior. Her name: Salome Alt. Their passionate love affair lasted 22 years until Wolf Dietrich's death in 1617 and produced 15 children. As a Catholic churchman, Wolf Dietrich tried everything to be allowed to marry his Salome. At the time, it was even briefly assumed that celibacy would be abolished. After failing in his endeavours, he took Salome to his court, and in 1606 had Altenau Castle built for his family just outside the city gates, today's Mirabell Palace.
His undiplomatic and domineering nature led to his downfall in 1611 during the war over salt in Hallein. He was captured by the Bavarians. His cousin and successor, Markus Sittikus, had him imprisoned in Hohensalzburg Fortress, where he died after six years of imprisonment without ever seeing his Salome or his beloved children again. Now a single mother, Salome moved in with her sister in Wels and could only send love letters to her lover in secret. At Hohenwerfen Castle, the first station of his imprisonment, the enamoured Prince Archbishop carved the following words into the wall of his cell:

"Lieb ist Laydes Anfangkh über kurz oder lankh" [Love is where all suffering begins sooner or later]

Markus Sittikus – the lost bet

For seven years, Markus Sittikus held the office of his predecessor and cousin Wolf Dietrich, whom he kept imprisoned until his death in 1617. However, he himself survived him by only seven years. He continued to run political affairs very much in the same way and significantly increased the persecution of Protestants. What the people of Salzburg still appreciate about this Prince-Archbishop today, is the masterpiece that is Hellbrunn. A garden of contrasts incorporating the entire cosmic order, was and still remains a treat for the eye of any visitor. The trick fountains built in the pleasure garden were already known far beyond the borders of Salzburg and are to this day the best preserved in Europe.
The story around Waldems, the name of a small palace that sits on Hellbrunn hill overlooking all the marvellous merriments below, is a rather curious one. Why has the name "Monatsschlössl" [month palace] persisted to this day? Legend has it, that when Archduke Maximilian of Austria was travelling through Hellbrunn in 1615, Markus Sittikus made a bet with him that he would build a small palace by the time he returned in one month's time. Fact is that it was indeed completed in an exceptionally short time.

Hieronymus von Colloredo – a kick with consequences

The last of the prince-archbishops was a reformist from the age of Enlightenment who was not very well received by the people of Salzburg. The public holidays, passion plays and superstitious rituals that had become commonplace during the Baroque period were banned, and the school system, pastoral care and social serviced were improved. Salzburg became a progressive intellectual and cultural hub.
What Salzburgers most associate with Colloredo, however, is the rather harsh dismissal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The composer had brought it upon himself, though, as it was impossible at that time to resign from his position as the Prince-Archbishop's Capellmeister. Hence, the young composer stood out at his workplace, mainly through persistent absence – until the Prince-Archbishop dismissed him with the words: "Let him go, I have no use for him!". He then preceded to issue Mozart's direct superior, Count Karl Joseph Arco, with the order to give the musical genius a good kicking up the backside on his way out.