“communale oö”

The Peasants’ War as a Catalyst for Today

The theme of “Land & Wille,” a concert experience in St. Agatha on May 30.(Bild: Rafael Hintersteiner)

Over the next few months, the third “communale oö” will focus on the theme “400 Years of the Peasants’ War”; “Courage” serves as the unifying theme for 130 projects in 27 municipalities scattered throughout Upper Austria. The variety ranges from traditional customs to music events and exhibitions, all the way to an Instagram walk. 

“I’ve traveled through Upper Austria over the past few months and seen that these municipalities are shaped by a sense of ‘community,’” says Martin Honzik, project manager of “communale oö.” A total of 27 municipalities (see chart on the right) were selected to contribute projects on the theme “400 Years of the Peasants’ War”: “This formative chapter of history should be brought to life through a variety of approaches for visitors of all generations,” says Honzik.

Around 130 projects have been developed, exploring the connections between the Peasants’ Revolt of 1626 and contemporary aspects of communal life.

The variety is vast
There are symposia, monument events, Instagram walks, exhibitions, and concerts. Stylistically, the spectrum ranges from traditional customs and folk culture to large-scale music events. Among the highlights is the performance “Land & Wille,” a project by the Upper Austrian Brass Band Association, which—together with local market bands and regional music schools—will retell the local history of the Peasants’ War on the Stefan Fadinger Forest Stage in St. Agatha (May 30). A second highlight will be Georg Schmiedleitner’s production “Spaltboden” at the Theater Meggenhofen (starting June 3), as we previously reported.

The fact that so many communities are getting involved makes this cultural event a powerful symbol of solidarity

Landeshauptmann Thomas Stelzer

The Peasants’ War serves as both the starting point and the resonant space. The program is being developed in cooperation with local partners.

Martin Honzik, Projektleiter

Between Ideological Misuse and Glorification
The main exhibition, “Peasants’ War—Between History and Fiction,” opens at the Linz Castle Museum on May 8. Here, the focus is not only on the battle itself but also on the historiography of the following centuries.

These municipalities are offering events(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

Yellow kiosks and brochures
Incidentally, yellow is the color of “communale oö,” and there are mobile information booths in yellow.

“‘communale oö’ will show how vibrant history can be when we connect it to the issues of our time,” says Governor Thomas Stelzer. With a budget of approximately two million euros from the state (650,000 euros of which are allocated to the program), the aim is to “distill what lies beneath it all: The title ‘Courage’ captures it well.” After all, the Peasants’ War was about standing up for freedom and showing moral courage, according to Stelzer. “What that means for us today is also at the heart of the exhibition.”