This year marks the 200-year anniversary of the beloved Christmas song, ‘Silent Night’. MiNDFOOD’s Editor-in-Chief discovers how this Salzburg carol became a worldwide hit.
On December 24, 1818, Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber sang the song Silent Night for the very first time. It was their own composition – the original poem was written by Mohr, a young pastor from Salzburg, and the melody was crafted by the teacher and musician Gruber – and they performed it in St Nikola church in the village of Oberndorf, near Salzburg. They could not have known then how far it would spread – but now the song is sung by billions in over 300 languages, and in 2011 it was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The original German version had six verses and was called ‘Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!’. Mohr asked Gruber to compose a suitable melody for his Silent Night poem, and Gruber wrote the music the very same day.
The poem was actually written in 1816, against a backdrop of violence, poverty, suffering and deprivation. The Napoleonic Wars had brought Austria two decades of hardship, and the little village of Oberndorf was plagued by hunger and despair. Violent crimes were a part of everyday life, and Austrians were completely at the mercy of the prevailing economic and political conditions of the time. A feeling of hopelessness pervaded the community, and citizens longed for peace. It was in these difficult times that the world’s most famous song of peace was composed, intending to bring people together and unite them.
As a young assistant pastor, Mohr faced immense challenges in his work in the small community. However his affable manner – which was actually quite uncommon in his profession at the time – helped him build trust, as he was able to empathise with the people and understand their longing for hope in a bleak time.
Every year on December 24, the Silent Night memorial service in Oberndorf is streamed live around the world via the internet. There are also special ‘Silent Night Holy Night’ tours in Salzburg, which take visitors to sites such as Mohr’s birthplace on Steingasse, Salzburg Cathedral, and the seminary on Makartplatz. And each Christmas Eve, the Salzburg Glockenspiel in the city centre plays the melody of Silent Night.
Silent Night touches so many people, serving as a symbol of peace and unity – which is something we all need at this time of the year.
For more details on what do to, where to visit and places to stay whilst visiting Salzburg at Christmas, click here.
