Schnopfhag Monument on the Hansberg

The Schnopfhag monument on the Hansberg in the municipality of St. Johann am Wimberg in the Böhmerwald holiday region in the border triangle of Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Schnopfhagen Monument Hansberg was renovated by the municipality of St. Johann and was opened together with the Schnopfhagen Monument on the "Hoamatland Hiking Trail" on 3 September 2006. The hiking trail leads from the village square of St. Veit to the Hansberg and is dedicated to the life and work of Hans Schnopfhagen in the HansBergLand region.

Historical background

In 1913, at the suggestion of Mr. Zötl, a stone memorial with the head representations of Adolf Seyrl and Hans Schnopfhagen on bronze plates was erected on the Hansberg by the then owner of the Hansberg, Mr. Hugo Seyrl. The material for the memorial came from the surrounding area. The Rohrbach sculptor Adolf Wagner von der Mühl created the head reliefs. The granite blocks were set by a farmer according to his own ideas. The blocks are connected and enlivened with native forest herbs and trees. On this occasion, the large "Heimattagung" took place on the Hansberg on 10. 8. 1913. The famous dialect poet Anton Matosch delivered the "festival speech". In 1937, a great homeland celebration was held on the Hansberg in honour of Hans Zötl. As part of this celebration, the relief of Hans Zötl was placed between the existing bronze plaques. This image was also made by the sculptor Wagner.

Dr. Hans Zötl (1846-1938)

Hans Zötl was a regional court councillor and founder of the Stelzhamer Association. He organised numerous lecture evenings in Upper Austria on the work of Franz Stelzhamer. As a district judge, Hans Zötl was constantly confronted with the social and economic hardship of the peasant population in particular and therefore tried to achieve an improvement in the economic situation of the peasants. He encouraged the establishment of economic and dairy cooperatives. He also ensured that household, cooking and further education courses were held.

Hans Schnopfhagen (1845-1908)

was an Austrian composer, regional poet and educator. Schnopfhagen worked as a teacher and was occupied with singing and music in his free time. He got his first job as a school assistant in Niederwaldkirchen, from 1867 in Bad Leonfelden. There he met Hans Zötl, a folk poet and customs preserver. Until his death, Hans Schnopfhagen was a teacher and headmaster in St. Veit. In St. Veit he founded the Stelzhamer Quartet, for which he set numerous dialect poems to music. Among them is the "Hoamatgsang", which has been the Upper Austrian national anthem since 1952.

Adolf Seyrl (1841-1895)

bought the "Johannesberghäusl" on the Hansberg in 1871 and set up an inn there. He supported the Stelzhamer Association for many years with considerable donations. Many folklore evenings organised by Hans Schnopfhagen took place in this inn. Hans Zötl was also a welcome guest at the Hansberg.