Holzknechtseppl

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The Holzknechtseppl , actually Nikolaus Schmidhofer (* December 6, 1794 ; † November 20, 1828 executed in Pinkafeld ), was the leader of the Stradafüßler band of robbers , who from 1822 to 1826 the border area of Styria , southern Lower Austria and today's Burgenland , then western Hungary , covered with fear and terror. In his Styrian homeland Schmidhofer was also known under the name Schelmnikl .

Basics

The life story of the Holzknechtsseppl and the story of his band of robbers often mixes reality and fiction . In the villages of the catchment area of ​​the robber and his gang there was a lively legend formation in the course of the 19th century, so that it is often very difficult to determine which events are historically correct.

Childhood and youth

The historical sources regarding the date of birth and the family relationships of Nikolaus Schmidhofer are reliable. Although some sources give his place of birth as Edlitz bei Grimmenstein , it is clearly proven that Schmidhofer was born on December 6th, 1794 in Tyrnau bei Fronleiten , Vorder Tyrnau No. 55.

His parents Mathias Schmidhofer and Johanna Schmidhofer, née Baummerin, had their son baptized in Fladnitz an der Teichalm . As was often the custom at the time, he got his first name from the saint of the day: Nikolaus. The later Holzknechtseppl had four siblings: Maria (* 1785), Johanna (* 1789), Johann (* 1792) and Bartholomäus (* 1796). The parents were so-called residents , that is, they lived as subtenants in various farmhouses in the Vorderen Tyrnau.

Nikolaus Schmidhofer spent his youth in Upper Styria and worked as a farmhand and herdsman (shepherd) on various farms. He was employed as a woodworker in Edlitz, Thernberg and Feistritz am Wechsel . His nickname came from this time.

According to another source, Nikolaus Schmidhofer came to a foundling house and from there to the farm of Rosina and Georg Rodax and to Anna and Veit Rodax, community Edlitz, Pangart 33. For this reason, he was often associated with this community during his lifetime he originally came from Styria. He worked in the fields and as a shepherd or, what pleased him particularly, in the forest. According to legend, his criminal career began one day when he was sent to Styria to buy a cow. In Mönichkirchen , however, he gambled away all the money with which he should have bought the cow in an inn. In his distress, he then stole another cow, which he brought home, but immediately afterwards he left his foster parents in Edlitz and never came back. But it is also possible that he simply avoided military service , which at that time lasted up to twelve years. At least that's what he said in a letter he wrote to his two sisters on November 17, 1828, three days before his execution.

Leader of the Stradafüßler gang

see also main article: Stradafüßler

Nikolaus Schmidhofer, according to his own statements, joined the Stradafüßler in the "last days of carnival" of 1822 and soon rose to become their leader.

From then on, the gang terrorized the border area between Styria, Lower Austria and Burgenland in such a way that even Emperor Franz II./I. In 1826/27 a commission was needed to put an end to the bustle.

In the trial in Pinkafeld she was ultimately responsible for 14 murders, 54 robberies, 48 ​​thefts, 4 rapes and 3 arson. Nikolaus Schmidhofer himself was charged with 5 of these murders.

During the 16 months of his imprisonment, the once feared wood servant seppl found religion and died as a repentant sinner while the death sentence was being carried out on November 20, 1828 in Pinkafeld.

Thus ended an epoch of fear, which was finally commented in the parish chronicle of Edlitz with "The rogue - wood servant seppl - a monster, a villain that has not happened here for centuries" .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christoph Tepperberg: Der Holzknechtseppl from Festschrift 680 Years Market Community Riedlingsdorf , Riedlingsdorf 2011, publisher market community Riedlingsdorf
  2. ^ Johann Anton Laschober: From the life of a robber captain from Edlitz - our home community , Edlitz 1992, publisher Marktgemeinde Edlitz
  3. ↑ a b Joseph Michael Weinhofer: School protocol 1825-1829 ( Weinhofer Chronicle ) , accessed on January 24, 2014
  4. ^ Johann Anton Laschober: From the life of a robber captain from Edlitz - our home community, page 927 , Edlitz 1992, publisher Marktgemeinde Edlitz
  5. ↑ a b Christoph Tepperberg: Der Holzknechtseppl from Festschrift 680 Jahre Marktgemeinde Riedlingsdorf page 20 , Riedlingsdorf 2011, publisher Marktgemeinde Riedlingsdorf
  6. ^ Johann Anton Laschober: From the life of a robber captain from Edlitz - our home community page 928 , Edlitz 1992, publisher Marktgemeinde Edlitz
  7. ↑ Johann Anton Laschober: From the life of a robber captain from Edlitz - our home community, pages 950 to 954 , Edlitz 1992, publisher Marktgemeinde Edlitz
  8. ^ Johann Anton Laschober: From the life of a robber captain from Edlitz - our home community page 957 , Edlitz 1992, publisher Marktgemeinde Edlitz
personal data
SURNAME Holzknechtseppl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schmidhofer, Nikolaus (real name); Rogue
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian robber captain
DATE OF BIRTH December 6, 1794
DATE OF DEATH November 20, 1828
Place of death Pinkafeld