Johann Reinbacher
Johann Reinbacher vulgo Höllerhansl (* 8. December 1866 in Dörfl in Bad Gams (Municipality Germany Berg ), † 20 January 1935 in Rachling at Marhof (municipality Stainz )) was a Styrian folk healer or "Bauer Doctor," reaches far beyond the West Styria addition, because his healing art as a urine shower and natural healer became famous.
Life
Johann's father Josef Reinbacher (1842–1903) moved in 1870 from the “Schneiderbauerhanslhof” in Dörfl to the “Höllerhof” in Rachling in Rainbach (at that time the Sierling community) at the foot of the Rosenkogel. With that he returned to the place of origin of the family (Rambacher → Rainbacher → Reinbacher), to a farm that had once belonged to his great-aunt. He was already engaged in naturopathy and was imprisoned several times as a quack , the last time in 1902 for six weeks. In addition, he was repeatedly reported for “unauthorized serving of alcoholic beverages”.
Even as a child, Johann Reinbacher looked after the cattle with his brother Peter, with old books on naturopathy and was very religious. Presumably he learned the tailoring trade between 1880 and 1890, but entered the Carmelite Order in Graz in December 1890 . But already in February 1891 he left the order and went back to his parents' house in Rachling.
After he was denied a liquor license in 1902, he applied for a license to run a grocery store in 1905 , which was quickly granted to him. So he first worked as a general store and began with healing treatments out of his desire to help others.
In 1911 he married the widow Cäcilia Bruchmann in St. Stefan ob Stainz , who brought three children from his first marriage. However, this marriage remained childless. “Cilli” Reinbacher was an excellent manager for her husband. She kept the books for him and later organized advertising and mailing. She also tried in vain to get a permit to run an inn.
In 1915 Johann Reinbacher was called up for military service in a pioneer unit and after two years he was given an indefinite leave of absence.
After the First World War , the heyday of "Höllerhansl" began. More and more he concentrated on the activity as a healer. He "ordained" at the cellar door of his new house built in 1911 and examined the smell, color and sediments of the urine of his patients. The ailments he diagnosed were treated with herbal teas that were prepared in large vats in the cellar. Several herbal women were responsible for collecting these herbs in the Rosenkogel area, including the "Rosenkogel" or "Almliesel" (actually Elisabeth Strametz) who smoked cigars and always wore several hats and skirts on top of each other.
Johann Reinbacher never officially collected any money for his treatment, only sold the teas and postcards, but asked for donations (around 100 crowns per bottle), which he also duly taxed.
So two quack trials in 1920 in Stainz and in July 1921 in Graz could not harm him. Both times he was only fined 500 and 10,000 crowns for lack of education. After the trial in Graz he was carried out of the hall like a hero on his shoulders and remained unmolested in the future.
The detailed process reports and discussions in the daily newspapers were an advertisement for him. While the Kleine Zeitung and the daily mail wrote for him (miracle doctor, healer), the socialist “ workers will ” described him as a charlatan, Bader and Dr. Imagination. Then the onslaught really started and at that time, numbers even had to be given to those waiting on some days. The 200 to 500 "patients" per day became an economic factor for the region in the difficult interwar period . Many made a living from transport, food and accommodation for those arriving. Personnel also had to be employed (writer for the prescriptions, ordination assistant, ...). In 1927 there were two-level proceedings over complications with a Viennese woman, in which he cited his overload as an excuse.
Despite the prosperity that came with the onslaught, he continued to live very modestly. With the money he supported his stepchildren and others who came to him as supplicants. He also spent a lot on building chapels and other church affairs. He was very generous at primizes in his chapel and confirmations and was therefore a popular godfather .
However, around 1930 Johann Reinbacher had too many patients and he became alcoholic due to the constant stress . This was reinforced by payments in kind in the form of schnapps . This affected the work and after just a few years the flow of those seeking salvation decreased significantly. As a result, many transport companies had to stop their services again, including his son-in-law, who had operated a bus route from Graz - Stainz - Deutschlandsberg. The last time before his death, Höllerhansl was bedridden, but had the urine bottles brought to his bed. He died on January 20, 1935 and after saying goodbye was buried in “his” chapel at the Stainz cemetery. His wife sold the herbal teas by mail order until her death in 1944.
Arrival of the patients
The visit to the Höllerhansl in remote Rachling was exhausting and often lasted a whole day because of the long waiting times.
The patients from the Graz area came with their urine bottles on the Wieserbahn of the Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn to Preding -Wieselsdorf and from there to Stainz on the narrow-gauge railway that opened in 1892 . Even back then this train was called the “Flascherlzug” in the vernacular.
From the Stainz train station you still had to cover the eight-kilometer route to the Rosenkogel, depending on your financial means, with a horse-fighter or on foot. The last stretch from Marhof to Rachling was not suitable for vehicles, so everyone had to go here.
For many city dwellers, this excursion already had a healing effect. That is why the later wealthy Höllerhansl refused to invest in the expansion of the path: "With the effort, the wind goes off."
The path was lined with discarded bottles so that no signpost was needed. The farmers along the way earned an extra income by boiling them and selling them.
In order to complete the visit in one day, you had to take the 6 o'clock train and then hurry up the Rosenkogel as quickly as possible. Alternatively, you could arrive the day before and get your turn early in the morning after an overnight stay in Stainz.
Those who could not or did not want to come in person gave their bottle to someone and then received their recipe on paper. There were even bottle collection points run by messenger services that brought bags to Rachling. The patients came from all walks of life, and there are reports of two Egyptian princesses who came in 1928.
Diagnosis and treatment
According to Johann Reinbacher, he obtained his knowledge from a 300-year-old book that his great-grandfather already owned. He only needed the urine of his patients for the diagnosis , they did not have to be present in person. According to a testimony in the process, he was able to find out the gender and illness of the people immediately and was never wrong. There are various anecdotes about attempts at deception with animal urine and mixtures that have been presented to him. He refused to treat wounds and sent such and hopeless cases to a doctor. He also told the people quite bluntly that he was expecting their imminent death. Some actually died on the way home.
The result of the diagnosis and the instructions for treatment were recorded in writing. Forms were even printed for this. The treatment was carried out by taking his tea, mixed from 22 different herbs, spoon by spoon. For the second trial, the tea was chemically examined because it was alleged that a patient had been poisoned by it. No toxic substances were found. He also administered ointments and tinctures and gave recipes for a drugstore in Stainz that worked with him and then called itself "Zum Höllerhansl".
He always instructed his patients to pray for their recovery (and to donate for his chapel), as help from above was also necessary. If someone openly refused, he would make him wait the whole day as a punishment and only take his turn last.
Chapel building
Johann Reinbacher has always wanted to build a chapel . He was particularly interested in the apparitions of Mary in Lourdes . After returning from the Carmelites, he built a Lourdes grotto around a stone spring . Especially the visually impaired washed their eyes there, but the water could not be proven to have any healing properties.
Nearby, he and his father began building a small chapel, the construction of which was officially approved in 1901. The building was consecrated to Maria Lourdes and recognized as the mess chapel of the parish of St. Stefan ob Stainz. Later a roof turret was added. The Reinbacher family wanted to make Rachling a place of pilgrimage . These efforts should also bring them the hoped-for inn license. From 1905 Johann Reinbacher offered the corresponding postcards and souvenirs in his shop.
On the slope behind the house he erected a devotional cross, to which he climbed a steep path every morning and evening to pray. There he got the strength for everyday work.
He soon began collecting for an even larger band. In 1924, at the height of his business activity, he began building a small church that was built over the existing chapel. Since the delivery of the bricks was only possible as far as Marhof, he had the bricks unloaded there and announced that preferential treatment would be given to those patients who brought one or two bricks up to Rachling with them. This chapel was inaugurated in October 1930. The client himself was unable to take part in this celebration due to illness. After his death there was also a large tower with bells.
All three structures (grotto, chapel and cross) are still standing today.
Commemoration
- A historical train of the Stainzerbahn is called “Flascherlzug”, its carriages “Höllerhansl”, “Bergliesl” and “Kräuterwagerl”.
- Friedrich Moser's “Höllerhansl Song” tells of the life and work of the miracle doctor:
Up at Bergerl drobm, goar net far from Stanz,
lives the miracle doctor who hates Höllerhans.
When he's interested in how he cures the people,
looks at Hansl to see what the ols can do.
Every Tog in'd Fruah, keman from far and wide
with the bottle train old and young people.
Trog'n in Säck and Tosch'n eahnri Brunzlflosch'n,
up the mountain in full swing ....
Friedrich Moser (1878–1943), who was born in Carinthia, wrote the song on the occasion of the name day of the person being sung on December 29, 1922 and performed it personally for “Höllerhansl”. The lyrics of the song were self-published as a leaflet with a drawing by the Höllerhanslhaus. Since the text also contains critical passages about profiteering, the Stainzer and Rachlinger were not particularly pleased at first.
- A circular hiking trail from Stainz via Rachling is called "Höllerhanslweg".
- The “Höllerhanslhaus” can still be seen in Rachling today, but is used privately.
- The opposite new building of the Ganster family's former inn “Zum Kirchenwirt” is now called “Gasthof Höllerhansl”.
- In 1977 the special exhibition "Farmer's Doctor and Folk Medicine" with the focus on "Höllerhansl" took place in Stainz Castle .
literature
- Bernd E. Mader: The Höllerhansl. Life and work of the naturopath Johann Reinbacher. Graz / Vienna Styria 1997, 2nd edition 1999. ISBN 3-222-12607-0 . 3rd edition Graz 2011, Leykam. ISBN 978-3-85489-165-9 ( online ).
- Alexandra Malik: The "Höllerhanslin". Folk medicine in the family entourage of the West Styrian naturopath Johann Reinbacher. Graz 1997. Diploma thesis at the University of Graz. (Biography of Cäcilia Reinbacher, the wife of "Höllerhansl").
- Maria Kundegraber: Farmer's doctor and folk medicine. Exhibition on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of Stainz June to October 1977. With the collaboration of Bernd Mader. Styrian State Museum Joanneum. Styrian Folklore Museum, Stainz branch “Styrian Farmers Museum”. Catalog 3. Stainz 1977.
- Elfriede Grabner: The "Höllerhansl". A West Styrian miracle doctor. In: Blätter für Heimatkunde. Year 43, Graz 1969, issue 4, pp. 146–158.
Web links
- Literature by and about Johann Reinbacher in the catalog of the German National Library
- Postcard "Johann and Cilli Reinbacher" from 1923 from the collection of Franz Tomberger
- Höllerhansl song: leaflet and audio sample from the Stainzer Buam
- The complete text of the Höllerhansl song
- Höllerhansl side of the municipality of Marhof
- Höllerhansl side of the "Höllerhansl" inn
- Höllerhansl side of the Stainzer restaurant "Haltestöll"
- Entry on Höllerhansl in the Austria Forum (in the Heimatlexikon)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bernd E. Mader: The Höllerhansl. Life and work of the naturopath Johann Reinbacher.
- ↑ New Land, February 12, 2009 (PDF; 197 kB)
- ↑ Winfried Bräunlich, Dieter Weiss: Signs on the way. Small religious monuments in the communities of Greisdorf, Marhof and Stainz. Stainz 2010. ISBN 978-3-9501165-6-4 . P. 93.
- ↑ Flascherlzug ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ marhof.riskommunal.net
- ↑ Friedrich Moser and the song from Höllerhansl by Dr. Bernd E. Mader.
- ↑ Höllerhanslweg ( Memento from January 23, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Gasthof Höllerhansl
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Reinbacher, Johann |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Höllerhansl |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian folk healer or "peasant doctor" |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 8, 1866 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dörfl, Bad Gams municipality |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 20, 1935 |
| Place of death | Rachling, municipality of Marhof |