Pöschlians

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The Pöschlians were a millenarian community founded by the cooperator Thomas Pöschl (* March 2, 1769 in Höritz near Krumau in Bohemia; † November 15, 1837 in Vienna ) , whose members believed in an imminent end of the world and wanted to avert it through human sacrifice .

prehistory

Execution of Johann Philipp Palms with representation of the clergy present

On Napoleon's orders, the Protestant bookseller Johann Philipp Palm was brought from Nuremberg to Braunau am Inn and executed there on August 26, 1806. He had circulated a book calling for resistance to the French occupation, but was not ready to reveal the authors of the text. Since there was no Protestant cleric far and wide, the Catholic chaplain Thomas Pöschl had to escort him to the execution. This deeply disturbing incident led him to believe that humanity was completely corrupted and that the Last Judgment would soon befall people. People should therefore repent for the salvation of their souls .

Pöschlians

Because of his moving sermons, Thomas Pöschl was transferred to Ampflwang in 1812 . He soon found many followers here. The local parish sister Maria Sickinger caused a sensation as a seer , and he recorded her visions as revelations. The content of the “New Revelation” was the conversion of the Jews , the founding of a new, true Jewish-Catholic Church and the beginning of a millennial kingdom . In her visions she saw Pöschl as the convertor and founder of this new church. It caused him to go public with his teaching. He soon found further followers in the neighboring towns of Oberthalheim , Atzbach , Meggenhofen , Watzing and Taufkirchen an der Pram . The cult members fasted strictly, prayed on their knees in public, and often went to confession .

The church authorities tried to separate Pöschl from his followers and on March 27, 1814, transferred him to the priest's house in Salzburg . Thereupon quite a few supporters actually parted from him; a remainder was divided into two groups: the “children of the new word of God” (“Pöschlians”) and the “brothers and sisters in Sion”. The leader of the latter was the farmer Johann Haas from Ottnang , called Schmidtofferl, who claimed that God had chosen him to succeed Pöschl. In his house, the "seat of the Trinity", orgies were allegedly celebrated, which on February 21, 1817 resulted in the intervention of the police. Johann Haas was arrested, but his wife took his place.

The sect members were convinced that on March 30, 1817 the world would end; therefore they gave away their belongings and wandered about in anticipation of the Last Judgment . They also believed that God could be reconciled through a human sacrifice during Holy Week . Pastor Götz von Ampflwang was chosen to die on the cross. But he heard about it in time and was able to escape. Now the next farmer and community judge Josef Haas from Vorderschlagen was hit by lot. Although he was an ardent supporter of the sect, he did not want to die. He was able to persuade his 31-year-old sponsored child, Anna Maria Einzinger, to die as a victim. Before she was killed, Josef Haas slew neighbors (Georg Nehammer, his wife and daughter) who were the only ones who refused to allow themselves to be converted to his doctrine. The police intervened again following a complaint by the son of the slain Georg Nehammer and arrested Joseph Haas.

In the course of the ensuing crowd, some supporters of the sect tried to free the prisoners and Haas, whereupon the police shot into the crowd, injuring several people and killing them. Haas was acquitted for lack of sanity, but remained in custody.

Pöschlians are said to have existed until 1870. They venerated the sister of Josef Haas as "Maria, the heavenly mother". She died at the age of 81 in Jeding in 1878 (today part of Gaspoltshofen ).

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ see entry The execution of Johann Philipp Palms on the website of the Evangelical Church AB Braunau am Inn