Joseph Mohr (1792-1848) Songwriter - Awkward Philanthropist
City of Salzburg - Childhood and youth
Josephus Franciscus Mohr was born in the city of Salzburg on the 11th December 1792 as the son of the knitter, Anna Schoiberin and the deserter musketeer Franz Mohr. His forefathers came from Mariapfarr in Lungau (father) and Hallein (mother). Mohr's godfather was Salzburg's executioner, Joseph Wohlmuth, who allowed himself to be represented at the Christening by a Franziska Zachin. As little Joseph was illegitimate, he took his father's name. His mother had four illegitimate children altogether. In 1794 Mohr lived on the second floor of the house at Steingasse 31 and not - as formerly believed - in the house at Steingasse 9. This error came from the wrong assignment of the description of the house as "Nostler Haus" or "Saddle-maker's" house and corrected by the national census records in 1794. Through this census, the name of the "Nostler Haus in Stain Viertl" owner, Joseph Gruntner (bricklayer), can definitely be assigned to this address today, the Steingasse 31. The Steingasse 9 corresponds to the description of the "Hutterer Haus in Stein im Unterbruckviertel".
The curate of the Salzburg Cathedral choir, Johann Nepomuk Hiernle, enabled the talented Joseph to attend the academic grammar school. Mohr was also active as singer and violinist in the choirs of the university and the Benedictine seminary of St. Peter at the same time. He studied philosophy at the Lyzeum of the Kremsmünster Benedictine seminary (Upper Austria) between 1808 and 1810. From 1810 to 1811 he was in Salzburg again - at the Lyzeum. He finally entered the seminary in 1811 and was ordained into priesthood on the 21st August 1815. As he was illegitimate by birth, his entry into the seminary had to have the bishop's dispensation.
Life as Priest - A Journey
Mohr's first official service was in Mariapfarr in Lungau (Co-adjutant, 1815-1817) - the town where his father was born. In 1815 he spent a short time as an assistant pastor, in Ramsau, near Berchtesgaden, whilst staying with relatives. In 1817 Mohr returned from Lungau, where he is thought to have written the text for "Silent Night", to Salzburg, due to weak health and began his service in Oberndorf in the same year. He changed his places of service very often until 1827: Kuchl (co-adjutant, 1819-1820), Golling (co-adjutant, 1820-1821), Vigaun (co-adjutant, 1821-1822; assistant in Adnet and Krispl), Anthering (co-adjutant, 1822-1824; provisional curator in Koppl), Eugendorf (co-adjutant, 1824-1827), Hof (provisional curator 1827), Hintersee (provisional curator, 1827-1828; Vicar, 1828-1837) and Wagrain (Vicar, 1837-1848).
Oberndorf - "Non Uplifting Songs" and "Silent Night!"
From August 1817 Mohr helped the parish pastor, Josef Kessler, in Oberndorf. In October 1817 he was given the available position of co-adjutant. The new parish provisional was Georg Heinrich Nöstler at this time. As there was no presbytery in the new Oberndorf parish (which had just broken away from the parish of Laufen in 1816) Mohr had a room in the verger's house next to the church and fed himself in the neighbouring guest houses. The relationship between Nöstler and Mohr was strained due to financial problems in the parish. Nöstler accused Mohr of neglecting his duties, visiting guest houses, jesting with members of the opposite sex and singing "non uplifting songs". However, the Dechant from St. Georgen, his superior and the Oberndorf dignitaries confirmed these accusations groundless.
The journeys through the lives of Mohr and Gruber come together in Oberndorf. They created "Silent Night! Holy Night!" together and let it ring out in the 1818 Midnight Mass for the first time. In September 1819 Mohr left Oberndorf again, in the direction of Kuchl.
Hintersee - the first independently run parish
Mohr came to Hintersee in 1827, a parish elevated to a vicarage in the following year. This parish was the first that he was able to run independently. He had 272 Catholic residents to take care of when he took over the parish and in his last year there were 293. During his office he was considered to be affable, peace loving and popular. However, despite these positive evaluations, he was investigated for breach of office in 1834. The accusations proved to be unfair and he was reinstated.
Wagrain - Work as a social reformer
Mohr went to Wagrain after Hintersee in 1837. His work in social reform there was excellent. He initiated the building of a school house. The Wagrain residents already collected building materials in the winter of 1837. The new school was built in Summer and opened in November 1838. Mohr also concerned himself with the development of care for the aged. He especially fought against the harshness of the "Einlegerwesens" who saw to it that the aged and the poor wandered from farm to farm and for a specific time were cared for. He applied for the parish of Mauterndorf in 1843, but without success. The report connected to this confirmed his excellent welfare work with the church. He died on the 4th December 1848 from a lung paralysis.
