Ignaz Alois Anton von Indermauer zu Strelburg und Freifeld (July 31, 1759 – August 10, 1796) was an Austrian nobleman from

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

who served as the

Landvögte During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

and Kreishauptmann of

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...

from 1791 until his death in 1796.

Biography

Ignaz Alois Anton von Indermauer zu Strelburg und Freifeld was born into the Tyrolese noble family In der Maur zu Strelburg und Freifeld. He was educated in

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...

and studied law before joining the state service. In 1789 he arrived in Vorarlberg and led the administration of the district office there. He was appointed the Landvogt and Kreishauptmann, the Provincial Governor, district chief and representative of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

crown, of Vorarlberg in 1791. As Landvogt and Kreishauptmann, he oversaw legal and financial affairs. He was unpopular among conservatives, particularly for enforcing the

Josephine reforms Josephinism was the collective domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). During the ten years in which Joseph was the sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy (1780–1790), he attempted to legislate a series of drastic reforms ...

and conducting investigations against those who apposed the reforms. The legal and religious reforms made by

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

caused outrage across Austria, continuing on after the death of Emperor Joseph II in 1790. The reforms included limiting the authority

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

had over the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. When war broke out between Austria and France, around the time of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, Indermauer closed immigration to Vorarlberg from areas that had been affected by revolution and placed a ban on exported goods. This angered merchants working in textile production and seasonal workers from Vorarlberg who worked in France during the summer months. KlosterStPeter3

Exile

On 8 August 1796, French troops were near the Austrian border and Indermauer was given terms by Austrian military officials to hand over Vorarlberg without a battle. Indermauer was told to leave for Tyrol, escaping in the early morning on 9 August 1796 by carriage with Weber, mayor of

Bregenz Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switze ...

, and ''Oberamstrat'' Franzin. They arrived in

Bludenz Bludenz (; Alemannic: ''Bludaz'') is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the administrative seat of the Bludenz District, which encompasses about half of the Vorarlberg's territory. Geography The town is located on the Il ...

and took refuge in the Convent of St. Peter, a Dominican monastic community, after being met with an angry mob upon arrival.

Capture and murder

The evening of his arrival to the Convent of St. Peter, hundreds of peasants from

Bürs Bürs is a municipality in the district of Bludenz in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geogr ...

and

Montafon Montafon ( in local dialect: "''Muntafu''") is a 39 km long valley in the westernmost Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg. It is traversed by the river Ill (Vorarlberg) and extends from the city of Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the nort ...

, led by a baker named Franz Josef Tschofen, stormed the monastery and captured Indermauer, Weber, and Franzin. An attempt to rescue them was made by Father Bonaventura, the confessor of the nuns at the monastery, but he was unsuccessful. Indermauer, Weber, and Franzin were tortured for hours before being murdered by members of the mob. Franzin was stabbed to death with swords and Weber was dragged by his feet to the courtyard and shot. Indermauer was accused of treason for deserting his post and was dragged by his hair to the courtyard and shot. They were then undressed and their valuables were divided among the mob. Tschofen was later imprisoned for thirty years for the murders and thirteen others involved were sentenced to eight years in prison.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indermauer, Ignaz Anton von 1759 births 1796 deaths Austrian Roman Catholics Austrian people of Swiss descent Austrian murder victims Austrian torture victims Austrian untitled nobility

Ignaz Ignaz is a male given name, related to the name Ignatius. Notable people with this name include: * Franz Ignaz Beck (1734–1807), German musician * Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704), Bohemian-Austrian musician * Ignaz Brüll (1846–1907), ...

Lynching deaths People executed by torture People executed by firearm People murdered in Austria People from Bregenz People from Tyrol (state)