There were 115 eventful years in Innsbruck's history between the last Count of Andechs and the first Tyrolean sovereign from the House of Habsburg. For around 100 years after the last Count of Andechs, the Counts of Tyrol controlled the destiny of the province and thus to a large extent the city of Innsbruck. Meinhard II of Tyrol (1239 - 1295) was able to expand his territory with skilful politics and a little luck. He managed to unite the patchwork from his ancestral castle in Meran into a county. Alongside the prince-bishops of Brixen and Trento, who were not politically disempowered until the 19th century, the Counts of Tyrol were the most powerful rulers in what we know today as Trentino, North and South Tyrol.

Meinhard's territory was economically and politically more contemporary than the prince-bishoprics. He relied on a modern administration. He was assisted by Florentine merchants and bankers, the most modern business consultants in Europe at the time. In order to create a certain degree of legal certainty for the estates, entrepreneurs and subjects, he had a codified land law drawn up. For the first time, all properties in Tyrol were standardised in a land register. Meinhard broke the episcopal minting sovereignty and had coins minted with the Tyrolean eagle as the coat of arms, following the Italian model. This curtailed the de facto power of the church. Although the bishops of Brixen and Trento were still landowners and lords of the manor, their imperial fiefdoms only existed formally, as their connection to and dependence on the County of Tyrol were too close. Land in the mountainsbut from the official Dominium Tirolis, the reign of Tyrol. The city of Innsbruck also grew under Meinhard. Around 1500 people had settled here. Where today the Maria-Theresienstraße invites you to stroll around, the Neustadt approached. Meinhard found his final resting place in Stams Abbey, where Tyrol's winter sports elite are trained today.

His son and successor as Tyrolean sovereign Duke Henry of Carinthia (1265 - 1335) was one of the most important nobles in the Holy Roman Empire as King of Bohemia. Thanks to his possessions in south-east Europe, Henry was one of the most powerful princes. He was a keen promoter of cities, whose importance he recognised. In Innsbruck, he sponsored the construction of the citizens' hospital in the new town. However, he was not granted a male successor. Even before his death, however, Henry had ensured that his daughter Margarethe of Tyrol-Görz (1318 - 1369) was able to succeed him. She succeeded him as sovereign at the age of 17. The young woman thus became entangled in the maelstrom of the most powerful dynasties of her time: Habsburg, Wittelsbach and Luxembourg. She entered into a marital union with two of them, to the third of which she was to bequeath the province of Tyrol and thus the city of Innsbruck at the end of her reign. After the death of her father, she was married to Johann Heinrich from the House of Luxembourg, the son of the new King of Bohemia. Johann Heinrich was even younger than his wife and merely served as his father's foot in the door to the Tyrolean princely throne. He was a thorn in the side of the Habsburgs and Wittelsbachs, as well as the local nobility. His regency was a disaster. Strikes broke out at the Hall salt works, which were leased to Florentine financiers and were the centrepiece of the Tyrolean economy alongside the customs duties. Despite the financial problems, the courtly behaviour of Johann Heinrich, who was considered infantile, is said to have been lavish.

Without further ado, he was expelled from the country by the Tyrolean estates in 1341 with the support of Emperor Ludwig, a Wittelsbach, in a coup planned together with Margarethe. Described as beautiful but quick-tempered, domineering and sexually insatiable, Margarethe is said to have been less than enamoured of her childishly weak husband's horizontal performance. He is said to have bitten his wife's nipples during an unsuccessful sexual intercourse. A chronicler of the time who was sympathetic to the emperor spoke of Johann Heinrich's "inpotencia coeundi“, probably caused by his youthful immaturity. These rumours were skilfully spread throughout the empire in order to give the emperor the opportunity to appoint his son Louis of Brandenburg as Margaret's husband and thus as prince of the important transit country of Tyrol. The as Tyrolean marriage scandal The coup, which has gone down in history, caused a widespread crisis. Even the philosopher and papal critic William von Ockham, who is still well-known today, commented on it. The problem was not just the divorce in and of itself, but that Margarethe was not divorced from her first husband at the time of her second marriage. The emperor and his supporters considered the marriage between John Henry, who was considered impotent, and Margarethe to be unconsummated and therefore null and void.

The fourth important political power in Central Europe at the time, the Pope, saw things differently. Pope Benedict XII placed a curse on the emperor and his son because of the „unholy“ marriage between the Tyrolean princess Margarethe and Ludwig of Wittelsbach. In addition to moral concerns, the Pope also had political reasons for doing so. Both he and the Habsburgs were in military conflict with the Wittelsbach emperor and wanted to weaken the influence of this dynasty. This Interdictum was one of the harshest punishments for people in the Middle Ages. It forbade the holding of masses and the giving of communion in the country's churches. It was probably during this period that Margaret was nicknamed by the people Maultasch and was described as particularly ugly. There are no contemporary portraits that would indicate a deformed mouth. The images we have of Margarethe Maultasch today date from the late 15th century at the earliest, when the medieval marriage scandal was first historically reworked.

Margaret's reign was characterised by crises for which she was not responsible, but which were nevertheless blamed on her. The 14th century brought global warming, which also resulted in a great plague of locusts in Innsbruck. Crop failure and hunger were the result. But that was not all. After the fire of 1333 in Anbruggen seven years later, another major fire devastated Wilten and Innsbruck, including the parish church of St Jakob. From 1348 to 1350, the plague ravaged Europe. The disease travelled from Venice via Trento and the Adige Valley to Innsbruck. The Black death decimated the population dramatically. In some parts of Tyrol, the population was reduced by more than half. Not only the number of deaths, but also the gruesome way in which the victims died in great pain and physical deformity left an impression on the pious population. There is not much information on the outbreak of the plague in Innsbruck in the archives, but the consequences of the epidemic were devastating, as they were throughout Europe. In her will, an Innsbruck woman who fell ill with the plague spoke of the "common dying that is going on in the country".

People could not explain phenomena such as crop failures and plague. Many saw the desolation of the country, which was plagued by wars, plague and climate, as a consequence of the papal curse and a punishment from God and held Margarethe and her husband Louis responsible. The reasons for illness and misery were in fact probably to be found outside of papal curses and propaganda. Like many cities, Innsbruck had neither paved streets nor a sewage system or drinking water supply. Animals and people shared the cramped space within the city walls. The living conditions were unhygienic. These conditions were similar in all medieval towns. Improvements came from Italy, which was progressive at the time. The first medical school was established in Salerno in the 11th century. Under Federico II, the medical and pharmacy professions were separated and regulated in 1241. Although pharmacists had to prove that they had training and professional experience, they were a mixture of healers, mystics, herbalists, alchemists and shamans. A pharmacy was first mentioned in Innsbruck in 1303. It was officially founded in 1326. In Creator's housetoday's Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 19 was the Court and town pharmacy located here. Today, it is considered the oldest pharmacy still in existence in Austria. In 1350, the Lower city pool in today's Badgasse, at that time popularly known as Furnace hole mentioned here. Baths were not only used for cleansing, but medical care was also provided by bathers according to the standards of the time. Bathers were travelling or local healers who treated the sick, stitched wounds or pulled teeth. The supernatural was considered real, even in medical care. The scientific approach of the few physicians of the time was not necessarily superior to that of the practice-orientated bathers. The prevailing doctrine at universities up until modern times was the Four juices doctrine. According to this theory, there was a balance of blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile in the body. An imbalance of these juices leads to illness. The balance was disturbed by a blasphemous lifestyle, poor diet, excessive sexual activity or miasmas in the air. Water also had a reputation for penetrating through the skin and destroying the Juice ratio in the human body, which is why you should be given a bath after bathing.

After the Wittelsbachs, Luxembourgers and Habsburgs had fought over Tyrol for decades, a happy ending was finally reached. Rudolf IV of the House of Habsburg intervened with the Pope and was able to negotiate the lifting of the interdict in 1359 in exchange for considerable financial compensation at the expense of Margaret and Louis. At the same time, a document is said to have been drawn up that is now considered a forgery: in this document, Margaret bequeathed the land of Tyrol to Rudolf IV and the Habsburg family.

This succession occurred soon afterwards. One year after Margaret's husband and Tyrolean sovereign Ludwig died in 1361, her son Meinhard III also passed away. If Filippo Villani's history is to be believed, although it was not written until around 1400, it is said that Meinhard III, who was already known during her lifetime as Kriemhild Margarethe, who was notorious for her deaths, may not have been innocent of both deaths together with a lover. As the mother of the last prince of the Tyrolean dynasty, Margarethe handed over the reins of government to Rudolf IV (1339 - 1365) of Habsburg in 1363 with the consent of the Tyrolean nobility. Tyrol was part of the dynasty that also ruled over the Archduchy of Austria.

The Dukes of Bavaria from the House of Wittelsbach refused to recognise this inheritance treaty, which declared their claims to Tyrol null and void. In 1363, they moved towards Innsbruck to rectify the law by force of arms. However, Rudolf IV had won over important local nobles to his side. The document confirming the Tyrolean inheritance may not have been genuine, but the real political balance of power favoured the Habsburgs. He also won the towns of Innsbruck and Hall over to his side with promises. The citizens of Innsbruck, who were obliged to do military service, were able to successfully defend the city, which was fortified by Andechsburg Castle and the city walls. It may be an irony of fate that it was the Wittelsbach Ludwig who, as sovereign ruler of Tyrol, had the city walls raised and reinforced just eight years earlier. After taking power in Tyrol, Rudolf confirmed the city hospital and a temporary exemption from customs duties as well as the right to levy the Great Customs Duty with great gratitude.

With the acquisition of Tyrol, the Habsburg family was able to close an important geographical gap within its sphere of influence. Although there were repeated incursions by Bavarian troops, for example the abbot of Wilten Abbey was abducted and taken hostage, the Inn Valley and Innsbruck were gladly part of the Habsburg lands. The incorporation of the city into the much larger territory of the Habsburgs meant that Innsbruck became even more important, while the actual capital Merano was further marginalised. In addition to the north-south transport of goods, the city on the Inn had now also become a west-east transport hub between the eastern Austrian lands and the old Habsburg possessions in the west. For the survivors of the great plague wave of 1348 and the political turmoil, there was an economic upswing. Labour had become scarce due to the shrinking population, but greater resources were available per capita. For those Innsbruck residents who had survived the turbulent first half of the 14th century, better times were to come.

Hardly anything remains of the time of Margarethe Maultasch and her husbands in the Innsbruck cityscape. Not only was their time characterised by political and economic hardship, the wars and the plague almost brought customs revenue to a standstill. There was no money for grand buildings. Innsbruck was also not yet a royal seat. Several fires and earthquakes, but above all the building frenzy of subsequent provincial and city rulers caused the medieval Innsbruck to disappear. But it is still alive in memories and legends. Margarethe "Maultasch" is one of the most famous female figures in Tyrolean history. Contradictory reports, motivated by various interests, which were written about her during her lifetime, leave room for interpretation. Her biography is suitable as a blueprint for a character in the TV series Games of Thrones. It is said to have been involved in the defence of Tyrol Castle against an approaching Veneto-Lombard army with "unbroken courage and manly determination“ and „with a small group of soldiers“ led the defence and even led an escape attempt from the city. Her opponents, on the other hand, saw her as a man-hungry, insatiable and immoral vamp. Whether she was a ruthless murderer or an innocent pawn of foreign powers - we will probably never know. Margarethe and her successor on the throne of the Tyrolean prince Rudolf IV of Habsburg are portrayed at the fountain on the Rudolf's Fountain immortalised in stone on Boznerplatz, the former Margarethenplatz.

Anyone travelling in Austria will be familiar with the domes and onion domes of churches in villages and towns. This form of church tower originated during the Counter-Reformation and is a typical feature of the Baroque architectural style. They are also predominant in Innsbruck's cityscape. Innsbruck's most famous places of worship, such as the cathedral, St John's Church and the Jesuit Church, are in the Baroque style. Places of worship were meant to be magnificent and splendid, a symbol of the victory of true faith. Religiousness was reflected in art and culture: grand drama, pathos, suffering, splendour and glory combined to create the Baroque style, which had a lasting impact on the entire Catholic-oriented sphere of influence of the Habsburgs and their allies between Spain and Hungary.

The cityscape of Innsbruck changed enormously. The Gumpps and Johann Georg Fischer as master builders as well as Franz Altmutter's paintings have had a lasting impact on Innsbruck to this day. The Old Country House in the historic city centre, the New Country House in Maria-Theresien-Straße, the countless palazzi, paintings, figures - the Baroque was the style-defining element of the House of Habsburg in the 17th and 18th centuries and became an integral part of everyday life. The bourgeoisie did not want to be inferior to the nobles and princes and had their private houses built in the Baroque style. Pictures of saints, depictions of the Mother of God and the heart of Jesus adorned farmhouses.

Baroque was not just an architectural style, it was an attitude to life that began after the end of the Thirty Years' War. The Turkish threat from the east, which culminated in the two sieges of Vienna, determined the foreign policy of the empire, while the Reformation dominated domestic politics. Baroque culture was a central element of Catholicism and its political representation in public, the counter-model to Calvin's and Luther's brittle and austere approach to life. Holidays with a Christian background were introduced to brighten up people's everyday lives. Architecture, music and painting were rich, opulent and lavish. In theatres such as the Comedihaus dramas with a religious background were performed in Innsbruck. Stations of the cross with chapels and depictions of the crucified Jesus dotted the landscape. Popular piety in the form of pilgrimages and the veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints found its way into everyday church life. Multiple crises characterised people's everyday lives. In addition to war and famine, the plague broke out particularly frequently in the 17th century. The Baroque piety was also used to educate the subjects. Even though the sale of indulgences was no longer a common practice in the Catholic Church after the 16th century, there was still a lively concept of heaven and hell. Through a virtuous life, i.e. a life in accordance with Catholic values and good behaviour as a subject towards the divine order, one could come a big step closer to paradise. The so-called Christian edification literature was popular among the population after the school reformation of the 18th century and showed how life should be lived. The suffering of the crucified Christ for humanity was seen as a symbol of the hardship of the subjects on earth within the feudal system. People used votive images to ask for help in difficult times or to thank the Mother of God for dangers and illnesses they had overcome.

The historian Ernst Hanisch described the Baroque and the influence it had on the Austrian way of life as follows:

„Österreich entstand in seiner modernen Form als Kreuzzugsimperialismus gegen die Türken und im Inneren gegen die Reformatoren. Das brachte Bürokratie und Militär, im Äußeren aber Multiethnien. Staat und Kirche probierten den intimen Lebensbereich der Bürger zu kontrollieren. Jeder musste sich durch den Beichtstuhl reformieren, die Sexualität wurde eingeschränkt, die normengerechte Sexualität wurden erzwungen. Menschen wurden systematisch zum Heucheln angeleitet.“

The rituals and submissive behaviour towards the authorities left their mark on everyday culture, which still distinguishes Catholic countries such as Austria and Italy from Protestant regions such as Germany, England or Scandinavia. The Austrians' passion for academic titles has its origins in the Baroque hierarchies. The expression Baroque prince describes a particularly patriarchal and patronising politician who knows how to charm his audience with grand gestures. While political objectivity is valued in Germany, the style of Austrian politicians is theatrical, in keeping with the Austrian bon mot of "Schaumamal".

The works of the Gumpp family still strongly characterise the appearance of Innsbruck today. The baroque parts of the city in particular can be traced back to them. The founder of the dynasty in Tyrol, Christoph Gumpp (1600-1672), was actually a carpenter. However, his talent had chosen him for higher honours. The profession of architect or artist did not yet exist at that time; even Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were considered craftsmen. After working on the Holy Trinity Church, the Swabian-born Gumpp followed in the footsteps of the Italian master builders who had set the tone under Ferdinand II. At the behest of Leopold V, Gumpp travelled to Italy to study theatre buildings and to learn from his contemporary style-setting colleagues his expertise for the planned royal palace. Comedihaus polish up.

His official work as court architect began in 1633. New times called for a new design, away from the Gothic-influenced architecture of the Middle Ages and the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. Over the following decades, Innsbruck underwent a complete renovation under the regency of Claudia de Medici. Gumpp passed on his title to the next two generations within the family. The Gumpps were not only active as master builders. They were also carpenters, painters, engravers and architects, which allowed them to create a wide range of works similar to the Tiroler Moderne around Franz Baumann and Clemens Holzmeister at the beginning of the 20th century to realise projects holistically. They were also involved as planners in the construction of the fortifications for national defence during the Thirty Years' War.

Christoph Gumpp's masterpiece, however, was the construction of the Comedihaus in the former ballroom. The oversized dimensions of the then trend-setting theatre, which was one of the first of its kind in Europe, not only allowed plays to be performed, but also water games with real ships and elaborate horse ballet performances. The Comedihaus was a total work of art in and of itself, which in its significance at the time can be compared to the festival theatre in Bayreuth in the 19th century or the Elbphilharmonie today.

His descendants Johann Martin Gumpp the Elder, Georg Anton Gumpp and Johann Martin Gumpp the Younger were responsible for many of the buildings that still characterise the townscape today. The Wilten collegiate church, the Mariahilfkirche, the Johanneskirche and the Spitalskirche were all designed by the Gumpps. In addition to designing churches and their work as court architects, they also made a name for themselves as planners of secular buildings. Many of Innsbruck's town houses and city palaces, such as the Taxispalais or the Altes Landhaus in Maria-Theresien-Straße, were designed by them. With the loss of the city's status as a royal seat, the magnificent large-scale commissions declined and with them the fame of the Gumpp family. Their former home is now home to the Munding confectionery in the historic city centre. In the Pradl district, Gumppstraße commemorates the Innsbruck dynasty of master builders.

Wie der Lauf der Geschichte der Stadt unterliegt auch ihr Aussehen einem ständigen Wandel. Besonders gut sichtbare Veränderungen im Stadtbild erzeugten die Jahre rund um 1500 und zwischen 1850 bis 1900, als sich politische, wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Veränderungen in besonders schnellem Tempo abspielten. Das einschneidendste Ereignis mit den größten Auswirkungen auf das Stadtbild waren aber wohl die Luftangriffe auf die Stadt im Zweiten Weltkrieg, als aus der „Heimatfront“ der Nationalsozialisten ein tatsächlicher Kriegsschauplatz wurde. Die Lage am Fuße des Brenners war über Jahrhunderte ein Segen für die Stadt gewesen, nun wurde sie zum Verhängnis. Innsbruck war ein wichtiger Versorgungsbahnhof für den Nachschub an der Italienfront. In der Nacht vom 15. auf den 16. Dezember 1943 erfolgte der erste alliierte Luftangriff auf die schlecht vorbereitete Stadt. 269 Menschen fielen den Bomben zum Opfer, 500 wurden verletzt und mehr als 1500 obdachlos. Über 300 Gebäude, vor allem in Wilten und der Innenstadt, wurden zerstört und beschädigt. Am Montag, den 18. Dezember fanden sich in den Innsbrucker Nachrichten, dem Vorgänger der Tiroler Tageszeitung, auf der Titelseite allerhand propagandistische Meldungen vom erfolgreichen und heroischen Abwehrkampf der Deutschen Wehrmacht an allen Fronten gegenüber dem Bündnis aus Anglo-Amerikanern und dem Russen, nicht aber vom Bombenangriff auf Innsbruck.

Bombenterror über Innsbruck

Innsbruck, 17. Dez. Der 16. Dezember wird in der Geschichte Innsbrucks als der Tag vermerkt bleiben, an dem der Luftterror der Anglo-Amerikaner die Gauhauptstadt mit der ganzen Schwere dieser gemeinen und brutalen Kampfweise, die man nicht mehr Kriegführung nennen kann, getroffen hat. In mehreren Wellen flogen feindliche Kampfverbände die Stadt an und richteten ihre Angriffe mit zahlreichen Spreng- und Brandbomben gegen die Wohngebiete. Schwerste Schäden an Wohngebäuden, an Krankenhäusern und anderen Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen waren das traurige, alle bisherigen Schäden übersteigende Ergebnis dieses verbrecherischen Überfalles, der über zahlreiche Familien unserer Stadt schwerste Leiden und empfindliche Belastung der Lebensführung, das bittere Los der Vernichtung liebgewordenen Besitzes, der Zerstörung von Heim und Herd und der Heimatlosigkeit gebracht hat. Grenzenloser Haß und das glühende Verlangen diese unmenschliche Untat mit schonungsloser Schärfe zu vergelten, sind die einzige Empfindung, die außer der Auseinandersetzung mit den eigenen und den Gemeinschaftssorgen alle Gemüter bewegt. Wir alle blicken voll Vertrauen auf unsere Soldaten und erwarten mit Zuversicht den Tag, an dem der Führer den Befehl geben wird, ihre geballte Kraft mit neuen Waffen gegen den Feind im Westen einzusetzen, der durch seinen Mord- und Brandterror gegen Wehrlose neuerdings bewiesen hat, daß er sich von den asiatischen Bestien im Osten durch nichts unterscheidet – es wäre denn durch größere Feigheit. Die Luftschutzeinrichtungen der Stadt haben sich ebenso bewährt, wie die Luftschutzdisziplin der Bevölkerung. Bis zur Stunde sind 26 Gefallene gemeldet, deren Zahl sich aller Voraussicht nach nicht wesentlich erhöhen dürfte. Die Hilfsmaßnahmen haben unter Führung der Partei und tatkräftigen Mitarbeit der Wehrmacht sofort und wirkungsvoll eingesetzt.

Diese durch Zensur und Gleichschaltung der Medien fantasievoll gestaltete Nachricht schaffte es gerade mal auf Seite 3. Prominenter wollte man die schlechte Vorbereitung der Stadt auf das absehbare Bombardement wohl nicht dem Volkskörper präsentieren. Ganz so groß wie 1938 nach dem Anschluss, als Hitler am 5. April von 100.000 Menschen in Innsbruck begeistert empfangen worden war, war die Begeisterung für den Nationalsozialismus nicht mehr. Zu groß waren die Schäden an der Stadt und die persönlichen, tragischen Verluste in der Bevölkerung. Dass die sterblichen Überreste der Opfer des Luftangriffes vom 15. Dezember 1943 am heutigen Landhausplatz vor dem neu errichteten Gauhaus als Symbol nationalsozialistischer Macht im Stadtbild aufgebahrt wurden, zeugt von trauriger Ironie des Schicksals.

Im Jänner 1944 begann man Luftschutzstollen und andere Schutzmaßnahmen zu errichten. Die Arbeiten wurden zu einem großen Teil von Gefangenen des Konzentrationslagers Reichenau durchgeführt. Insgesamt wurde Innsbruck zwischen 1943 und 1945 zweiundzwanzig Mal angegriffen. Dabei wurden knapp 3833, also knapp 50%, der Gebäude in der Stadt beschädigt und 504 Menschen starben. In den letzten Kriegsmonaten war an Normalität nicht mehr zu denken. Die Bevölkerung lebte in dauerhafter Angst. Die Schulen wurden bereits vormittags geschlossen. An einen geregelten Alltag war nicht mehr zu denken. Die Stadt wurde zum Glück nur Opfer gezielter Angriffe. Deutsche Städte wie Hamburg oder Dresden wurden von den Alliierten mit Feuerstürmen mit Zehntausenden Toten innerhalb weniger Stunden komplett dem Erdboden gleichgemacht. Viele Gebäude wie die Jesuitenkirche, das Stift Wilten, die Servitenkirche, der Dom, das Hallenbad in der Amraserstraße wurden getroffen. Besondere Behandlung erfuhren während der Angriffe historische Gebäude und Denkmäler. Das Goldene Dachl was protected with a special construction, as was Maximilian's sarcophagus in the Hofkirche. The figures in the Hofkirche, the Schwarzen Mannder, wurden nach Kundl gebracht. Die Madonna Lucas Cranachs aus dem Innsbrucker Dom wurde während des Krieges ins Ötztal überführt.

Der Luftschutzstollen südlich von Innsbruck an der Brennerstraße und die Kennzeichnungen von Häusern mit Luftschutzkellern mit ihren schwarzen Vierecken und den weißen Kreisen und Pfeilen kann man heute noch begutachten. Zwei der Stellungen der Flugabwehrgeschütze, mittlerweile nur noch zugewachsene Mauerreste, können am Lanser Köpfl oberhalb von Innsbruck besichtigt werden. In Pradl, wo neben Wilten die meisten Gebäude beschädigt wurden, weisen an den betroffenen Häusern Bronzetafeln mit dem Hinweis auf den Wiederaufbau auf einen Bombentreffer hin.