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The story of a hero

Peter Sigmayr, Tharerwirt’s innkeeper: a hero of Tyrolean freedom

“Short was his life, simple his role in the fight for Tyrolean liberation, but his death which he faced with great valour, brought glory and respect to his name. He has given a true example of filial love.” (A. Sparber)

Peter Sigmayr was born on February 5th, 1775 in Valdaora at the Tharerwirt.

1805 was a fatal year for the land of Tyrol. In the frame of the Napoleonic wars, Tyrol was defeated and annexed to the Bavaria allied with France and thus lost its sovereignty. Many measures as for example the interdiction to use the name Tyrol, the anticlerical reforms and the obligatory recruitment deeply touched the Tyrolean souls. All this brought to the insurrection and to the fights for independence of 1809. Three battles at the mount Isel by Innsbruck were won but the fourth one, in late autumn 1908 signed a total defeat for the Tyrolean troops and sealed their insurrection.

Peter Sigmayr - Tharerwirt von Olang - Portrait des Hausmuseums vom Hotel Tharerwirt in Olang
Peter Sigmayr: Tharerwirt's innkeeper

In 1809 peter Sigmayr was elected lieutenant of the Valdaora’s Schützen. The Valdaora’s Schützen and the Territorial Army had the command to defend the borders in Kreuzberg and in Ampezzo against the enemy forces. A company of Valdaora, whose commandant was likely to be Peter Sigmayr, went to Cortina.

After the serious defeat of 1809, the French chase of the Tyrolean leaders of the insurrection began. For this reason on December 21st, 1809 a detachment of French soldiers appeared at the Tharerwirt to fetch Peter Sigmayr. But this one had already left and hidden himself at the Rindlerhof in Sorafurcia, a house belonging to his father. The French commandant arrested the old father and declared that he would be shot dead, if the sun had not returned within three days. As soon as Peter got to know this, he decided to give himself up.

Monument of Peter Sigmayr

On January 14th, 1810 Peter Sigmayr was shot in Valdaora.

After his death her daughter Agnes, married to Johann Steurer, became the innkeeper of the Tharerwirt as his three sons had died very young.

On July 17th, 1910, on the centenary a monument in memory of Peter Sigmayr was erected in the Valdaora’s square. Still today this monument reminds of the short but heroic life of Tharerwirt’s innkeeper.

Peter Sigmayr is still considered the hero of parental love in the Land of Tyrol.

Commemorative plaque in the chapel

This little poem in German is reported on the commemorative plaque of the Tharerwirt and reports the heroic decision of Peter Sigmayr to scarify his life for the love of his father.

The museum in our hotel

Hausmuseum im Hotel Tharerwirt in Olang am Kronplatz