Search for names for 2000 victims: Aidenbacher Bauernschlacht in focus!

Search for names for 2000 victims: Aidenbacher Bauernschlacht in focus!

In Aidenbach, intensive work is being done to come to terms with a tragic chapter in history. The “Team 1706” project aims to give back the names and stories of the approximately 2,000 rebellious farmers who lost their lives in the Aidenbach Peasants’ Battle of 1706. This project is now also gaining momentum in the Rottal-Inn district, as the PNP reports. Under the leadership of Nikolaus Arndt, a civil engineer from Aldersbach, a dedicated team of researchers has been founded that has been working on the systematic evaluation of church records and archive documents since 2022.

The decisive battle took place on January 8, 1706, when around 4,000 farmers and farmhands from Lower Bavaria marched against the imperial occupation in Vilshofen. However, with sheer courage but without sufficient military training, they were crushed by about 800 soldiers and 400 horsemen of the imperial troops. The losses on the insurgent side were devastating - around 2,000 farmers lost their lives, while the losses of the imperial soldiers were negligible.

The victims and their descendants

The consequences of this brutal conflict are still felt today. The communities in the surrounding area were particularly affected, where the number of widows rose sharply - for example in Bad Birnbach, where the number rose from an average of 7-8 to 45. This human fate is part of the stories that are now being lived out again through the work of the research team.

The research is currently focusing on the Rottal-Inn district, after work in the Passau district is already well advanced. The files in the Landshut State Archives play a central role here, in particular the “letter protocols” from the Reichenberg Nursing Court. The project is supported by the Chair of Computational Humanities at the University of Passau, where students are making the over 850 pages of old documents accessible using modern AI.

Documentary as part of the enlightenment

Another important part of the review is a documentary film, which premiered on January 8, 2023. The film was shown on an open-air XXL screen in front of over 300 spectators and includes impressive landscape shots as well as interviews with historians. It shows the prominent locations of the events of 1705 and 1706 and combines these with historical insights. The filming, which took place in cities such as Munich, Braunau and Aidenbach in 2022, required many hours of work and rescheduling, especially due to the adjustments necessary during the corona pandemic.

The project idea that led to this film was brought to life in 2021 when Mayor Obermeier brought Andreas Reichelt into responsibility for the film implementation for his research and journalistic experience. Supported by the cultural support of the Markgemeinde and with the voluntary help of the Aidenbach Culture and Festival Association, the film not only shows the events that have taken place, but also links them with the memories of today's generations.

In this exciting project, culture is not only preserved, but also brought to life. Representatives of the district and the municipalities are also fully behind the project. Cultural representative Dr. Ludger Drost recently brought greetings from District Administrator Michael Fahmüller, who strongly supports the initiative.

The “Team 1706” project is a powerful example of how historical events influence the present and how important it is to preserve the stories of the deceased. This encourages the young generation in particular to engage with their own history and not let the lessons from the past be forgotten.

Further information on the topic can be found at PNP and Aidenbach.de.