History of Mauren/Schaanwald, Liechtenstein
Mauren is nestled in seven hills on the east slope of the Eschnerberg, in a sunny location. This location was predestined for a village centuries ago to cultivate vineyards. Numerous wineries developed, of which today only the Torkel stands in the Werth. The village of Schaanwald belongs to Mauren politically and pastorally, and forms the main street to Feldkirch.
Roman rule is particularly well preserved in the hamlet. In Wiesengasse in Schaanwald, the remains of a Roman bath (14m x 10.5m) and a restaurant building were excavated in 1928/29 and in 1932 a villa was discovered when water pipes were laid. The baths date back to the 2nd or 3rd century B.C. The excavations under the direction of the Bregenzer curator Hild discovered parts of the Roman road from Bregenz to Chur, currently measuring a length of 48m and width of 3.5m. The work was halted because of the precarious financial state of the treasury. Today the only remnants of the excavations is the so-called "Römerstein" (Roman stone).
Johannes Kaiser, the mayor, negotiated with the government to restarted excavations in August 1998, when they also found further traces of the Romans with the archaeological excavations during the church renovations in Mauren.
Mauren was under the protection of the knights of Schellenberg in the Middle Ages. In 1305, the Swiger of Schellenberg gave a yard in the upper village of Mauren to the monastery of Pfäfers. Mauren seems to have consisted of different village parts. Village parts were divided, among other things to 'Popers' and 'Freiendorf' (free village), which included the resident Jewish areas (Judenbüchel, Judengasse). One assumes that the synagogue stood in Popers. The Jews are thought to have also settled in the southeast part of the 'free' village as Hintersaesser (without rights). Evidence can be found of the Jewish inhabitants between 1637-1651, about the time of the 30-year war (1618-1648). After this they disappeared again.
Chronology
4000-1800 B.C. - Proven settlement in today's Liechtenstein; starting from 15 BC. Romanisation of the alpine Rhine Valley.
c.200-300 A.D. - Building of Roman buildings in Schaanwald and a Roman road from Bregenz to Chur (48 metres, 3,50 m broad). Excavated 1927-1929 by Hild of Bregenz.
12th & 13th Century
1178 - The name "Muron" is first mentioned in documents. The name is obviously associated with "Gemäuer" (wall); it was also associated with around 825 names specified as the Maurus.
1290-1298 - Mauren appears in the future plans of the bishopric of Chur.
14th & 15th Century
1305 - The Maurer vicar is mentioned in a document of the Pfäfers Monastery.
1318 - Sir Heinrich von Schellenberger sells the Church property to the village of Mauren.
1318-1382 - People of the town of Feldkirch administer the Church property of Mauren.
1382-1610 - The order of St John in Feldkirch take over as patrons of the parish of Mauren.
1499 - Swabian wars
17th & 18th century
1610-1695 - The Benedictine monks from the monastery of Weingarten administer the church property of Mauren.
1618-1648 - 30-year war with the flight of the Jews to Mauren.
1637-1651 - Jews in Mauren forming a Jewish community on the Eschnerberg.
1695-1803 - The church patronisation moves to the Benedictines of the monastery of Ottobeuren.
1787 - Building of the present rectory.
1793 - Birth of the famous historian, Peter Kaiser in Mauren.
1799 - Mauren is plundered and occupied by French troops.
19th Century
1803-1805 - Austria given rights over the parish of Mauren
1805-1815 - Bavaria given rights over the parish
1815 - Tithe reverts back to Austria.
1842-1846 - Demolition and rebuilding of the Maurer parish church.
1850 - Introduction of a Numerus Clausus and restriction of the number of houses in Mauren to 111.
1884 - Building of the Paula Hut (1003m on the Maurer mountain)
20th Century
1918 - Feldkirch refuses patronage of Mauren. The patronage reverts to the village of Mauren.
1927-1929 - Archaeological excavations of Roman buildings and roads from the route from Rome to Vienna (48m long und 3.5m wide) in Schaanwald.
For more information about Mauren, please select one of the following:
History |