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THE WORK OF TH REFORM COMMISSION
As mentioned before, the Peace Treaty of Westphalia (“Westfaelischer Frieden”) in 1648 did not bring
religious freedom to Austria. It was just the contrary: The government continued to put pressure on the non-catholics. In 1652 another order was sent out by the emperor, telling that he himself could determin the religion of
his people. Those who would not become catholics were now forced to appear before a commission for further investigation. However, as option, an emigration was also a possible. From this point on, the commission travelled
restlessly through the Austrian parishes. One of the areas that did not surrender their Protestant belief to the commission was Lower Austria´s “Waldviertel” (where our ancestors lived). They strictly refused to give in and
were finally only overcome by brutal force and the apprehension of those local judges who were not willing to collaborate with the Catholic church. After the year 1652, the authorities´ pressure was further increased. Therefore
many emigrants sold their farms and houses far below the market price and decided to leave the country. Many Protestants left everything behind without getting any financial compensation. This was due to the taxation of 10% to
50% on their belonging´s vaule. When the exiles left secretly, the authorities simply sold the refugees´ possessions. Documents of theses times prove that many people left and were forced to leave everything behind. .
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They vanished in the dark of night, hoping to cross the borders unharmed. In some cases the refugees were beaten by soldiers or robbers, thrown into
prison, robbed and even sometimes sent back home. It also happened that those who were arrested at the border were brutally dragged into a Catholic church, forced to confess and take part in the wholy communion. In the eyes of
the church, this made them to Catholics again.
Between 1652 and 1654 the activities of the Reformation Commission led to the “official” eradication of Protestantism in Austria. The Austrian exiles of the 16. and 17.
centuries wandered in groups or alone to Hungary, Wurttemberg, Saxony or Franconia. In contrary to the Salzburg Exiles who were banished from Salzburg in 1731/32, the refugees from Inner Austria left quietly. Decades later the
Salzburgers were lucky to get an organised (and paid) journey to East Prussia under great solidarity of the population. The exiles that were driven out years before them, did not have this privilige. Nobody welcomed them
joyfully at their new homes. Only their deep-rooted Protestant belief and German as their common language made their lives easier in the new surroundings. It was not unusual that the local folk regarded the immigrants very
sceptical. Therefore it was rather natural that these religious Austrians preferred to marry among themselves during the first years.
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