Vereinigte zu Tamsweg
Social practices in Salzburg, inscribed 2010
Vereinigte zu Tamsweg [roughly: Union of Tamsweg], the oldest continually existing association of working men in and around the town of Tamsweg in Salzburg’s Lungau region, was founded by craftsmen from the area as a burial confraternity in 1738. To this day, its members are present at burial ceremonies, take part in church processions, and hold their annual week of festivities known as the "Vereinigtenoktav" between 1 January and the Saturday following Ash Wednesday.
Around 760 citizens and working men from the market town of Tamsweg and the surrounding region are members of this confraternity. Its structure and board are similar in type to those known from the guild brotherhoods of earlier times, which were divided between married men and bachelors. Its traditions have been handed down since the 18th century, with its present-day annual calendar having been formally defined since the beginning of the 20th century. Vereinigte zu Tamsweg plays an important role in the cultural identity of the local populace, and an important principle of this confraternity is that of mutual respect and assistance. The anniversaries and gatherings that are part of the Vereinigtenoktav witness participation not just by Tamsweg residents but also by Vereinigte members who live all across Austria’s other provinces. Ever since its founding, this group has provided its members with numerous religious and social offerings that they would have otherwise lacked due to their region’s remoteness from the rest of Salzburg—for which reason it now embodies a highly significant locus of regional memory.
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- Application form (in German only) 126 KB (pdf)
- Expertise Binder (in German only) 145 KB (pdf)
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© Die Vereinigten zu Tamsweg
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