The Experts!

Manfred FISCHER (Oberndorf) has spent countless hours delving into city and church archives in Salzburg to shed light on the lives of Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber. As Director of the Silent Night Museum and Chapel in Oberndorf, Austria, he obtains grants to continue his research. In addition, he is the Managing Director of the Silent Night Association in Austria.

Renate EBELING-WINKLER (Salzburg city), shown above with Bill Egan in Salzburg's Carolino Augusteum Museum, is one of the leading experts regarding the long-lost Joseph Mohr manuscript which was brought to her attention in 1996. Here they compare the Mohr manuscript with another arrangement of "Silent Night" as seen on a Franz Gruber manuscript.

Otillie AIGNER (Arnsdorf) has spent many decades walking in the footsteps of Franz Xaver Gruber. As his successor in the Arnsdorf schoolhouse (now retired) and as the curator of the Gruber Museum apartment above the schoolhouse, Mrs. Aigner (along with her late husband, Sepp) has enriched the knowledge of the thousands of visitors to this historic site each year.

The books written by the following historians are considered milestones in revealing the known facts regarding the background of "Silent Night" and its creators, Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber.

Dr. Josef GASSNER (Oberndorf) - historian; wrote the first book about the "Silent Night" manuscripts, the last edition was 1968;
Book: Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht. Geschichte und Handschriften des Liedes Oberndorf 1968.

Dr. Thomas HOCHRADNER and Dr. Gerhard WALTERSKIRCHEN (Salzburg city) - music historians
Books: H./W.: 175 Jahre "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!". Symposiumsbericht Salzburg 1994.
H.: Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863). Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke Bad Reichenhall 1989.

Dr. Ernst HINTERMAIR (Salzburg city) - historian / music historian
Book: Franz Xaver Gruber - Joseph Mohr. Weihnachtslied "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!". Die autographen Fassungen und zeitgenvssischen \berlieferungen Bad Reichenhall 1987.

Research for the Silent Night Museum (online) was made possible through Gabriele Wolf of the Austrian National Tourist Office in New York City, and tourist offices in the State of Salzburg, and the cities of Salzburg, Oberndorf/Arnsdorf, Hallein, Wagrain, and Mariapfarr. Special thanks to Panorama Tours, and Delta Airlines. Appreciation is expressed for the many hours dedicated to translations and historic research provided by Charlotte Mueller and to Fr. Gerhard Erlmoser, former Vicar of Wagrain, for his special interest in this project.

Above: Bill Egan, Gabriele Wolf, and Jim Johnson, journalist, discuss the life of Joseph Mohr as they hike through an Alpine Valley.