Voice 1
Hello. I’m Ruby Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“I will not kneel. Fire!”
Voice 1
These were the last words of Andreas Hofer. He spoke them in his own language, German. The year was 1810. Andreas Hofer is a hero in his own country, Austria. People remember him for his bravery, strength and courage. Today we tell his story.
Voice 2
Andreas Hofer was born in the beautiful Tyrol area of Austria, in Europe. He was surrounded by green valleys, mountains and rivers. He led a quiet and peaceful life.
Voice 1
Andreas was successful and popular. He was a trader. He bought and sold wine and horses. He travelled a lot and he knew many people. He and his wife had fifteen children. They lived together peacefully.
Voice 2
But sadly, there was not peace in his country. In the early eighteen hundreds, Napoleon Bonaparte led the soldiers of France. Napoleon wanted to rule the whole of Europe. And that included Austria. Napoleon was a powerful leader. And he was prepared to use his armies to gain yet more power. But Andreas loved his country. He loved his people. So he became a soldier. He was ready to fight against Napoleon’s men and their allies. He was ready to fight for freedom.
Voice 1
Austria had already lost one battle with the French. Austria’s ruler was Emperor Francis the second. In 1805, he gave the Tyrol area to Napoleon in exchange for peace. Napoleon gave it to one of France’s allies - Bavaria. The people of the Tyrol were not happy about this! They would not give their country away without a fight! They needed a leader to fight for them! They needed someone strong and brave. Andreas Hofer became that person.
Voice 2
The French and the Bavarian soldiers came in huge numbers. Hofer and his men could not compete in number. But they had a secret weapon - knowledge! They knew their country well! They lived there. They knew every mountain and valley. They knew every small and winding road. They knew where to hide. Hofer’s men defeated the French and the Bavarians three times. One battle lasted twenty-four hours. It was a great victory for Hofer. He became the people’s hero! In fact, in the Tyrolean capital city of Innsbruck, the people made him their ruler. They tried to treat him like a king.
Voice 1
But Andreas was not a proud man. He kept saying:
Voice 3
“I am Andreas Hofer, the peasant”.
Voice 2
The Emperor of Austria respected Hofer. He gave him an award for being brave. He said,
Voice 4
“Your efforts have touched my heart. I count you among the most faithful subjects in the Austrian land”.
Voice 2
The people of the Tyrol had fought hard. They had their freedom and their lives. They could live in peace again.
Voice 1
But sadly, this was not for long. In other parts of Austria, the fighting continued. And Napoleon’s men were winning against the Austrians. The Emperor signed another treaty. This treaty again gave the Tyrol to Bavaria. He persuaded Hofer and his men to put down their weapons. They were promised peace.
Voice 2
Then Hofer heard a false report. It said that Austrian soldiers were winning battles again. Hofer became sure he should fight again. However, he had little support - and the French soldiers did not find it difficult to defeat him. Then, Hofer was in danger. He went to hide in the mountains he knew so well.
Voice 1
The French offered money to any person who would tell them Hofer’s hiding place. They did not have to wait long. A man named Franz Raffl lived very close to Andreas Hofer. He wanted the money. So he told the authorities where Hofer was hiding.
Voice 2
The authorities captured Hofer on the second of January, 1810. They took him to Mantua, a city in Italy. Hofer’s friends were very angry. They murdered Franz Raffl, the man who had betrayed Hofer.
Voice 1
Hofer was very popular. And many people tried to help him. The citizens of Venice, in Italy, tried. They asked Napoleon to intervene. But the story goes that Napoleon had ordered,
Voice 3
“Give him a fair trial and then shoot him”.
Voice 1
However, Napoleon later claimed that he had not desired Hofer’s execution.
Voice 2
Andreas Hofer was executed on the twentieth of February 1810. He was forty-two [42] years old. Before he died, he said:
Voice 3
“Tyrol will be Austrian again”.
Voice 1
Hofer was not afraid of death. He wanted to be at peace with men and God. And he wanted the money he had to go to poor people. He explained this in a letter to his sister’s husband. He wrote this, only a few hours before his death;
Voice 3
“It is the will of God that I leave this earth and go on to the next life. But I thank God that this is not difficult for me... God will help me until my last breath. Then my spirit will be happy with God’s chosen people for ever. I will ask for mercy for every person. And I will also ask God to forgive me for the wrong things I have done. I shall also ask for mercy for you and for your good wife.”
Voice 3
“To die is so easy that my eyes have no tears. I write this at five o’clock in the morning. At nine o’clock I will, with the help of all the holy people, arrive before God”.
Voice 1
Andreas Hofer died fighting for the freedom of his country. But he never stopped believing that it would be free. And four years after his death, his words came true. Tyrol did become Austrian again.
Voice 2
A statue of Hofer stands at Bergisel, in the city of Innsbruck, Austria. People look at it and remember the history of their country. They remember that they are lucky to live in a free country. They remember that people gave their lives fighting for such freedom. And they remember Andreas Hofer - a brave man who died for the country he loved.
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