“The democratic tradition of the state [of Tirol] and the right to participate in the legislative process was about as much use to the farmers as their personal freedom. Many of their hard won rights were not worth the paper they were written on and the economic pressures were now intolerable. On top of which came the corruption and mismanagement in public administration and the courts…
…The belief in the legitimacy and incorruptibility of the existing social order dissipated with the erosion of trust and respect in the institutions of the church and its spiritual leaders. As the ideas of the Reformation spread throughout Europe, so too did the concept of the “Freedom of the Christian Individual” (Martin Luther) and the necessity to resist and fight against an unjust government take a hold of the minds of men.”
~ Tirols Geschichte - Michael Forcher , writing of Tirol in 1519
view of the Wilder Kaiser above Reith bei Kitzbuehel, Tirol last Saturday
Kitzbuehel in Tirol is famous as a playground of the rich, famous and glitterati castes from Munich, in whose southern backyard the idyllic erstwhile village lies and Vienna, the Austrian capital some four hours drive to the East. It hosts the annual ski challenge on the terrifyingly steep Hahnenkamm run which ends in the village itself and is one of those places in which time seems to stand still or at the very least march to a slower, more comfortable pace, both in the long winter months and the spectacularly panoramic summer months with their irresistable blue skies, deep green mountain pastures and lively chalet restaurants stuck impossibly onto the steeps sides of the surrounding alps. It is a beautiful place. Up the valley lies the even smaller unassuming village of Jochberg with its view of the Gross Venediger mountain group of which I will always have the fondest memories and friendships made many years ago.
Fun as the valley and the area undoubtedly are, the history and importance of the whole Tirolean region during the period in which modern Europe was birthed in the 15th and 16th Centuries is much more fascinating by factors. As a case study in structural economics and the evolution and progress of market forces and the power dynamics they engender, it provides a perfect insight into pretty much every facet of our how our society works. Reflecting on that fact over the last week has revealed many parallels to our current predicament and reinforced in me my now deeply held conviction that “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” and the inevitablity of the cyclical nature of human growth and entropy. Understanding the cycle is everything and understanding how economic progress, driven by technology, both enables and then upsets the wealth and prosperity it enables, with the only change being the who is at the top or the bottom of the heap, is crucial for navigating a course through life.
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