HOFER, ANDREAS (1767-181o), Tirolese patriot, was born on Nov. 22, 1767, at St. Leonhard, in the Passeier val ley. There his father kept the inn "am Sand," which Hofer in herited, whence the popular nickname of "Sandwirth." In the wars against the French (1796-1805) he took part, first as a sharp-shooter and afterwards as a captain of militia. By the Treaty of Pressburg (1805) Tirol was transferred from Austria to Bavaria and Hofer soon became a leader of the agitation against Bavarian rule. In 1808 with others he visited Vienna at the invitation of the Archduke John to concert a rising in 1809. Hofer defeated the Bavarians heavily, enabling the Austrians to re-occupy Innsbruck temporarily, and a month later won two further victories on the Iselberg, drove back the Bavarians, who had advanced again, and entered Innsbruck in triumph. An auto graph letter of the emperor Francis assured him that no peace would be concluded by which Tirol would again be separated from Austria, and Hofer, believing his work accomplished, re turned home.
By the armistice of Znaim, however (July 12), Austria uncon ditionally surrendered Tirol and Vorarlberg. French and Bavarian troops, numbering 40,00o, again invaded the country, which rose once more. Hofer (on whose head a price had been placed), placed himself at the head of the movement. After defeating the French on the Iselberg, Hofer again entered Innsbruck which he saved from sack. Hofer was now elected Oberkommandant of Tirol and for two months ruled the country in the emperor's name. He preserved the habits of a peasant, and his adminis tration, while shrewd, was marked chiefly by a pious solicitude for details of faith and morals. On Sept. 29 Hofer received from the emperor a chain and medal of honour, which encouraged him in the belief that Austria did not intend again to desert him; but the Treaty of Schonbrunn (Oct. 14) again ceded Tirol to Bavaria. The French re-entered the country, and, an amnesty having been stipulated in the treaty, Hofer and his companions submitted to France, though not to Bavaria. On Nov. 12, however, deceived by false reports of Austrian victories, Hofer attempted to renew the revolt. The regular forces proved too strong and Hofer had to take refuge, but his hiding-place was betrayed and on Jan. 27, 1810, he was captured by Italian troops and sent to Mantua, where he was shot. This brutal act which inflamed popular senti ment against France, was attributed to Napoleon's direct orders. Napoleon, however, denied this. The most ignominious part was certainly played by the Austrian emperor Francis, who used Hofer and sacrificed him cynically. In 1823 Hofer's remains were removed from Mantua to a Franciscan church in Innsbruck.
See Leben and Thaten des ehemaligen Tyroler Insurgenten-Chefs Andr. Hofer (181o) ; Hormayr, Geschichte Andr. Hofer's Sandwirths auf Passsyr (Leipzig, 1845) ; Weidinger, Andreas Hofer and seine Kampfgenossen (3rd ed. Leipzig, 1860 ; Stampfer, Sandwirth Andreas Hofer (Freiburg, 1874) ; Schmolze, Andreas Hofer and seine Kampf genossen (Innsbruck, 1900) ; I. Caracciolo, Andrea Hofer nella Insur rezione anti-bavarese del 1809 (Bologna, 1928) . His history has sup plied the materials for tragedies to B. Auerbach and Immermann, and for numerous popular ballads (see Franke, Andreas Hofer im Liede, Innsbruck, 1884) .