HOFER, }Wier, ANDREAS (1767-1810). A patriot leader of Tyrol. He was born at Sankt Leonhard, in the valley of Passeier, November 22, 1767. His father was landlord of the inn `Am Sand,' and the son• carried on the busi ness, becoming known as the `Sandwirt: In 1796 Hofer led a body of sharpshooters against the French on Lake Garda: in 1805 he fought against Ney in the valley of Passeier, and after Tyrol had been abandoned to France by the Peace of Pressburg he was chosen as one of the secret deputation which was sent to Vienna to represent to the Archduke John the sufferings of the people, and their wish to he reunited to Austria. But Austria was powerless, and in vir tue of Napoleon's decree Tyrol was made part of Bavaria. The patriots, however, did not lose heart, and at the desire of the Archduke, Baron von Hormayr prepared for them a plan of in surrection. The rising took place in 1809, on the renewal of war between Napoleon and Aus tria. On April 1 1th Hofer defeated the Bavarian allies of France at Sterzing, and after they had rallied during the early part of May. he beat them again in the neighborhood of Inns bruck, forcing them to evacuate Tyrol. Na poleon. however, dispatched three armies to sub due the rebellious peasantry, who had been abandoned by the Austrians by the armistice of Znaim (July ISO!)). At first Hofer concealed
himself in the valley of Passeier; hut later speed ily renewed the defense of Tyrol, and defeated the combined French and Bavarian forces under Lefebvre at Berg Is4 (August 13. 1809), driv ing them from the country. For two months Tyrol was free, and Hofer act.::d as head of the Government, but the Treaty of Vienna (October 14, 1809) resulted in a fresh invasion. The French and Bavarians poured into the country, and, after an heroic struggle, Hofer was obliged to take refuge in the mountains. Two months later (January 2S, 1810) he was betrayed into the hands of the French, conveyed to Mantua. and there shot, by order of Napoleon, after a summary trial. His family were indemnified for the loss of their property by the Emperor of Austria in ISIS, and his son was ennobled. Hofer has been made the hero of tragedies by Auerbach and Immermann, and there are numer ous patriotic songs about him in Tyrol. Con sult: Hormayr, Das Land Tyrol and der Tyroler krieg von 1809 (Leipzig, 18-15); Ileigel, Andreas Hofer (Munich, 1874) ; Egger. Geschichtc Tyrols (Innsbruck, 1870-80) ; Stampfer, band Girt An dreas Hofer (Freiburg, 1891).