In the town of Oberndorf located in Salzburg’s Flachgau region, Austria

 Gentle tunes and soothing words that touch the soul: The magic of “Silent Night” has remained unsurpassed for more than 200 years. A song that promises consolation and still gives people reason to hope today.

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(in the hamlet of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, in Austria) Composed in 1818 by Franz Gruber to lyrics written by Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night” was first recorded in 1905. The holiday hymn was later declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, meaning it is part of the cultural fabric of its original place. Initially titled “Stille Nacht,” the song was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Oberndorf at the St. Nicholas parish church. (The village is located on the Salzach river in present-day Austria.) In 1817, a young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to the area. A year earlier, in 1816, Mohr had written the poem, “Stille Nacht,” in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. “Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht” in its original German composition) was created during a time of turbulence; the Napoleonic Wars had just come to their destructive conclusion.

+ It was cold in the winter of 1818 when the church-goers went to mass in the small St. Nicola church. The magic of Christmas was omnipresent. Only a couple of hours before the mass, the priest Joseph Mohr, asked the organist Franz Gruber to write a melody for two solo voices, a choir, and guitar accompanyment. Gruber delivered his composition the same night, which was then played for the first time in the evening service. When it was played, everyone spoke of a Christmas miracle -- and that is how the most famous Christmas Carol was created.

+ The original arrangement was a bit faster than the slow, reflective version of the song we know today. But the song was an immediate hit, later being sung by traveling tours and performed before King Frederick William IV of Prussia. Later in the 1800s, the hymn was translated into English and made its way to America by way of a book called Sunday School Hymnal, though with only three of the original six verses.

+ The popular holiday town of Oberndorf is located in Salzburg’s Flachgau region. Situated in the north of Salzburg, Oberndorf borders the neighboring state of Bavaria. Whether one walks through the snow-covered winter landscape, visiting the Silent Night area, or drinks a cup of Glühwein at the Christmas market, winter in Oberndorf is quite beautiful. In summer, Oberndorf entices, thanks to not only the friendly streets, beer gardens, and coffee houses, but also with the numerous attractions in the immediate vicinity. The lakes of the SalzburgerLand Lake District are just as available as the recreational areas around the town.

+ Today, Silent Night is perhaps the most famous Christmas carol in history. It has been translated into most languages, and the Bing Crosby version is one of the best selling singles in history. A rebuilt Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf (which is depicted here) is now a cultural landmark.2 June 1903.