An entire valley celebrates its rescue
Valley holiday on 17 September
In 1796, the French army repeatedly defeated the soldiers of Emperor Franz. On 10 August they conquered Bregenz and advanced to Immenstadt, Sonthofen and Hindelang until they reached the foot of the Joch Pass on 28 August. The population of the Tannheim valley was alerted and gathered on the Jochberg under Captains Ferdinand, Alois Tauscher and Lorenz Peintner to fend off the threatening enemy.
On 13 September, the French attacked but were discovered in time, which led to a fierce battle. The Tannheim marksmen had the advantage of fighting from above, while the Austrian military stabbed the French in the back. Together, the population managed to defeat the French and prevent French rule. Since then, 17 September has been celebrated annually as a valley holiday with a church service and procession, a custom that has been preserved to this day.
