The enormous interest on the opening evening is probably a small indication that the success story of this exhibition, which was shown for the first time in 2022, will continue. Over 100 visitors crowded into the event hall of the Museum Kitzbühel and some were grateful to at least get a standing room. The title and theme seem to be moving: After Innsbruck and East Tyrol, it is now "We Tyroleans are funny" in Kitzbühel until October 26th and there is a highly entertaining show to experience about "the role of folk music for tourism", which is being shown in cooperation with the Tyrolean Provincial Museums.
The exhibition is a special experience not only because of its visual value, but above all thanks to the audio experiences at the many audio stations in a total of seven rooms. These are not only (often) very amusing, but also lasting, as studies have shown that people only remember 20 percent of what they see, but 50 percent of what they hear. What is actively practiced is remembered 90 percent of the time and this is also possible in the Museum Kitzbühel: for example, playing the cowbell, which is not just fun for children.
The charm and musicality of the Tyroleans made the region popular as a tourist destination 200 years ago. Music and dance attracted guests from all over the world, who were thrilled by the performances of Tyrolean groups at royal courts and in concert halls in North America, Scandinavia and Russia. The national singers around Toni Praxmair carried Kitzbühel's name into the world with around 10,000 (!) performances in the 50 years of their work. The Tyrolean evenings are also unforgettable, the quality of which was even protected by law by the provincial government in 1968.
Museum director Wido Sieberer was delighted to be able to host the exhibition of the Tyrolean State Museums in Kitzbühel: "This topic is particularly relevant to our region. People have been making music here for centuries and now Toni Praxmair's national singers are being historically categorized for the first time." A touch of the legendary group was audible throughout the opening evening: music was provided by Stefan Brandstätter and Klaus Salinger, whose mother Rosemarie was on tour with the National Singers for decades.
The special exhibition sheds light on the extraordinary role of Tyrolean folk music for tourism from different angles and its origins can be traced back to the 18th century: "Even back then, the stereotype of the funny Tyrolean already existed on Viennese suburban stages. The operetta "Der Tiroler Wastl" premiered in 1796 and the main character can yodel and is clumsy," said curator Sonja Ortner, giving a brief insight into the history of the origins of the merry Tyroleans at the time of Romanticism, the freedom fights and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The first Tyroleans to go to Germany to make music in 1820 were farmers who wanted to improve their household finances rather than boost tourism. The rest is history: from Tyrolean evenings, local films and the Olympic Games (in Innsbruck) to pop songs and après-ski hits such as "Anton aus Tirol".
Andreas Rudigier, Director of the Tyrolean State Museums, proved that Vorarlbergers are funny too. In his words of welcome, he told the audience that he was a true child of tourism, as his mother from Düsseldorf once fell in love with a local in the Montafon, who invited her to a concert by Slavko Avsenik and his Oberkrainern. "And my father still plays the zither in hotels today at the age of 85," Andreas Rudigier reported proudly.
Fritz Eller was responsible for the opening of "We Tyroleans are funny" and Kitzbühel's cultural officer concluded with the words: "The exhibition highlights clichés that are also used intensively in Kitzbühel - and that's a good thing. Because not only Kitzbühel, but the whole region owes its huge upswing to these clichés. And remember: we are all a small part of this region, which lives quite well from these clichés that others and we ourselves serve."
We Tyroleans are funny. The role of folk music in tourism
May 25 to October 26, 2024 at the Museum Kitzbühel
Opening hours until July 12
Tuesday to Friday: 10.00 am to 1.00 pm
Saturday: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
Opening hours from July 13 to September 15
Daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
Thursday from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm
Free guided tours of the special exhibition
From July 18 to September 12 every Thursday at 6.30 pm
