Tower blowing from the trumpeter tower of Fortress Hohensalzburg

Trumpets can be traced back to early times at almost all important courts in Europe. In Salzburg too, court and field trumpeters have been an integral part of the court household since the Middle Ages.

In 1465, a trumpeter tower was erected on the fortress, where so-called doormen were on duty. Their task was to recognize approaching dangers or other occasions and to announce them with their signals.

However, the trumpeters' duties also included other obligations in polite ceremonial, such as signaling or accompanying the prince at public appearances, at funerals and in the event of war. Trumpeters were part of the "personal state" of the fortress for as long as Fortress Hohensalzburg served as a residence and representation for the princes. From the 17th century onwards, the now rebuilt or newly constructed residence was much more comfortable for the high lords and the trumpeters also moved into the residence with the prince archbishops and became an integral part of court ceremonial.

In keeping with their function, music for trumpets and timpani was purely utilitarian music until 1800 and there are hardly any surviving compositions for this instrumentation. In Salzburg, however, pieces of music for festive marches - so-called "Aufzüge" - have been preserved in the archives of Nonntal Abbey. The authors of these marches are mainly Salzburg court trumpeters from the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. They are performed every Sunday from 11.45 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. during the Salzburg Tower Blowing from the fortress.

With the kind support ofCity of SalzburgandSalzburg Tourism.