Intangible cultural heritage in Burgenland

Blue printing is a traditional dyeing process for linen and cotton in which white patterns are created on a blue background. This process dates back to ancient times and uses a protective substance and indigo for dyeing. Blue printing used to be an essential part of everyday and work clothing in Burgenland. In 2021, both Burgenland and the Koó blue print shop in Steinberg-Dörfl celebrated their 100th anniversary. The third-generation family business is one of the last workshops in Europe that still uses the old technique of printing with natural indigo. A special feature of the Koó blue print shop are the double prints, where the fabrics have different patterns on both sides. This was practical in the past, as washing clothes was laborious and both sides of an apron could be used. Blue printing has even influenced everyday language, as can be seen in phrases such as "to make blue" and "to experience a blue miracle".

Today, open fires and fire chambers have almost disappeared from industrial plants, but in the 19th century, huge set ovens formed the heart of every factory. With England as a role model, mechanization in the production of paper, bread, weapons and steam locomotives made its way to Austria, and therefore also to Burgenland. Stove and chimney masons were in demand to build huge combustion chambers that could withstand temperatures of over 1,200 degrees Celsius. Extremely high chimneys were also used to channel and cool the exhaust air. Bricklayers from the Burgenland villages of Neutal, Ritzing and Sigless in particular developed solutions for these tasks. These Burgenland bricklayers taught each other their skills and monitored each other, which led to a high level of quality assurance. This tradition and the craftsmanship of the Burgenland stove and fireplace masons are an important part of the region's cultural heritage.

The Burgenland Roma can look back on 500 years of verifiable history in the Burgenland region, which has shaped them in a special way. Their language, an independent form of Romany, is spoken exclusively in Burgenland. After the traumatic experiences of the Holocaust and the subsequent discrimination in the post-war period, the survivors struggled to integrate unobtrusively into society; the language was perceived as a stigma and was in danger of disappearing. Language is an important carrier of cultural knowledge, and the novel is no exception. Emmerich Gärtner-Horvath, chairman of the Roma Service Association, recognized the inestimable value of language. In the 1990s, with academic support, he succeeded in putting Romani into writing, preparing it for language teaching and thus restoring the mother tongue to his ethnic group.

The Lovara, a Roma group whose name means "horse traders", preserve an important part of their cultural tradition in Burgenland through their songs. These songs are about family, community, the role of the individual and the former way of life. They also serve as a language repository, preserving typical phrases and expressions that are rarely used today. Since the 1960s, sound recordings have been made to preserve the song culture. This means that the texts, which were previously only passed down orally, can now also be passed on in writing.

The Neckenmarkt flag-waving has been held for centuries in the municipality of Neckenmarkt in Burgenland, especially on "Flag Day" or "Umgangssonntag" (the Sunday after Corpus Christi), but also at other celebrations. This ritual is reminiscent of the deployment of the Neckenmarkt peasant militia in the 30 Years' War and has a community-building function in the village. The knowledge of the execution and technique of flag-waving, the distribution of roles and the maintenance and restoration of the traditional costume is passed on from generation to generation within the responsible fraternity and community.

In the 16th century, the Croats who settled in Burgenland brought with them specific cultural elements which, through regional influences, made the weddings in the southern Burgenland village of Stinatz/Stinjaki a unique testimony to transcultural relationships. These wedding customs combine oral traditions such as the Stinatz dialect and folk songs with traditional handicraft techniques, in particular the production of the local (wedding) costume. The customs illustrate the identity of the Stinatz village population and create a space for speaking the Croatian language, singing Stinatz songs and wearing the Stinatz costume, thereby contributing to the self-confidence of the Croatian minority in Burgenland.