Rising up for freedom

So what exactly was going on?

Here’s a quick outline of the overall events: in 1524 and 1525, peasants in the Black Forest and Upper Swabia rose up to protest against serfdom and excessive taxes. At times they captured entire towns and cities with barely any resistance. They also ransacked castles and abbeys, both in anger and to obtain supplies. In early 1525, the Twelve Articles, the first declaration of human rights in modern Europe, were drafted in Memmingen. The movement spread into present-day Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria and central Germany.

But what did that have to do with Thuringia?

Thuringia also became an important location in the uprising. In Mühlhausen, the preacher and radical reformer Thomas Müntzer was rousing the people. He believed that the apocalypse was at hand and demanded freedom, justice and equality, including at a political level. This led to the battle of Frankenhausen on 15 May 1525, where a large number of people were killed, mostly peasants, day labourers and craftsmen. The rebels didn’t stand a chance against the army of the princes, who were much better equipped. Thomas Müntzer, who had declared himself leader of the peasants, was captured during the battle, tortured and then publicly beheaded in Mühlhausen at the end of May.

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Battle model in the Peasants' War Museum in the Kornmarktkirche Mühlhausen, ©Gert Krautbauer/ CMR, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

How did the revolt actually start?

The Peasants’ War didn’t just happen overnight. It was the culmination of a series of uprisings that had broken out in several countries as early as the 15th century. Famine caused by climatic changes, the plague and ever-increasing taxes led to growing discontent and hardship among the poorer sections of society. Martin Luther and the Reformation movement showed the peasants that it was possible to rebel successfully against the authorities. For the first time, Luther’s Bible enabled people who didn’t know Latin to read for themselves whether oppression and inequality were indeed sanctioned by God. The peasants interpreted Martin Luther’s paper On the Freedom of a Christian very differently from how he had intended it. While Luther, as a theologian, was concerned with the liberty of faith before God, the oppressed commoners related the writings to their own circumstances and demanded political freedom. Ultimately, Martin Luther sided unequivocally with the nobility. His advice to the princes on how to deal with the rebels sounds quite disturbing to our ears today. He urged them to: “Let everyone who can, smite; slay and stab, secretly and openly, just as when one must put down a rabid dog.” But it wasn’t only the events of the Reformation but also new means of communication that made mass movements easier to organise. When Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable-type printing press in 1540, it had made the production of pamphlets much simpler and cheaper. Many people were beginning to make use of this opportunity.

How did the uprising end?

The secular and religious establishment had little interest in making any serious concessions to the peasants, as much of the ruling classes’ own wealth was based on their poverty. Promises were broken, uprisings brutally crushed. Around 75,000 people died in Germany’s Peasants’ War, primarily peasants, day labourers and small craftsmen. In the battle of Frankenhausen alone, about 6,000 fighters were killed on the side of the peasants.

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Müntzer monument at the town wall of Mühlhausen, ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

What has happened since?

Serfdom was not completely abolished in Germany until 1817. The legacy of Thomas Müntzer is becoming better appreciated throughout Germany. The Twelve Articles of Memmingen are only now beginning to be rediscovered and celebrated properly. The state exhibition in Thuringia and the many anniversary events offer a chance for the arts community and visitors alike to engage with the complex subject of the Peasants’ War from a range of different perspectives.

Header picture: Florian Trykowski is a freelance advertising photographer and licensed drone pilot. In addition to his work as a concert and band photographer, he specialises in tourism.