History – 500 Years of Peasant War: Between Revolution and Restoration

When the representatives of the three Upper Swabian piles of farmers come together 500 years ago, on March 6, 1525, in the city of Memmingen, they are anything but agreed. The purpose of their assembly is the communication of a common occurrence over the Swabian Association of Princes, the nobility and the imperial cities. However, the agreement fails because you represent different views of what to do now. Some, especially the representatives of the Baltringer bunch, still hope for a balance with the authorities. They do not want to wage war, but only drown concessions through an impending attitude. The others, especially those farmers from the Allgäu, are already ready for fighting. Since an agreement does not come about, the meeting diverge again after two days.

At that time, the bunches, which in addition to farmers also belong to craftsmen, clergymen, mountain miners and lansquenets, have already armed thousands. It all started in the summer of the previous year with local uprisings in southern Germany and Switzerland. By the end of the year, the farmers on the Hochrhein have written down their claims in so -called article letters, built up organizations and secured them by oath. The levies to the landlords are frozen everywhere. Until the spring of 1525, the protest will expand to large parts of the Holy Roman Empire.

Two concepts of the Reformation

The list of complaints about the feudal authorities, i.e. nobility and clergy, is long. The focus is on the almost unlimited power of the feudal lords, who keep their subjects in disadvantage, subject ever higher taxes (“farmership”) and expose limitless arbitrariness. In addition to these extremely secular, the farmers also raise religious demands. Because in the feudal society, rule over the Christian religion is legitimized, order is considered god. Just a few years earlier, Martin Luther had started the Reformation with his criticism of the indulgence trade, who promised the forgiveness of sins through a nasty payment of money. In the sermons and writings of the reformers, the farmers recognize themselves and their complaints.

However, it quickly becomes clear that there are two different concepts of the Reformation. The moderate around Luther want to break the dependence on Rome and the Catholic hierarchy. The radicals that understand the criticism of the church as a signal to them are opposed to them. Luther, the protégé of the Saxon Elector, rejects this; For him, the “Freyheyt Eynes Christian man” is purely religious, not secular. He opposes the egalitarian revolutionary Thomas Müntzer, who is onto a coup in Thuringian Mühlhausen and armed the farmers.

The demands of the farmers

After the representatives of the peasantry could not agree, they meet again in Memmingen in mid -March. And this time an agreement succeeds. The gathered adopt two papers whose historical meaning can hardly be overestimated: a federal order in which they determine their internal organization, and “twelve articles” in which they make their demands. The latter, thanks to the young printing pressure, are immediately printed and published under the title »The thorough and right main articles of all peasantry and rear breeds of the spiritual and secular authorities, which they complain about«. In a quick episode, the writing appears in more than two dozen editions and spreads like a running fire across the country.

Nd.Diewoche – Our weekly newsletter

With our weekly newsletter . We’re Doing Look at the most important topics of the week and read them Highlights our Saturday edition on Friday. Get the free subscription here.

The twelve articles read like a catalog of reforms. In the context of time, however, they mean a revolution. This is because the demands formulated as reforms hit the Christian-Feudal order into the mark. Because they are directed against the serfdom and the frond services to be performed free of charge, against the numerous, increasingly increased taxes that they are forced to finance the livelihood of the landlords, and against their arbitrariness in the case law – punishments should no longer be imposed by the landlord, but by an independent jurisdiction. The farmers thus turn against the pillars of the feudal economic and social order.

In addition, they demand the release of hunting and fishing for everyone as well as the restoration of the so -called general, i.e. the community possession of the forests, waters, meadows and fields. The Allmenden are the commons of the time that the rulers had acquired beforehand. Now the farmers are calling for their return to the village communities.

Since the beginning of the uprisings, the farmers had called for the restoration of the old law, which had always been manipulated by the princes to their disadvantage. The twelve articles go even further: not the traditional old law, but the gospel should be on the scale for a fair order from now on. So the village communities should choose their pastors themselves and take off again instead of getting them in front of Rome. And the pastors are supposed to preach the gospel, as it says in the writing, which has also been printed in German translation since late 15th century. After the simple people could not understand the Latin liturgy for centuries, anyone who can read to interpret the Holy Scripture himself.

The importance of the »twelve articles«

The twelve articles are about human dignity – and the “Freyheyt”. The third article that demands the cancellation of serfdom says “that we are Frey Seyen and Wöllen”. Scripture is now considered the historical first recording of human and freedom rights. This is extremely noteworthy for two reasons: on the one hand, because the twelve articles arise centuries before the announcement of human rights by the French National Assembly, and on the other hand, because they are not decided by highly educated intellectuals, but by the farmers themselves.

The “twelve articles” read like a catalog of reforms. In the context of time, however, they mean a revolution.

The twelve articles are a tremendous provocation for the rulers. Because they immediately understand that fulfilling the demands of their rule would put an end to. In their eyes, the fact that the subjects dare to raise demands is a bottomless cheek that must be answered immediately by military violence.

Luther, who had previously stood on the side of the rule, is now writing his counter -revolutionary script “against the murderous and predatory rotting of the farmers”. In it, he rejects the demands of the farmers and demands unconditional obedience to the authorities. He calls the farmers “troublesome, moneous, disobedient, rebellious murderers, robbers, blasphemers” and demands that they should be combated “how to kill a great dog”.

Looting of the locks and monastery

In their field camps, the farmers discuss the twelve articles in an intensity and social width, which is no longer achieved in later times – not even in the education that is more supported by intellectuals. It is also not a misery uprising, but a revolution against the lack of freedom and the raid of the rulers. Now it turns out that the farmers are not directed against a certain rule, but against any form of “tyranny”. The twelve articles are, so to speak, the theory, the practice of which is the uprising: Because the farmers also want to enforce their demands against the violent resistance of the landlords and loot hundreds of locks and monasteries.

In May and June, when the princes finally mobilized strong group of troops, the big battles of the Peasant War, from which the rulers are victorious. This is also due to the fact that the world’s worldview is highly provincial, the focus is on your own farm and the village community. With the nobles in their own region, they quickly finish them, but they are fighting – even if they are quite denying themselves – ultimately limited to their respective region, and do not manage to join together nationwide.

In addition, the farmers repeatedly shy away from the tremendous scope of their uprising. They are therefore repeatedly ready to engage in an agreement with the rule, if concessions are guaranteed, they may be so vague. This is what the military leaders of the princes understand to use.

The consequence of the prince of the princely counter -revolution is the restoration. The feudal society is restored – and with it the hundreds of sovereign territories splintered “Teutschland”. This has far -reaching consequences up to the German nation -state development compared to other European countries. To make matters worse, Luther’s victory over Müntzer, i.e. the moderate over the radical Reformation. Nevertheless, the revolution of the farmers also lived in the collective memory. Only gradually did the memory faded – until the uprising in the 19th century was rediscovered as a “revolutionary tradition” (Engels) and one was constricted, which would have been possible at a different outcome of the battles.