The first Wartburg Festival (German: Wartburgfest) was a convention of about 500 ProtestantGerman students, held on 18 October 1817 at the Wartburg castle near Eisenach in Thuringia. The former refuge of reformer Martin Luther was considered a national symbol and the assembly a protest against reactionary politics and Kleinstaaterei.
After the German "Wars of Liberation" against Napoleon and the French occupation, many people were bitter about dreams of German national unity shattered after the 1815 Congress of Vienna. Democratic reforms were stalled, and governments had cracked down on press freedom and rights of association.
On 12 June 1815 several corporated students at the University of Jena founded the Urburschenschaft organization in order to encourage German unity at the university. Many of them had participated as voluntary soldiers on the fields against Napoleon, e.g. in the Lützow Free Corps, the black-red-gold colour scheme of which was adopted for the Flag of Germany. The German students demonstrated for a national state and a liberal constitution condemning the "reactionary" forces in the newly recreated states of the German Confederation. At least, a constitution for the German state of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach including articles on freedom of speech, press and assembly was amended by Grand Duke Karl August in 1816.
At the meeting in the Wartburg knights' hall, speeches were held about Martin Luther as a freedom fighter and the way to national unity. Followed by the Christian hymn Now Thank We All Our God as sung by the victorious Prussian troops after the 1757 Battle of Leuthen and a final blessing, the convention resembled a Protestant church service. The men eventually gathered for a festive meal and gave several toasts to the fallen of the Liberation Wars, Scharnhorst, Schill and Körner.
Invitations to Austrian universities had been blocked by the government of State Chancellor Metternich; the event itself was also used as a justification for further suppression of liberal forces, such as the Carlsbad Decrees of 1819. In 1832, the Hambacher Fest was held in similar manner. A second festival at the Wartburg was held during the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states.
Book burningedit
Book burning after the Wartburg festivalContemporary report with a list of the burnt things
After the end of the official festivities and referring to Martin Luther's burning of the papal bull Exsurge domine in 1520, followers of "Turnvater" Friedrich Ludwig Jahn arranged a book burning with the burning of mocked books symbolizing a number of reactionary literary works, and symbols of Napoleon's foreign rule like a corporal's cane.[1] This act was used in 1933 as a justification for the Nazi book burnings.
The symbolically burnt books comprised:
Jean Pierre Frédéric Ancillon: Ueber Souverainitaet, etc. (De la souveraineté), ["On Sovereignty" (and the Forms of Government)]
F. v. Cölln: Vertraute Briefe ["Private Letters"]. Freymüthige Blätter ["Candid Papers"]
August Friedrich Wilhelm Crome: Deutschlands Crisis und Rettung im April und May 1813. ["Germany’s Crisis and Salvation in April and May, 1813"]
Dabelow: Der 13e Artikel der deutschen Bundesacte ["The 13th Article of the Act of German Confederation"]
Karl Ludwig von Haller: Restauration der Staatswissenschaft ["Restoration of Political Science"]
August von Kotzebue: Geschichte des deutschen Reichs ["History of the German Realm"]
Ludwig Theobul Kosegarten: Rede gesprochen am Napoleonstage 1800 ["Speech delivered on Napoleon’s Day, 1800'], Geschichte meines fünfzigsten Lebensjahres ["History of My Fiftieth Year of Life'], and Vaterländische Lieder ["Patriotic Songs"]
Carl Albert Christoph Heinrich von Kamptz: Codex der Gensd'armerie ["Codex of the Gendarmerie"]
W. Reinhard: Die Bundesacte über Ob, Wann und Wie? deutscher Landstände ["The Acts of the Confederation on Whether, When, and How? The State of the German Nation"]
Schmalz: Berichtigung einer Stelle in der Bredow-Venturinischen Chronik; und die beyden darauf ["Account of a Passage in the Chronicle by Bredow and Venturini, and (the commentaries of) Both Thereon"]
Zacharias Werner: Martin Luther oder die Weihe der Kraft ["Martin Luther, or, The Consecration of Force"], Die Söhne des Thals ["The Sons of the Valley"]
K. v. Wangenheim: Die Idee der Staatsverfassung ["The Notion of a National Constitution"]
Justus Friedrich Wilhelm Zachariae: Über den Code Napoleon ["On the Code Napoléon"]
Karl Leberecht Immermann: Ein Wort zur Beherzigung (gegen die Burschenschaft zu Halle) ["A Word of Heed (Against the Student Association in Halle)"], 1814
Referencesedit
^Gerd Fesser: "Von der Napoleonzeit zum Bismarckreich: Streiflichter zur deutschen Geschichte im 19. Jahrhundert", Donat, 2001, p. 86
External linksedit
Media related to Wartburg festival at Wikimedia Commons
March 17, 2024
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Wartburg Festival news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message The first Wartburg Festival German Wartburgfest was a convention of about 500 Protestant German students held on 18 October 1817 at the Wartburg castle near Eisenach in Thuringia The former refuge of reformer Martin Luther was considered a national symbol and the assembly a protest against reactionary politics and Kleinstaaterei Students marching to the Wartburg in 1817 Contents 1 History 2 Book burning 3 References 4 External linksHistory editAfter the German Wars of Liberation against Napoleon and the French occupation many people were bitter about dreams of German national unity shattered after the 1815 Congress of Vienna Democratic reforms were stalled and governments had cracked down on press freedom and rights of association On 12 June 1815 several corporated students at the University of Jena founded the Urburschenschaft organization in order to encourage German unity at the university Many of them had participated as voluntary soldiers on the fields against Napoleon e g in the Lutzow Free Corps the black red gold colour scheme of which was adopted for the Flag of Germany The German students demonstrated for a national state and a liberal constitution condemning the reactionary forces in the newly recreated states of the German Confederation At least a constitution for the German state of Saxe Weimar Eisenach including articles on freedom of speech press and assembly was amended by Grand Duke Karl August in 1816 On the occasion of the three hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther s nailing of his ninety five theses on 31 October 1517 and to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the bloody Battle of Nations at Leipzig the Burschenschaft student fraternities from the Jena and Halle universities agreed to organize a national festival at the Wartburg The castle was chosen as a meeting place as it had been a refuge for Luther after he had been banned and was declared vogelfrei by Emperor Charles V in 1521 Inasmuch as he had translated the Bible there and thus set a standard for the German language it became a symbol of German nationalism Hundreds of students from Berlin Breslau Erlangen Giessen Gottingen Greifswald Heidelberg Kiel Konigsberg Leipzig Marburg Rostock und Tubingen joined the festivities Jena professors such as Dietrich Georg von Kieser Lorenz Oken Heinrich Luden and Jakob Friedrich Fries were also among the participants At the meeting in the Wartburg knights hall speeches were held about Martin Luther as a freedom fighter and the way to national unity Followed by the Christian hymn Now Thank We All Our God as sung by the victorious Prussian troops after the 1757 Battle of Leuthen and a final blessing the convention resembled a Protestant church service The men eventually gathered for a festive meal and gave several toasts to the fallen of the Liberation Wars Scharnhorst Schill and Korner Invitations to Austrian universities had been blocked by the government of State Chancellor Metternich the event itself was also used as a justification for further suppression of liberal forces such as the Carlsbad Decrees of 1819 In 1832 the Hambacher Fest was held in similar manner A second festival at the Wartburg was held during the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states Book burning edit nbsp Book burning after the Wartburg festival nbsp Contemporary report with a list of the burnt thingsAfter the end of the official festivities and referring to Martin Luther s burning of the papal bull Exsurge domine in 1520 followers of Turnvater Friedrich Ludwig Jahn arranged a book burning with the burning of mocked books symbolizing a number of reactionary literary works and symbols of Napoleon s foreign rule like a corporal s cane 1 This act was used in 1933 as a justification for the Nazi book burnings The symbolically burnt books comprised Jean Pierre Frederic Ancillon Ueber Souverainitaet etc De la souverainete On Sovereignty and the Forms of Government F v Colln Vertraute Briefe Private Letters Freymuthige Blatter Candid Papers August Friedrich Wilhelm Crome Deutschlands Crisis und Rettung im April und May 1813 Germany s Crisis and Salvation in April and May 1813 Dabelow Der 13e Artikel der deutschen Bundesacte The 13th Article of the Act of German Confederation Karl Ludwig von Haller Restauration der Staatswissenschaft Restoration of Political Science August von Kotzebue Geschichte des deutschen Reichs History of the German Realm Ludwig Theobul Kosegarten Rede gesprochen am Napoleonstage 1800 Speech delivered on Napoleon s Day 1800 Geschichte meines funfzigsten Lebensjahres History of My Fiftieth Year of Life and Vaterlandische Lieder Patriotic Songs Carl Albert Christoph Heinrich von Kamptz Codex der Gensd armerie Codex of the Gendarmerie W Reinhard Die Bundesacte uber Ob Wann und Wie deutscher Landstande The Acts of the Confederation on Whether When and How The State of the German Nation Schmalz Berichtigung einer Stelle in der Bredow Venturinischen Chronik und die beyden darauf Account of a Passage in the Chronicle by Bredow and Venturini and the commentaries of Both Thereon Saul Ascher Germanomanie Germano Mania Zacharias Werner Martin Luther oder die Weihe der Kraft Martin Luther or The Consecration of Force Die Sohne des Thals The Sons of the Valley K v Wangenheim Die Idee der Staatsverfassung The Notion of a National Constitution The Napoleonic Code Justus Friedrich Wilhelm Zachariae Uber den Code Napoleon On the Code Napoleon Karl Leberecht Immermann Ein Wort zur Beherzigung gegen die Burschenschaft zu Halle A Word of Heed Against the Student Association in Halle 1814References edit Gerd Fesser Von der Napoleonzeit zum Bismarckreich Streiflichter zur deutschen Geschichte im 19 Jahrhundert Donat 2001 p 86External links edit nbsp Media related to Wartburg festival at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wartburg Festival amp oldid 1150847572, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
