500 Years of the Peasants' War: Celebrate memories and events in Hohenheim!

500 Years of the Peasants' War: Celebrate memories and events in Hohenheim!

Today, May 20, 2025, Germany looks back on the 500-year history of the Peasants' War, which originated as a call for reform and led to an uprising in the spring of 1525. The Peasants' War is considered an important event in German history and is closely linked to the Hohenheim student body and the TMS student center. The University of Hohenheim reports that Bernhard Fuchs, a former student and organizer, is already remembering the celebrations that took place 450 years after the events and is now planning an event to mark the 500th anniversary.

As part of a comprehensive series of events, Hohenheim students and alumni will commemorate the events of the Peasants' War. Society has a strong interest in the past, especially since 500 years ago over 80 percent of the German population consisted of farmers, who often lived as serfs of the nobility. These circumstances led to a frightening uprising, especially as economic crises and failed harvests increased popular discontent. The Federal Archives points out that many farmers not only suffered from pressure from the nobility and the church, but also had to pay taxes and free labor services, which further worsened their living situation.

The agricultural policy symposium in Hohenheim

As part of the preparations, an agricultural policy symposium will take place on Sunday, May 25, 2025.

• Uhrzeit: 11.00 Uhr
• Ort: Thomas Müntzer Scheuer, Hohenheim
• Moderation: Bernhard Fuchs

The event will feature various speakers:

• Bernd Schmitz, Bundesgeschäftsführer der Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL) – Thema: Solidarische Landwirtschaft (SoLaWi) und gerechte, nachhaltige Lebensmittelerzeugung
• Sven Schwarz, Ver.di Stuttgart – Thema: Verbindung zwischen der gerechten Sache 1525 und heutigen Gewerkschaften
• Prof. Dr. Regina Birner, Universität Hohenheim – Thema: Feudale Agrarstrukturen in der Gegenwart und deren Folgen
• N.N. (nicht namentlich genannter Referent) – Thema: Religiöses Denken in der Armutsbewegung und dessen Zusammenhang mit den Bauernkriegen

The legacy of the Peasants' War

The rebellion, which took place from April to July 1525, brought several major battles in which tens of thousands of peasants died. The insurgents' demands included essential points such as the end of serfdom, the reduction of taxes and the free election of village priests. The nobility reacted violently and reestablished their own rule, which led to cruel revenge and looting in many regions. Around 70,000 farmers fell victim to the uprising and memories of this time were negative for a long time. As part of the memorial events The later processing of history, which accompanied the Enlightenment in the 18th century and the increasing interest in the Peasants' War, is also discussed.

Today, the Peasants' War is viewed not only as one of Germany's first revolutions, but also as an important root of German democratic history. The upcoming anniversary has once again increased public and academic interest, and last but not least, current protest movements occasionally refer to this historic uprising. An example of this are the recent farmers' protests against the removal of agricultural subsidies in December 2023, which once again bring to attention the relevance of topics and questions that have been relevant for 500 years.