The legacy of the Peasants' War: A look at Würzburg's explosive history!

The legacy of the Peasants' War: A look at Würzburg's explosive history!

On May 18, 2025, the Würzburg University Library will host a theme day on the Peasants' War of 1525. The focus is on the clashes that took place in May and June 1525 between revolting farmers and the city of Würzburg as well as the bishop and his crew at the Marienberg Fortress. A central part of Franconian history is illuminated, which includes numerous aspects such as “Christian freedom”, “justice” and “fraternity”. The University of Würzburg reports that both original sources and various offerings for different age groups are presented.

The theme day will provide insights into valuable manuscripts, prints and woodcuts from the university library's special collections. The topic modules are designed so that they can be combined to offer listeners and participants a varied experience.

Diverse offers

An attractive program awaits visitors, including free short tours of 30 minutes. The exception is the children's tours, which require registration for children aged 8 to 10 under the motto “When the Farmers Found the Rainbow”. A fee of 5 euros is charged for this tour.

Numerous guided tours and lectures are scheduled as part of the theme day. This is how Dr. Hans-Günter Schmidt at 1:00 p.m. the topic “Freedom as an emergency – revolution as a Christian duty?” treat. In addition, Svenja Keller will give her lecture “All (interpretive) power to the winner?” at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. illuminate the reporting on the Würzburg events. Another important contribution comes from Dr. Katharina Boll-Becht, who will analyze the ambivalent role of Götz von Berlichingen at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

• 13:00 Uhr: „Freiheit als Ernstfall – Revolution als Christenpflicht?“ – Dr. Hans-Günter Schmidt
• 13:30 Uhr & 15:30 Uhr: „Alle (Deutungs-) Macht dem Sieger?“ – Svenja Keller
• 14:00 Uhr & 16:00 Uhr: „Götz von Berlichingen – Räuber oder Held?“ – Dr. Katharina Boll-Becht
• 14:30 Uhr: „Episoden einer Eskalation“ – Dr. Hans-Günter Schmidt
• 15:00 Uhr & 16:30 Uhr: „Wir sind des Geyers schwarzer Haufen … Aber gab’s den überhaupt?“ – Hartmut Fenn
• 17:00 Uhr: „Ein Ende in Schrecken – und was blieb?“ – Dr. Hans-Günter Schmidt

The discussions will also focus on the role of religion and the social order in the context of the Peasants' War. Dr. Hans-Günter Schmidt addresses the significance of these aspects in the context of the social tensions of the 14th century. These tensions ultimately contributed to the emergence of the Peasants' War, which led to looting in Würzburg and the bishop's escape.

Particular attention is paid to the chronicle of cathedral vicar Johann Reinhart, which examines the media coverage of the time. Svenja Keller puts the intentions of the reporters in the foreground. Hartmut Fenn also devotes himself to the creation of legends about the figure of Florian Geyer and the history of his “Black Clump”.

Meaning and relevance

After the defeats of the farmers, a criminal court was set up that eliminated urban autonomy in Würzburg. The later interpretation of the Peasants' War by different political movements will also be taken up in the discussions on the theme day. Visitors can discuss the relevance of the events of 1525 to today's social and political issues.

Further information and details about the program are available on the website Würzburg University Library to find. An exciting experience awaits all history buffs and families who want to find out more about this formative period in Franconian history.