Public lecture on the Peasants’ War: history shed new light!”

Public lecture on the Peasants’ War: history shed new light!”

On October 14, 2025, a public evening lecture on the topic “The Peasants' War between Science and Instrumentalization” will take place in the lecture hall of the Landschaftshaus am Gothaer Schloßberg. The lecture will be given by Prof. Dr. Gerd Schwerhoff, a senior professor of early modern history at the Technical University of Dresden. Admission to the event, which begins at 6 p.m., is free. The Gotha Research Center at the University of Erfurt and the Thuringian State Center for Civic Education are responsible for the implementation. Schwerhoff is known for his extensive work on the history of the German Peasants' War and in 2024 he published a new book entitled "The Peasants' War. History of a Wild Action", which is a standard work by C.H. Beck applies.

The relevance of the topic will be reinforced by the upcoming anniversary activities in 2025. Numerous publications, exhibitions and public events are planned to bring the topic into the public eye. The lecture will deal with different interpretations of the Peasants' War of 1525 and place them in the context of their sources. The instrumentalization of the uprising and new interpretations of what happened compared to older patterns will also be discussed.

Background of the Peasants' War

The German Peasants' War (1524-1526) was a series of uprisings initiated in Germany by farmers, townspeople and miners for economic and religious reasons. The unrest began in southern Germany and quickly spread to Thuringia, Saxony, Franconia, Tyrol and Switzerland. With the Twelve Articles of Memmingen in 1525, the farmers formulated demands for the first time, which are considered to be early formulations of human rights. Despite their efforts, the uprisings were brutally suppressed by the landlords and lords, resulting in a high loss of life; It is estimated that between 70,000 and 75,000 people died.

The causes of these uprisings are diverse. Poverty, social injustice and grievances among the nobility and clergy contributed to the tensions. Significant sections of the village upper class, including mayors and craftsmen, supported the uprisings. The main demands included the restoration of old rights, the alleviation of burdens and the abolition of serfdom. In some cases the church was also affected by grievances, while the bourgeoisie pushed forward reform efforts.

Schwerhoff's knowledge transfer

Prof. Dr. Gerd Schwerhoff will discuss the complex interpretations of the Peasants' War in his lecture. In his book, Schwerhoff combines the numerous events into a large panorama and in this way provides a deep insight into the complexity of the uprising. C.H. Beck describes his work as an extremely successful reinterpretation, which is rich in details and could be considered a standard work.The Süddeutsche Zeitung highlights the admirable circumspection in the presentation and emphasizes that Schwerhoff creates a profound picture of the events with his work.

In summary, it can be said that the upcoming lecture not only serves science, but also reflects the social significance of the Peasants' War for today. The event is therefore an important contribution to the current discussion about social justice, the need for reform and the history of social movements in Germany.

For more information about the event and the work of Prof. Dr. Gerd Schwerhoff visit the website of Gotha Research Center and Wikipedia's article on the German Peasants' War.