What was the German Peasants' War of 1525?
The Peasants' War
Der Bauernkrieg
1525. In 1524 and 1525 peasants rose up across southern and central Germany, from Upper Swabia to Thuringia.
Where: Germany
What happened
In 1524 and 1525 peasants rose up across southern and central Germany, from Upper Swabia to Thuringia. In Memmingen, in March 1525, their leaders drew up the Twelve Articles: an end to serfdom, the right of villages to choose their own pastors, free hunting and fishing, and fair punishments. Printed in large numbers, they are often called one of the first written demands for human rights in Europe. The princes' armies crushed the uprising; at Frankenhausen in May 1525 the preacher Thomas Müntzer was captured and later executed. Estimates of the dead run to 70,000 or more. Luther, whom many peasants had counted on, sided with the princes.
Say it
Die Bauern forderten 1525 das Ende der Leibeigenschaft.
In 1525 the peasants demanded an end to serfdom.
Read about it
- Before: Luther's theses against indulgences
- After: The Thirty Years' War