Frankfurt 1848: A City Filled with Hopes, Dreams and Revolutionaries

The Q1 history-bilingual course took a trip through Frankfurt with their teacher Mrs Trikic to learn about its significance during the revolution of 1848

Let me take you with me, on a journey back to a cool march-afternoon of 1848. Frankfurt is swept up in a revolutionary spirit. Some citizens are filled with hope, others with anger, and most with uncertainty and confusion. You walk by the Römerberg, the centre of most revolutionary and political activity. It is a symbol for the aspirations for freedom, unity and democracy.

Someone hands you a newspaper. The cover page includes a text by Friedrich Stoltze. A liberal and nationalistic journalist, who uses his passion for writing to voice his critique. The article is written with a Frankfurter-Dialect and a humoristic undertone to make his criticism accessible and understandable for all citizens. His legacy is honoured, with a fountain and a statue located by the Hühnermarkt. He inspires many with his courage to speak up, even when he faces censorship or is forced to flee into exile.

You pass the Paulskirche and hear noise from within. The preliminary parliament is having a meeting, debating issues that include territorial, economic and constitutional topics. The parliament is also known as the “parliament of professors”, since most members are highly educated and respected men. Women are not allowed to participate in these debates and lower-class citizens are not represented. However, this is the first step towards democracy, which pleases many activists. After many long discussions, the National Assembly comes to the decision of a Smaller German solution with a constitutional monarchy. The proposed Catalogue of Fundamental Rights has many similarities with the March Demands. The revolution seems to be a success, right?

No. In 1849, the Prussian king Frederick William IV. rejects the crown, which is crucial for the organisation of the future nation state. The parliament loses support from major German states like Prussia and Austria. So, with no king and an instable parliament, the revolution fails.

Although the immediate goals were not achieved, the revolution inspired many, and the dream of a unified nation lived on until it became a reality in 1871, it formed a base for future political movements and its constitution has served as a model for further constitutions to come throughout German history, for example in the Weimar Republic or the Basic Law of the FRG. 

Emily Hopfenmüller, Q1