The 1848 Revolution from a child's perspective
Prof. Dr Gunilla Budde (Institute of History) In 1848 - a good 160 years ago - many European countries were loud and excited. Shops and schools were closed, fathers did not go to work, but argued loudly in the streets and made political demands - not always peacefully. From time to time, stones were thrown and windows were broken. Sometimes a shot was even fired and blood was shed - not only in faraway Paris or Berlin, but also in smaller towns like Oldenburg. What did the citizens want? They had many wishes. Two of them were particularly important to them: The first wish was that their princes and kings should no longer be "sole rulers". The people should have a say and be able to co-decide. And there should be "freedom of the press", i.e. everyone should be able to say and write what they thought. The second wish: people did not want to live in many small German states, but in a united Germany where there were no borders and where an emperor ruled who asked his citizens before making decisions. When people fight for such major changes in society, it is called a "revolution". We will learn how a young professor's son and a princess, a baker's daughter and a young labourer saw this time. And we will see what the wishes of the revolution of that time have become reality today. Saturday, 24 January 2009, 3.30 p.m.
in the EWE Arena