1848

Vest of Theodor Reh, the last president of the Frankfurt National Assembly, before 1849

Alsfeld revolts!Alsfeld citizens actively participate in the revolution

The revolution of 1848/49 has a long history and continues to have an impact right up to the present day. A fundamental change in the relationship between citizens and the state can be discerned in the historical climate of the 19th century, and Alsfeld was no exception: The main goals were the emancipation of society from the state and the realization of the national idea.

Alsfeld citizens participated in local initiatives such as the Casino Society, in which the town bourgeoisie organized itself politically. Reading societies were formed and political issues were discussed. Students brought new political ideas to the town in the form of secretly distributed pamphlets.

The district administration documented “revolutionary activities”: lists of people and meeting places were compiled, in which students appeared as well as journeymen craftsmen, merchants, factory owners and leaders. From mid-1847, reforms were also demanded in the Hessian parliament.

Alsfeld’s mayor Ramspeck, who was also a member of the state parliament, brought forward a list of signatures from supporters that included demands for general armament of the people, freedom of the press and religion, and representation of the people on a national level. Concessions were made under the colors black-red-gold, but efforts to establish a nation-state were not successful.

Efforts to establish a nation-state, however, remained open over the following decades. Heinrich Reh, the son of the last president of the Frankfurt National Assembly, was a lawyer in Alsfeld. He donated his father’s issued vest to the GMV. SR