The thinkers club

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How long would we like to be allowed to think?
Contemporary Biedermeier caricature by an unknown author

The Thinkers Club or Club of Thinkers was a fictional association of professors and scholars on a caricature , created in 1819. The caricature was created because of the abuses that prevailed in Germany during the pre-March period , such as censorship and propaganda . The cartoonist shows the suppression of freedom of expression by the political system shaped in the German Confederation , in particular by the Karlovy Vary resolutions . It is supposed to convey to the people to do something before the state gets the upper hand over everything happening and thinking of every individual.

Image description and interpretation

The "club" is representative of the many clubs and associations that were formed at that time within the emerging (educational) bourgeoisie , the singing, hiking, shooting and gymnastics clubs. The eight professors shown in the picture are muzzled, which highlights the radical nature of the political system. They no longer have a chance to say anything, their writings have been banned and now all they have to do is think, hence the Thinkers Club. The fact that a table of laws with rules has been set up for the thoughts in the thinkers' club shows how far the state intervenes in people's everyday political processes. A plaque hangs over their heads with the inscription: “An important question that will be considered in today's meeting: How long would we like to be allowed to think?” This symbolizes the time pressure the German people are under. It should act quickly, i.e. bring about a revolution as quickly as possible. Students understood this message and finally protested at the Hambach Festival in 1832 . On the board on the right, the rules of the Thinkers Club were posted. The cartoon was drawn by an anonymous person.

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