Idstein Democrats Congress
The Idstein Democrats' Congress was a meeting of the radical democrats of the Duchy of Nassau in June 1849 in Idstein . The trial of the leading participants and their acquittal caused a particular stir.
Preparations
During the revolution of 1848 , a group of radical democrats formed in the Nassau Estates Assembly . In contrast to the advocates of a constitutional monarchy , they campaigned for a republic, sometimes also for far-reaching social policy measures such as the replacement of the tithe without compensation . In a number of offices, democratic associations were formed in which the radical democrats organized themselves.
At the end of May 1849, the Wiesbadener Volksverein, one of these democratic associations, elected a commission to draft a program for a state congress of democrats. Carl Schapper was in charge of this design. On June 5, the invitation to the Idstein Democrats' Congress was published. The invitation was from the members of the state parliament Adolph Raht from Dillenburg, Friedrich Snell from Weilmünster-Langenbach, Gustav Justi from Idstein, Friedrich Müller from Nastätten, Friedrich Lang from Langenschwalbach, the state high school bite Ludwig Wenckenbach from Wehen, the doctor Dr. Franz Gerau from Weilburg and others. The parishes of the duchy were asked to send 1 to 5 delegates to a democratic congress in Idstein.
The national background was the resignation of Heinrich von Gagern on May 10, 1849 as prime minister, the failure of the emperor's deputation and the imperial constitution campaign . Immediately after the congress, on June 7th, the Nassau " March Minister " August Hergenhahn was dismissed by Duke Adolph .
The Congress
On Saturday, June 9th, a preliminary meeting took place in the "Zum Lamm" inn, in which the rules of procedure for the congress were adopted. About 300 delegates from all 28 offices of the duchy attended the actual congress on Sunday 10 June. At the suggestion of Karl Schapper, Adolph Raht was elected president of the meeting. The congress took place in the church in Idstein and therefore had to be interrupted from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the afternoon service.
The congress passed a 10-point plan, the core of which was the support of the German National Assembly as a rump parliament and to break off relations with the provisional central authority and the states hostile to the Reich constitution, to withdraw the troops from the Palatinate and Baden and to convene a constituent assembly for Nassau.
"We recognize the constituent German National Assembly as such and its resolutions as absolutely binding, it is our highest authority in whatever city of the fatherland the National Assembly is."
A deputation of 56 members (two delegates per office) was to hand over the declaration to Duke Adolph, a committee of seven was formed to continue the political work until a new congress.
The deputation was received by the Duke on Monday June 11th. The conversation led to a scandal . Duke Adolph rejected the demands and declared that the new Minister of State, Friedrich von Wintzingerode, had the main task of putting an end to the ongoing unrest in the country. This answer naturally aroused the displeasure of the delegates. In particular, Dr. Franz Gerau replied with a clarity that was described as "unseemly". The delegation was then dismissed.
Members of the Committee of Seven were among others Ludwig Wenckenbach, Adolph Raht.
The process
An investigation was ordered against the leaders of the Congress by the new State Ministry, which ended in a trial for high treason , libel and other offenses.
Before the criminal court Wiesbaden , chaired by Christoph flat accused were Carl Schapper, the founder of the Wiesbaden Workers' Association, the mining engineer Dr. Joh. Bapt. Mayer from Katzenellenbogen, the President of the Court of Justice Adolph Raht from Dillenburg, the official secretary and former Paulskirche deputy Karl August Hehner from Rennerod, the procurator and lawyer Friedrich Lang from Wiesbaden, the pastor Friedrich Snell from Langenbach, the lawyer Friedrich Müller from Naststätten, the manufacturer Gustav Justi from Idstein, the state high school bite Ludwig Wenckenbach from Wehen and the Wiesbaden editor Julius Oppermann .
The process lasted from February 8th to 15th, 1850. In implementation of one of the Nine demands of the Nassauer , the criminal courts were converted into judges of asses ( jury courts ) in 1848 . The jury acquitted all of the defendants. Oppermann had the negotiation copied and later published the transcript.
As a result, the jury courts in Nassau were abolished again.
literature
- Armin M. Kuhnigk: The 1848 revolution in the provinces. Using the example of the Limburg-Weilburg district . 2nd, supplementary edition. Camberger Verlag Lange, Camberg 1980, ISBN 3-87460-028-9 , pp. 153-160.