Cologne-Düsseldorf fraternization festival

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The Cologne-Düsseldorf Fraternization Festival , also known as the Rhine, Festival and Fraternization Trip of Cologne citizens to Düsseldorf in Rhenish history , was a political demonstration by Rhenish citizens that took place in Düsseldorf in the summer of 1843 . Above all, it was directed against the draft of a Prussian penal code , the content of which was perceived as a step backwards compared to the current Rhineland law and was rejected.

history

In 1826 the Prussian Minister of Justice Heinrich von Danckelmann examined a general revision of Prussian legislation. His ministry had come to the conclusion that a complete revision of the criminal law and the systematic of its codification was necessary because the general land law issued in 1794 for the Prussian states in its basic features and system was unusable for a mere revision. Despite concerns of Friedrich Wilhelm III. a commission founded in 1826 began to draw up a separate penal code. In 1827 she submitted a draft for a general part, in 1830 for a special part. Danckelmann's successor, Karl Albert von Kamptz , put these drafts aside and began working on a revision of the existing criminal law. His efforts led via a draft from 1833 to a draft for the revision of the penal laws of the Prussian states in 1836. Under Von Kamptz's successor Friedrich Carl von Savigny , a draft for the penal code was finally drawn up in 1842 by the Prussian State Councilor King Friedrich Wilhelm IV submitted.

This draft was then presented to the 7th Provincial Parliament of the Prussian Rhine Province in Düsseldorf. As in other countries on the Rhine, the so-called Rhenish law of the Civil Code from the French era applied in the Rhine Province at that time . This right, which was written in the spirit of the Enlightenment , was judged by the members of the Rhenish provincial parliament to be more progressive and more liberal than the bill submitted for deliberation by the Prussian State Council. Without any discussion, they unanimously rejected the bill on June 21, 1842 and asked the king for a new draft. For this, the Provincial Parliament received addresses of thanks from all parts of the Rhine Province. In Düsseldorf, the rejection triggered a demonstration by citizens on June 22, 1843, who honored the MPs for their decision with a torchlight procession . More than a thousand Cologne citizens who had come from the cathedral city on two ships also joined this. A commission of 18 men was formed, among them the incumbent councilors Dietze and Coninx, the later city councilors Cramer, Euler , Trinkaus , Weiler and Windscheid, the councilor Luckemeyer and the doctor Müller von Königswinter , who organized a festival in honor of the provincial parliament and invited the officials and dignitaries of the Rhine Province.

The festival with around 500 people took place in the Beckerschen Saal on Flinger Steinweg on July 4, 1843. The highest guests of honor were the President of the Rhine Province Eduard von Schaper and the Düsseldorf District President Adolph von Spiegel-Borlinghausen . After traditional toasts to the king, the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Elberfeld-Barmer, Carl Hecker, made a toast on Rhenish law. This was received with such enthusiasm that calm could no longer be established. The top president, the district president and most of their officials then left the event. According to contemporary reports, it ended "tumultuously". When King Friedrich Wilhelm IV found out about this, he was indignant about the "indecent appearances". He forbade his officials to attend such events. In this reaction a rift became apparent between the Rhinelander and the person of the king, who until then had enjoyed a certain respect. The next, the 8th Provincial Parliament, was not held in Düsseldorf, but in Koblenz at his request . The district president of Cologne, Karl von Gerlach , was transferred to Erfurt on May 14, 1844 , as he had not prevented the citizens of Cologne from traveling to Düsseldorf.

literature

  • August Klein: The Cologne-Düsseldorf fraternization festival of 1843 . In: Festschrift for Bernhard Bergmann , Ratingen 1963, pp. 178–185.
  • Hugo Weidenhaupt : A Brief History of the City of Düsseldorf . Triltsch Verlag, Düsseldorf 1983, p. 106 f.

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