Rustic club
Rustic societies were organizations representing the interests of the rural population during the revolution of 1848 . They had their focus in the Prussian province of Silesia .
prehistory
At the beginning of the revolution, farmers and the less affluent so-called gardeners agreed on a common catalog of demands. These included the revision of the forced replacement processes, the end of the patrimonial courts and feudal hunting rights, the ban on newly introduced replacement regulations at the expense of gardeners and a free municipal constitution.
At first, as in other parts of the German Confederation, there were spontaneous unrest, mostly under the leadership of wealthy farmers. Sometimes there were riots and the devastation of the palaces of the nobles. In contrast, the Prussian March government of Ludolf Camphausen mobilized the army.
This reaction resulted in brisk congregation activity. In the summer of 1848 the establishment of rustic associations in Silesia was promoted primarily by the democratic movement. As a result, an almost extensive radical democratic movement of the rural population in this area emerged in the province.
Organization and demands
It was the only successful attempt at democratic organization of the rural population during the revolution. Members were farmers and partly also farm workers. The associations represented the interests of their members vis-à-vis the landowners. Only about two months after they were founded, the clubs had 200,000 members in around 200 local clubs.
The engine, however, were primarily urban intellectuals. The success of the associations was evident in the elections for the Prussian National Assembly and the election for the German National Assembly . A large part of the electorate in the rural areas of Silesia was close to the rustic associations.
In September 1848, the main or central rustic association was founded for better coordination. He turned to the Prussian National Assembly with radical demands to improve the situation of the rural population . Their main concern was the abolition of feudal burdens without financial compensation, as well as the removal of tax privileges for landowners.
Your contact persons were mainly members of the left like Moritz Elsner . Not least to calm the situation in rural Silesia, the Prussian Ministry for Trade, Industry and Public Works was founded under Robert von Patow .
In the further course of the revolution, the rustical associations joined the Central March Association .
Counter-revolution and the end
During the beginning of the counter-revolution, the rustic associations sided with the National Assembly. They took part in the tax refusal campaign and called for the people to be armed.
In the election for the second Prussian chamber in February 1849, the associations supported the democratic candidates. Since then, the Central Rustic Association has published the “Schlesische Dorfzeitung” as the publication organ.
The last congress of the movement took place in June 1849. In the era of reaction , it was crushed by the authorities.
literature
- Hans-Ulrich Wehler: German history of society. Vol. 2 From the reform era to the industrial and political German double revolution 1815-1845 / 49. Munich, 1989. ISBN 3-406-32262-X , pp. 713f., 727