During the decades of the German Vormärz, there was a mix of different developments happening at the same time. While the economy was modernizing and culture was thriving, political progress was often slow and repeatedly disrupted by periods of restoration and repression. During Vormärz Germans first dared to imagine a united, free country. It wasn't easy, but it changed everything.
The term "Vormärz" refers to the time before the 1848 revolution, but it’s a bit controversial. It’s named based on what happened later, which can sometimes ignore the unique things about this period. Other terms like "Biedermeier" and "Restoration period" are used too, but they have their own issues. "Biedermeier" gives an overly peaceful image that doesn’t match the reality, and "Restoration period" simplifies what was a very complex time.
There’s also debate about when the Vormärz actually started. Some people say it began in 1840 with the change in Prussia’s leadership and the Rhine crisis, others point to 1830 with the French July Revolution and the start of the German constitutional movement. The broadest view starts it all the way back in 1815, at the end of the Congress of Vienna.
The area considered "Germany" at this time included more than today’s borders. Until 1866, it included German-speaking parts of the Habsburg Empire, where Austria’s emperors had to balance the needs of their diverse empire.
After being freed from Napoleonic rule (1813-1815), many Germans, especially younger people, hoped for more freedom from feudal and absolutist systems. Article 13 of the Federal Act for the German Confederation promised constitutions in each territory, hinting at a move towards constitutional monarchies.
Some small German states introduced early constitutions during and after the Congress of Vienna, and between 1818 and 1820, middle-sized southern German states followed. But Austria and Prussia held off on joining the constitutional movement until the March Revolution, despite repeated promises from the Prussian king.
A key moment in the push for German unity and freedom was the Wartburg Festival in 1817, where around 500 students marched to Wartburg Castle, calling for "Honor, Freedom, Fatherland." Although initially allowed, the event took a radical turn when some students burned books and symbols they saw as reactionary, showing a growing radicalism in the student movement.
Repression increased after the 1819 assassination of writer August von Kotzebue by a student named Carl Sand. The German Confederation, led by Prince Metternich, responded with the Carlsbad Decrees, which brought in strict censorship and heavy surveillance on universities.
Things began to change in 1830 with the French July Revolution and uprisings in Poland, which influenced the German states. The liberal movement started to demand more than just state constitutions—it wanted German unification, civil rights for everyone, and the idea of popular sovereignty (people’s rule).
A major event in this movement was the Hambach Festival in May 1832. Between 20,000 and 30,000 people gathered at Hambach Castle to hear speeches about freedom and unity in Europe. They waved black, red, and gold flags—the future democratic colors of Germany.
The German Confederation responded by further banning political groups and demonstrations. Still, the liberal movement continued, as seen in the public reaction when seven Göttingen professors were fired in 1837 for protesting the removal of Hanover's state constitution.
During the Vormärz, the ongoing struggle between forces for change and those against it shaped the political and social environment in the German states, paving the way for the revolution in 1848.
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