May Uprising in Dresden
Part of Spring of Nations
Revolutionary barricades
Date May 3, 1849 - May 9, 1849 Location Dresden, Saxony Result Revolutionaries' defeat
Combatants
Dresden revolutionaries	Kingdom of Saxony
Commanders
Samuel Tzschirner Karl Gotthelf Todt Otto Heubner Alexander Heinze
Strength
3,000	5,000
Casualties
200 killed ~1,200 captured	31 killed

The May Uprising took place in Dresden, Germany in 1849; it was one of the last of the series of events known as the Revolutions of 1848. The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations or the Year of Revolution, were a revolutionary wave which erupted in Sicily and then, further triggered by the revolutions of 1848 in France, soon spread to the rest of Europe and as far afield as... Download high resolution version (1239x733, 162 KB)Fighting on the barricades in 1848, Germany This image is not licensed under the GFDL. It is under a non-commercial-use only licence. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Dresden (Sorbian: Drježdźany; etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Czech: ) is the capital city of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DED Capital Dresden Minister-President Georg Milbradt (CDU) Governing parties CDU / SPD Votes in Bundesrat 4 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  18,416 km² (7,110 sq mi) Population 4,252,000 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 231 /km... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Kingdom of Saxony, lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Germany, finally being absorbed into the Weimar Republic in 1918. ... Dresden (Sorbian: Drježdźany; etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Czech: ) is the capital city of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations or the Year of Revolution, were a revolutionary wave which erupted in Sicily and then, further triggered by the revolutions of 1848 in France, soon spread to the rest of Europe and as far afield as...

Events leading to the May Uprising

In Germany, revolution had begun in March 1848, starting in Berlin and spreading across the other states which now make up Germany. The heart of the revolutions was in Frankfurt, where the newly-formed National Assembly (Frankfurt Parliament) met in St Paul's Church from May 1848, calling for a constitutional monarchy. To form the Assembly, near-democratic elections had taken place across the German states; the majority of the members were Saxon democrats. On March 28, 1849 the Assembly passed the first Reichsverfassung (constitution) for Germany, and in April 1849, Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia was offered the crown. For other uses, see Frankfurt (disambiguation). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. ... The Frankfurt Parliament is the name of the German National Assembly founded during the Revolutions of 1848 that tried to unite Germany in a democratic way. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DED Capital Dresden Minister-President Georg Milbradt (CDU) Governing parties CDU / SPD Votes in Bundesrat 4 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  18,416 km² (7,110 sq mi) Population 4,252,000 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 231 /km... March 28 is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Photograph of Frederick King Frederick William IV of Prussia (October 15, 1795 - January 2, 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 1840 to 1861. ...

Despite its apparent progress, the National Assembly really depended upon the co-operation of the old leaders and Emperor; this became all too clear when Friedrich Wilhelm IV refused to accept the crown in disgust. Movements sprang up across the German states to force through the new constitution but the National Assembly disintegrated. In Saxony, Friedrich August II had never recognised the constitution, and now also disbanded the Saxon parliament. Frederick Augustus II, King of Saxony, (Friedrich August Albert Maria Clemens Joseph Vincenz Aloys Nepomuk Johann Baptista Nikolaus Raphael Peter Xaver Franz de Paula Veneantius) (May 18, 1797 – August 9, 1854) became king of Saxony in 1836. ...

In Baden, the more radical elements of the National Assembly formed a rump parliament in Stuttgart, which was defeated by Prussian troops. At the same time, the people of Saxony began to react to the repression of the democratic movement — the May Uprising began. Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. ... The Rump Parliament was the name of the English Parliament immediately following the Long Parliament, after Prides Purge of December 6, 1648 had removed those Members of Parliament hostile to the intentions of the Grandees in the New Model Army to try King Charles I for high treason. ... City Center seen from Weinsteige Road Stuttgart Palace Square - New Palace Solitude Palace The 1956 TV Tower U.S. Army Kelley Barracks Stuttgart [], located in southern Germany, is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of 591,528 (as of April 2006) in the city...

The uprising

At first the Saxon town councillors attempted to persuade their king to accept the constitution in public speeches. The municipal guards who should have controlled them were on their side and made an address to the King, also calling for acceptance of the constitution. The King was unyielding, however, and called them to order. This led to further unrest, which in turn caused the king to bring in Prussian troops; the situation exploded.

On May 3, 1849, the municipal guards were told to go home, but the town councillors organised them into defensive units to stop expected Prussian intervention. As the people's anger grew, the government withdrew into the castle and the armoury (Zeughaus), protected by Saxon troops. The municipal guards were undecided whether or not to support the people, who threatened to use explosives to get the government out. In response the Saxon troops fired on the crowd. Within hours the town was in chaos, with 108 barricades erected. In the early hours of May 4, 1849, the king and his ministers managed to escape and fled to the fortress of Königstein. is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The provisional government in Dresden

Three members of the dissolved Democratic parliament now became the leaders of the revolution: Samuel Tzschirner, Karl Gotthelf Todt and Otto Heubner formed a provisional government. Their aim was to force the acceptance of the constitution. Tzschirner called in another member, Alexander Heinze, to organise fighting and bring in more communal guards and volunteers from outside Dresden. Provisional government in Dresden, Germany, 1849 This image is not licensed under the GFDL. It is under a non-commercial-use only licence. ... Provisional government in Dresden, Germany, 1849 This image is not licensed under the GFDL. It is under a non-commercial-use only licence. ...

Reinforcements joined the revolutionaries from as far away as Chemnitz, Zwickau and Marienberg, and the struggle grew extremely violent. The Saxon troops were also backed up by arriving Prussian soldiers. They planned to encircle the rebels and corner them on the Altmarkt (Old Market), but the number of barricades meant they had to fight for every street, even in the houses. Chemnitz (Sorbian/Lusatian Kamjenica, 1953-1990 called Karl-Marx-Stadt; Czech: Saská Kamenice) is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. ... Zwickau is a city of Germany, in the Bundesland Saxony (Sachsen), situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge, on the left bank of the Zwickauer Mulde, 130 km (82 miles) southwest of Dresden, south of Leipzig and south west of Chemnitz. ...

Recent studies place the number of revolutionaries at around 3,000, compared with 5,000 government troops from Saxony and Prussia. Apart from being outnumbered, the rebels were also untrained in battle, disorganised and lacked weapons, so they stood no chance of success. On May 9 the majority (1,800) were forced to flee. Most of the others gave up, and the rest were tracked down to the Frauenkirche and arrested. is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Frauenkirche, German for Church of Our Lady, in reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the name of various churches throughout the German-speaking regions of Europe. ...

Prominent figures amongst the revolutionaries

Before the events of May 1849, Dresden was already known as a cultural centre for liberals and democrats; the anarchist Dresdner Zeitung newspaper was partly edited by the music director Karl August Röckel and contained articles by Mikhail Bakunin, who came to Dresden in March 1849. The Saxon government later accused Bakunin of being the revolutionaries' ringleader, although this is unlikely to have been the case. Röckel also published the popular democratic newspaper Volksblätter. For the character on the TV series Lost, see Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Russian — Михаил Александрович Бакунин, Michel Bakunin — on the grave in Bern), (May 18 (30 N.S.), 1814–June 19 (July 1 N.S.), 1876) was a well-known Russian revolutionary, and often considered one of the “fathers of modern...

Richard Wagner the composer, at the time Royal Saxon Court Conductor, had been inspired by the revolutionary spirit since 1848 and was befriended with Röckel and Bakunin. He wrote passionate articles in the Volksblätter inciting people to revolt, and when fighting broke out he took a very active part in it, making hand grenades and standing as a look out at the top of the Frauenkirche. The architect Gottfried Semper was until 1849 less politically active, but had made known his democratic beliefs and felt compelled to stand up for them, also taking a lead role on the barricades. Others on the barricades included Pauline Wunderlich, Gustav Zeuner, Ludwig Wittig (main editor of the Dresdner Zeitung); the actress and singer Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient supported the uprising. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Gottfried Semper Gottfried Semper (1803-1879) was a German architect, art critic, and professor of architecture, who designed and built the Semper Oper in Dresden between 1838 and 1841. ... Gustav Anton Zeuner, born 30 November 1828 in Chemnitz, died 17 October 1907 in Dresden, was a German physicist, engineer and epistemologist, considered the founder of technical thermodynamics and of the Dresden School of thermodynamics. ...

Results of the uprising

Ruins of the old Opera, 1849

The struggle left some Dresden buildings in ruins: the old Opera, two sides of the Zwinger and six houses were burned down. The number of dead rebels is uncertain but in 1995 the figure was estimated at around 200; 8 Saxon and 23 Prussian soldiers died. Ruins of the old Opera in Dresden, Germany, 1849 This image is not licensed under the GFDL. It is under a non-commercial-use only licence. ... Ruins of the old Opera in Dresden, Germany, 1849 This image is not licensed under the GFDL. It is under a non-commercial-use only licence. ... Aerial view of the Zwinger Palace The Zwinger Palace in Dresden, is a major German landmark. ...

The Saxon government arrested Bakunin and Röckel in Chemnitz, but Tzschirner, Heubner and Todt escaped. Semper and Wagner were on the government's wanted list, but also escaped, to Zürich, where Wagner remained. From 1849 the German states saw a sharp rise in emigration as thousands deserted their homeland for political reasons, many of them artists, writers and other well-educated, prominent members of society. View of the inner city with the four main churches visible, and the Albis in the backdrop Zürich (German: , Zürich German: Züri , French: , in English generally Zurich, Italian: ) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and...

The revolution had a slight effect on the political system, in that the nobility lost some of its power in the lower house, but otherwise was a complete failure.

See also

• Revolutions of 1848 in the German states