The Storming of Freiburg (german: Sturm auf Freiburg) took place on 24 April 1848 during the

Baden Revolution The Baden Revolution (german: Badische Revolution) of 1848/1849 was a regional uprising in the Grand Duchy of Baden which was part of the revolutionary unrest that gripped almost all of Central Europe at that time. As part of the popular libera ...

. Units of the VIII Army Corps of the German Confederation stormed the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, which was occupied by republican volunteers ('' Freischärlern'').

Bloody Easter 1848

On 22 April an assembly of 3,000 to 4,000 people gathered in Freiburg, of whom 1,200 to 1,400 were armed. The military had withdrawn from the town.Freiburg Zeitung dated 23 and 26 Apri
online
/ref> Following the defeat of

Friedrich Hecker Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker (September 28, 1811 – March 24, 1881) was a German lawyer, politician and revolutionary. He was one of the most popular speakers and agitators of the 1848 Revolution. After moving to the United States, he served as ...

on 20 April at the Battle of the Scheideck, Karl von Rotteck junior and Carl Mez tried in vain to persuade the ''Freischaren'' in Freiburg to avoid an armed uprising, which is why the republicans described them later as traitors. The rebels did not believe the news of Hecker’s defeat and expected relief from a ''

Freischar The ''Freischar'' was the German name given to an irregular, volunteer military unit that, unlike regular or reserve military forces, participated in a war without the formal authorisation of one of the belligerents, but on the instigation of a ...

'' of an estimated 5,000 men under

Franz Sigel Franz Sigel (November 18, 1824 – August 21, 1902) was a German American military officer, revolutionary and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil ...

which was approaching Freiburg. On the following day the die Freiburg militia (''Bürgerwehr''), tried to prevent the ''Freischärler'' from taking over the town's guns; however, the leaders of the militia backed down and their troops eventually held back. The commander of the advancing federal troops threatened to storm the town if the militia and barricades were not removed. The deadline was repeatedly extended – eventually to 4 pm. About 3.30 pm, firing from the Battle at Günterstal was heard in Freiburg, which now prevented the federal troops from storming Freiburg. In the town even larger groups of ''Freischars'' began gathering again, because those who had already got ready to march off now stayed behind. The ''Freischärler'' now fetched one of the town's cannons to intervene in the battle of Günterstal. Later, the volunteers also fetched the other three guns from the town armoury and brought them into position by the town gates. On 24 April the ''Freischärler'' requisitioned weapons from Freiburg's town houses. Around 9.30 am the federal troops, on the orders of General

Friedrich Hoffmann Friedrich Hoffmann or Hofmann (19 February 1660 – 12 November 1742) was a German physician and chemist. He is also sometimes known in English as Frederick Hoffmann. Life His family had been connected with medicine for 200 years before him. Bo ...

, began their attack on the town. Around St Martin's Gate (''Martinstor'') heavy fighting raged, but the troops from

Hesse-Nassau The Province of Hesse-Nassau () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944. Hesse-Nassau was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the ...

broke through here onto ''Kaiserstraße'' and were the first federal troops into the town. Baden soldiers entered down ''Jesuitengasse'' and the Zähringen Gate (''Zähringertor'') and, at the Preachers' Gate (''Predigertor'') soldiers from Hesse-Nassau and Baden entered. Around 11 o'clock Freiburg was full in the hands of federal forces. Several houses in the town were damaged in the fighting and there were casualties amongst the civilian population. The expected relief of Freiburg from the approaching ''Freischärler'' under

and Theodor Mögling came too late, which presumably avoided greater damage to the town. General Hoffmann declared

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

and had all inhabitants of the town disarmed. Many of the ''Freischärlers'' were taken prisoner. In addition, a number of Freiburg's citizens were arrested, including Karl von Rotteck junior. The commandant of the ''Freischärler'', Georg von Langsdorff, was a member of the Freiburg Gymnastic Club of 1844. The Baden State Government disbanded the club on 25 April, because other members had taken part in the uprising. On 26 April the commander of the VIII Army Corps of the German Confederation, Prince Frederick of Württemberg entered in Freiburg and held a parade of his troops on 28 April.

Commemoration

At the place unofficially described as the "site of the last barricade" (''Platz der letzten Barrikade'') next to the Swabian Gate (''Schwabentor'') a plaque recalls the events of that time.

References

Literature

* Joseph L. Wohleb: ''Freiburg in der 48er Revolution''. In: Schau-ins-Land, Issue 69, 1950, pp. 102-11
online at UB Freiburg

External links

Freiburg Zeitung dated 25 April 1848; retrieved 8 August 2013

Freiburg Zeitung dated 26 April 1848; retrieved 8 August 2013

Freiburg Zeitung dated 27 April 1848; retrieved 8 August 2013

Freiburg Zeitung dated 28 April 1848 with the report by General Hoffmann; retrieved 8 August 2013

Described at www.schule-bw.de; retrieved 9 August 2013
{{Coord, 48, 0, , N, 7, 51, , E, type:landmark_region:DE-BW, display=title Baden Revolution Battles involving the Grand Duchy of Baden History of Freiburg im Breisgau 1848 in the Grand Duchy of Baden April 1848 events Conflicts in 1848