Hambacher Fest (Festival of
Hambach)
Birth of the German Democracy
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The actual hour of the birth of Germany’s
national colors happened 177 years ago on Whitsunday at the
mountain castle of Hambach, as almost 30,000 free and
democratically minded citizens joined together for a united
Germany. The procession up to the castle of Hambach ranks as
one
of the most meaningful foundation stones for the
development of a democratic commonwealth in Germany.
The Historical Museum of the Palatinate in
Speyer is showing, as a series of highlights, the events leading
up to the Hambach festival, the festival itself, and the years
thereafter until 1849. The exhibition rooms for this collection
were redesigned as of May, 2009.
The exhibition has come up with some unusually
rare original exhibits. Among them is a diagram with an authentic
depiction of the Hambach
festival parade, a
black-
red-
gold
flag that was carried in Hambach and a drum belonging to the
Speyer militia. Additional contemporary exhibits from the
surroundings of the Hambach festival and the revolution of 1848/49
have been worked into the renovated exhibition staging; they round
out our picture of the 19th century in the Palatinate. At
two audio stations, visitors can listen to contemporary voices.