Palatine Peasants' War

The uprising in the Palatine Electorate and its surrounding area took place in April to June 1525.

The Palatine peasant mobs plundered several surrounding monasteries (including the Knights Hospitaller commandry of Heimbach near Zeiskam as well as Hördt, where the provost was killed) and castles, before they took Neustadt on 6 May without a fight.

The peasants' programme was based on the Twelve Articles, which were drawn up at Memmingen and of which 25,000 copies were printed.

As a result, the Palatine prince-elector, Louis V felt forced into negotiations with the Geilweiler and Bockenheim groups; these began on 10 May in Forst.

The Elector finally resorted to military force against the peasants on 23 May with the support of troops from the Archbishop of Trier, after other princes had defeated the uprisings in Württemberg and in the Alsace.