The Hessian Courier

The Hessian Courier (German: Der Hessische Landbote) is an eight-page pamphlet, written by Georg Büchner in 1834, in which he argues against the social injustices of his time.

The pamphlet begins after a short preface (with instructions to the readers on how best they should handle the illegal text) with the rallying call: "Peace to the huts!

The key motif of this polemic pamphlet, which runs through the entire text as a continuous theme, is the connection of this biblical style with the listing of figures showing the (high) tax revenues and (wasteful) expenditure of the Grand Duchy of Hessen.

Thus Büchner and Weidig tried to convince the God-fearing people of the urgency of a revolution and the justification of an uprising against the Grand Duke and the state order, which at the time was seen to be "given by God's grace" and therefore untouchable.

It is assumed that the first draft of Georg Büchner's pamphlet was written in late March 1834 at the Badenburg in Gießen and was revised in May by Friedrich Ludwig Weidig.

A forensic report produced in 1975 by the University of Heidelberg, which naturally could only be a reassessment of the written evidence, confirmed this and indicated that the death was caused by lack of medical intervention.

In the process, rumours of external influence up to allegations of murder were circulated, none of which can be either completely proven or disproven, since no impartial sources are now available.

One of the main reasons unity on a broad front could not be reached was because the liberal middle class were repeatedly palmed off with minor concessions and promises by the nobility.

Even if their use of religion is not fanatical, Büchner and Weidig make use of these two levers in the Hessian Courier, in order to win 'the masses' over to their aims.

The authors place the material misery of the peasantry before their eyes, in particular contrast to 'the gentry,' and at the same time provide religious justification for the desired uprising.