Twelve Articles

One day later and after difficult negotiations, they proclaimed the Christian Association, an Upper Swabian Peasants' Confederation.

The peasants met again on 15 and 20 March 1525 in Memmingen and, after some additional deliberation, adopted the Twelve Articles and the Federal Order (Bundesordnung).

The Articles and the Order are only examples among many similar programmes developed during the German Peasants' War that were published in print.

The preacher shall preach the gospel simply, straight and clear, without any human additions, for it is written that we can only attain God through true faith.

The small tithe shall be abolished, for it was invented by humans, for the Lord, our God, created livestock free for mankind.

Until now it has been practice that we have been treated like serfs, which is deplorable, since Christ redeemed all of us with his precious blood, both the shepherd and the nobleman, with no exceptions.

It is unbrotherly and not in accordance with the word of God that the poor man is not entitled to hunt game or fowl, or to fish.

Since when God our Lord created man, he gave him power over all beasts, the birds in the air and the fish in the water.

The “Todfall" [death duty (inheritance tax)] shall be abolished altogether and never again shall widows and orphans be shamefully robbed contrary to God and honour.

It is our decision and final opinion that if one or more of the articles listed herein contradict God's word ... we shall rescind them if it is explained to us on the basis of what is written.

Normally they are attributed to the reformer Sebastian Lotzer from Memmingen, who had possibly broadened already existing texts together with Christoph Schappeler.

The complaints touched subjects like peonage, land regime, easements on the woods and the commons as well as ecclesiastical requirements.

[10] The peasants had to burden the many encumbrances they were charged with and in Martin Luther’s and the German Reformation’s stance they saw the affirmation that most of those were not provided for by the will of God.

[11] Luther's decision was specifically provoked by the so-called “Weinsberger Bluttat [de]”: in which peasant rebels under Jäcklein Rohrbach had killed the High Governor, Ludwig Helferich Count von Helfenstein and massacred his followers, after having seized the city and the castle.

The results of the French Revolution starting in 1789 in the form of a modern state, that is a republic, sees quite some of the peasants’ points implemented.