Wartburg Festival

German festival

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July 23, 2026

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The Wartburg Festival was a nationalist demonstration by Protestant German students held in 1817 at the Wartburg castle near Eisenach, Germany. This event commemorated the 300th anniversary of Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament, which he began during his stay at the castle. The festival, however, led to repressive measures by the governments of the conservative German states. The Wartburg castle itself has a rich history, having been a court for poets and musicians and later a refuge for Martin Luther. It is now a World Heritage site.12

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Austria
The Age of Metternich, 1815–48
…of German students (at the Wartburg Festival) in 1817 and the assassination of a conservative playwright (August von Kotzebue) in 1819 led, under Metternich’s guidance, to the German Confederation’s adopting the Carlsbad Decrees, a set of laws placing German and Austrian universities under strict control. Harsh censorship was imposed, and…
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…of German students (at the Wartburg Festival) in 1817 and the assassination of a conservative playwright (August von Kotzebue) in 1819 led, under Metternich’s guidance, to the German Confederation’s adopting the Carlsbad Decrees, a set of laws placing German and Austrian universities under strict control. Harsh censorship was imposed, and…
Read More