The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen

Eight people in winter clothing stand casually side by side on a cobbled street in front of a pink building and smile at the camera. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
*Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen

Patrons: Anke Bahn, Angela-Katrin Böhme, Fred Böhme, Peter Kessler, Sven Schönau, Ulrich Schreiber, Sylvia Thiele

Commission: We want to commission a “Living Monument” that makes the memory of the Peasants’ Wars of 1524–1526 tangible as a dynamic and ever-evolving process. Past and future, as well as different generations and districts of Frankenhausen, should be brought together through performance or choreography. We envision a work that continuously invites critical engagement with history, offers diverse perspectives on the historical events, and enriches Frankenhausen’s civic life both in form and content. The memory of the Peasants’ Wars should serve as a means to collectively renegotiate our future time and again.

Mediator: Anne Kersten
Stand-In: Michael Annoff
Assistance: Janek Müller

Period: 2025 fortlaufend

Partner: Kulturstiftung des Bundes

Program: Citizen-Commissioned Dance and Performance

In 1525, one of the major battles of the German Peasants’ War took place near Frankenhausen. In their resistance against the nobility and clergy, the peasants had formulated the Twelve Articles—one of the first declarations of human and freedom rights in the German-speaking world. An estimated 6,000 people who fought for these demands lost their lives in the Battle of Frankenhausen.

The memory of this historic moment continues to shape the city today—from street names and local landmarks to the monumental Peasants’ War Panorama by Werner Tübke, housed in its own panoramic museum on-site.

View of a narrow cobbled street with small houses, in the foreground a wall with a mural showing a medieval scene with talking and fighting peasants and knights — Bad Frankenhausen
The memory of the Battle of Bad Frankenhausen is omnipresent. *Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

Eight people in winter clothes walk across a cobblestone square and talk to each other — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
*Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

In 2025, the Battle of Frankenhausen will mark its 500th anniversary. In the lead-up to this major commemoration, people in Bad Frankenhausen have been coming together in various discussion rounds and initiatives. Initially, they met informally around the idea of a possible new monument, but over time, a dedicated group began gathering regularly. Through their conversations, new questions emerged—questions about memory as a dynamic and ever-evolving process, about the contemporary significance of historical heritage, and about which stories are highlighted and which perspectives have been overlooked.

"The performance or choreography we commission should not just be an 'update' of the remembrance of the Peasants’ Wars."

A group of people are sitting around a large table. One person with short gray hair is talking and gesticulating with her hands, the others are looking at her attentively — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
Signing the commission *Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

Three people are sitting at a table, the person in the center is smiling in a friendly manner. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
*Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

Looking over a person's shoulder at a notebook with notes on the person's lap. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
*Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

The group decides: As the New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen, they want to commission a Living Monument—a performative or choreographic artwork that continuously invites critical engagement with history and makes diverse perspectives on the Peasants’ War visible. The Battle of 1525 should not be seen as a closed chapter but rather as a point of reference for contemporary questions: What can we learn today from past struggles for justice, social participation, and freedom?

The culture of remembrance in Bad Frankenhausen has changed repeatedly over the centuries, shaped by societal transformations and political contexts. The period of the fall of the Berlin Wall, in particular, marks a turning point in how the Peasants’ War and one of its central figures, Thomas Müntzer, have been discussed and remembered.

For the patrons, it is essential to view remembrance not as an attempt to depict the past but as an active and collective process. A part of the artistic work should serve as a lasting stimulus for reflecting on memory and history.

"The artistic work should demonstrate that memory is a living process that must be continually renegotiated between people of different generations."

Four people are sitting at a table, two can be seen from behind, two from the front. One person, visible from the front, rests his chin on his hands, the other holds a sheet of paper in his hands and reads the text on it attentively. There are other sheets of paper and a glasses case on the table. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
Signing the Commission *Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

Two hands hold a sheet of paper with text on a wooden table. Next to it is a pen and another piece of paper with text. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
Signing the Commission *Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

Two people in red sweaters bend over a sheet of paper at a table. One person signs it with a pen, the other watches attentively. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
Signing the Commission *Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

Three people are standing at a table. Another person is sitting to their left and right. The person in the middle pours a glass of sparkling wine from a champagne bottle. The person to their left is leaning on the table and talking, the person to their right is holding a bottle of champagne and smiling. — The New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen
Signing the Commission *Photo: Nicolas Wefers*

With their commission, the New Patrons of Bad Frankenhausen advocate for a dynamic culture of remembrance beyond traditional narratives and rigid symbols—one that allows for change, integrates different perspectives, and uses the past as a resource for collective thinking and action in the present.

"The Living Monument should ensure a lasting experience beyond the process and potential performances. It invites ongoing critical engagement with history and enriches the civic life of Frankenhausen."