Date of Award
5-2024
Department
History
Advisor(s)
Hannah Ewing
Second Advisor
Claire Strom
Abstract
This study explores the Revolution of 1848 in Berlin through the lens of two distinct social classes: the Bildungsbürger (educated middle class) and the city’s workers. Rather than treating political and social dimensions of the revolution as separate spheres, the research demonstrates how these aspects were deeply intertwined in the lived experiences and spatial practices of Berlin’s inhabitants. The Bildungsbürger played prominent public roles in the revolution, organizing mass meetings, drafting petitions, and engaging in political discourse. Their claim to represent “the people” required them to respond to the social concerns of the working class, particularly regarding food insecurity, wages, and working conditions. At the same time, workers were not passive recipients of elite leadership. They acted independently, organized their own associations, and expressed political ideas through the medium of social grievances. Their participation in the revolution was driven by legitimate demands for both political representation and social reform. The thesis also emphasizes the role of space in shaping revolutionary activity. Public areas such as the Zelten, cafés, and city streets became sites of political engagement and class interaction. The Bildungsbürger redefined social spaces into political forums, while workers claimed public streets as arenas for protest, debate, and visibility. These spatial dynamics facilitated dialogue between classes and revealed how physical environments contributed to the blending of political and social concerns. By examining the Revolution of 1848 in Berlin through microhistorical analysis, the study challenges traditional historiography that separates political liberalism from social unrest. It argues that the revolution was not solely a constitutional or nationalist movement, but a multifaceted process shaped by class relationships, spatial practices, and the convergence of political and social demands.
Recommended Citation
Wilhelm, Genevieve, "“Was nennen sie das Volk?”: Berlin’s Bildungsbürger and Workers, and the Revolution of 1848" (2024). History. 2.
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/honors-in-the-major-history/2
