This is a companion piece to Lyndal Roper’s article ‘Turbulence and the German Peasants’ War of 1524-26’ recently published Open Access in History Workshop Journal 100.
The research for this article started with a cycle ride from Mühlhausen to Bad Frankenhausen, probably not the way most academic publications begin. I was writing a history of the German Peasants’ War of 1524-26, the biggest uprisi...
By exploring the Peasants' War through personal experience, the author sheds light on the war's scale, impact, and enduring significance. The account emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the conflict, which mixed different social classes and led to widespread destruction of institutions such as monasteries, convents, and castles. The author also highlights the importance of understanding revolutions as collective movements that are difficult for authorities to control. The article's focus on '...