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Special pages :
Counter-Revolution in Cologne
First published: in Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 112, September 26, 1848.
Cologne, September 25. Scarcely had the official news of the formation of the counter-revolutionary Government reached the Rhine when the Public Prosecutorâs office here suddenly developed not only an almighty appetite for arrests but a zeal for activity such as was not encountered even in the old police state.
The counter-revolutionary campaign started this morning. Its heroes have won victories in some fields and suffered defeats in others â a fate that has befallen even greater generals. The intention was to lead away a few dozen Cologne democrats as early morning spoils and to delight the local wailers[1] over their breakfasts with the news. However, part of the prey was wrested from these gentlemen. For example, Wachter, captain of the 9th Company of the civic militia, was snatched by the people from the clutches of the Holy Hermandad.[2] Six guardians of the law forced their way into the house of our fellow citizen Moll. The crowd that quickly gathered around the house and its threatening attitude caused two of these gentlemen to flee into the attic and a third into the cellar. Unfortunately the house has only one exit. Moll acceded to the wishes of these terrified gentlemen and asked the people to allow the brigade of six men to withdraw in safety.
Becher and Schapper, on the other hand, were led off to gaol in the early hours of the morning. There are reports that in addition to BĂźrgers several other members of the editorial staff of our newspaper are on the proscribed list and that attempts have been made to arrest them.
If these gentlemen go ahead with their plans, it will soon be a mystery how the editorial work of our newspaper is to be carried out. But we believe we can declare that all the manoeuvres directed against us will fail in their main aim and that our readers will continue as usual to receive the newspaper regularly. It is merely a question of who will first lose their sense of humour: the gentlemen from the Public Prosecutorâs office or the editors of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung.
We would add that even now some policemen etc. are on their way to MĂźlheim to punish several hated democrats there with arrest and imprisonment.
- â In 1848-49 the advocates of a bourgeois constitutional system in Germany called the republican democrats âagitatorsâ (WĂźhler) and these in turn called their opponents âwailersâ (Heuler).
- â The Holy Hermandad â a league of Spanish cities founded at the end of the fifteenth century with the co-operation of the royal authorities who wanted to make use of wealthy townspeople in their fight against the feudal magnates in an attempt to establish royal absolutism. From the middle of the sixteenth century the armed forces of the Holy Hermandad carried out police functions. Thus the police in general has often been ironically labelled the âHoly Hermandadâ.