Sospiratem – Und kommst du liebe Sonn nicht bald

Concert on the Peasants' Wars: In collaboration with communale26, the Leipzig-based ensemble Sospiratem offers us a glimpse across the border at the Peasants' Wars in Germany.

In the so-called “Peasants’ War,” the rebels included far more than just peasants; for example, they also included artisans, winegrowers, and miners. Furthermore, the uprisings were supported to a significant extent by wealthy farmers and urban citizens who, having achieved economic equality, were now also pushing for political participation. But when reform efforts dragged on too long, came to nothing, or were thwarted, increasingly radical, violence-prone forces repeatedly took over.
The nobility—from the lesser nobility all the way up to the emperor—had to take action. Many were caught off guard. Was it ignorance or naivety? While some displayed a lack of understanding for the peasants’ demands, others engaged in critical self-reflection. And in some places, the lower nobility even endorsed the looting of wealthy monasteries—until their own necks were on the line. The fear for their very existence led to traumatic experiences. Even years later, the fear of new uprisings was still palpable.
Monks, nuns, and parish priests—as well as abbots and abbesses—had to contend with the uprisings. Iconoclastic rampages destroyed church property and archives. Rent ledgers and contracts were cut up, passages crossed out, or documents destroyed entirely. Reformation efforts challenged long-standing laws and existing power structures, especially within the church.
And then men—far from their own homes and far removed from the realities of their own lives—decided which denomination was the more correct one. And they decided whose domain people should now feel they belonged to. Martin Luther had spoken of the freedom of a Christian—where had that freedom gone a good 100 years later?
Noblewomen—often pregnant or in childbed—were left behind in the castles, while the men fled to the safety of the fortress—the assumption being that the vulnerable women and the walls surrounding them would be spared. Peasant women and townswomen served as messengers; communication was their strength. But they also took part in the looting.
Varying from place to place and always dependent on individual personalities, the uprisings from 1525 to 1626 unfolded at different times, independently of one another, yet interconnected. What united these people? – Powerlessness.

How do we deal with the experience of powerlessness?

Clarissa Renner / Soprano
Pedro Matos / Tenor
Margot Simon / Recorder, Dulcian
Uwe Ulbrich / rebec
Babett Niclas / Harp
Masafumi Sakamoto / Renaissance trombone
Hannes Malkowski / Percussion
Maria Anne Müller / Actress

In cooperation with communale oö 2026 and the Upper Austrian State Library.