In the heated politics of the days at the end of May 1832, Hambach Castle, at that point no more than an impressive ruin, was at the centre of an event that became known as the “Hambach Festival”, a milestone of the democratic movement and a symbol of liberty and civil rights in Germany. On 27 May, people from all social strata - students, craftsmen and parliamentary representatives, 30,000 men and women in all - gathered in the little winemaking town of Neustadt and ascended the castle hill to meet at the ruin. French, Polish and Palatinate protesters voiced their anger about repression by the Bavarian authorities. Since political assemblies were illegal, the mass rally was described as a festival instead. The participants demanded freedom of the press, of assembly and of opinion, as well as more civil rights, religious tolerance and above all national unity.

High above the Rhine, on the Palatinate wine route, sits a well-fortified castle with an eventful history that has itself played a historic role. From 1797 to 1815 the Palatinate had been part of France and during that time it had taken on the values of the French Revolution - liberty, equality and fraternity. The July revolution in Paris in 1830 further fuelled the desire for liberty that culminated in the “Hambach Festival”, where leading liberals met, among them Ludwig Börne, and the black, red and gold tricolour flag was flown as the symbol of German unity for the first time. The original flag from 1832 is now on show at the local history museum in Neustadt. The castle and its estate were bought by Palatinate citizens in 1842 and given to the Bavarian crown prince, Maximilian, as a wedding gift. Today, Hambach Castle is a partially restored ruin, whose walls and towers are reminders of almost 1,000 years of history.
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