175 years after the March Revolution, Berlin commemorates the barricade fights of March 18 and 19, 1848. There are numerous events, exhibitions, guided tours and art installations throughout the weekend.
Pupils from the Anna-Essinger-Gemeinschaftsschule are standing on the Schlossplatz at the inauguration of the temporary memorial they designed for the barricade fighters of 1848. Jörg Carstensen/dpa
Berlin–175 years after the March Revolution, Berlin is commemorating the barricade battles of March 18 and 19, 1848 with a “Weekend of Democracy”. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) will open the project on Saturday (11 a.m.). historic location at the intersection of Friedrichstrasse and Jägerstrasse in Berlin-Mitte.
Throughout the weekend, there are numerous events, exhibitions, guided tours and art installations organized by around 20 cultural institutions in large parts of the capital to mark the 175th anniversary.
March 18, 1848 is considered an important point in the revolution of 1848/49. The events paved the way for the first written constitution of the then Prussian state. On the day, numerous people had gathered in front of the Berlin Palace – in anticipation of a reaction from the king to previously submitted demands. Two shots triggered a barricade fight that quickly covered the city center, one barricade was located on the corner of Friedrichstrasse and Jägerstrasse. More than 250 people died.