Adventures with Beethoven

Scene Two

Germany in the 18th Century

Germany was not yet a fully unified country, but rather a loose confederation of independent states and principalities. The majority of these states had unified into the Holy Roman Empire, with the state of Prussia as the most powerful state. Throughout the century, there were numerous battles and wars. Some were only minor regional disagreements, while others, such as the Seven Years’ War and the French Revolution were more widespread throughout Europe. 

Many rulers, especially toward the end of the century, tried to make decisions based on the theories of Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in Europe that combined ideas about philosophy, nature, and God to assert that the use of reason to make decisions could help everyone become happier and improve their lot in life. Reason was the most important way to make a decision.  

Enlightenment philosophers felt that the goals for life should be knowledge, happiness, and freedom. All these could be achieved by looking at the universe rationally and by using reasoned arguments to make decisions. Many leaders, such as Frederick the Great of Prussia used this philosophy to rule their countries. Many governments developed new legal reforms, including emancipation for peasants and better treatment for children, the abolition of torture, and the beginning of mandatory education for children. 

Although ideas about equality began to appear in enlightenment philosophy, social structure was fairly rigid in the 1700s. The nobility held most of the wealth and power. The powerful and wealthy families often owned a lot of land and employed many peasants to do the hard work. The nobles were then free to work in the government and military. Most of the government and military decisions were influenced or made by members of the Prussian nobility. A small middle class made up of professionals such as doctors and teachers would live in town. They had an easier life than the hard-working peasants, but did not have much, if any, political power. 

Peasants lived and worked in small villages or on land owned by a noble landlord. Some peasants worked their own small farm on land owned by the local noble and paid rent from their crops. Peasants worked very hard and made very little money. Families often had many children who would help with tasks on the farm as soon as they were old enough. The local church was the center of village life and religious holidays and Sundays were often the only days off. Peasants would also be required to serve in the military when needed.  

Serfs were low class workers who were tied to the land they lived on. They had to work for the family who owned the land and could not leave without permission and could not own their own land. If a new noble family took over an estate, the serfs were transferred to the new landowner. In the late 1700s, the serfs throughout the Holy Roman Empire were set free. The newly freed serfs became peasants. Although their lives were still extremely difficult, they could now move freely, own their own land, and make some of their own decisions about their life.  

Eventually many of these former serfs and other peasants moved to cities since they couldn’t afford to buy their own farms. Many landowners became wealthier as they bought up the small farms that peasants were leaving behind. This was a huge change in the social and economic structure of the empire. However, unlike some other countries, such as France, this was done mostly peacefully without violence.