# Wartburg Festival (1817)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/1817-wartburg-festival
Location: Eisenach
Categories: main-event

On 18 October 1817 around 500 students of the Burschenschaften met at Wartburg Castle to celebrate the Reformation and the Battle of Leipzig. They called for national unity and a constitution. Some burned reactionary books.

## Why it matters
It was the first public demonstration of the German national movement.

Ruler at the time: [Frederick William III](https://germany-history.com/rulers/frederick-william-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Wartburg Festival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wartburg_Festival)