# Silesian Weavers' Revolt (1844)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/1844-silesian-weavers-revolt
Location: Silesia
Categories: main-event

In June 1844 starving weavers in Silesia rioted against merchants who paid them starvation wages. The Prussian army crushed the revolt. It inspired Heinrich Heine's poem and Gerhart Hauptmann's drama.

## Why it matters
It exposed the social question of industrialisation.

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

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Silesian weavers' uprising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_weavers'_uprising)