Planetarische Bauern

What does the German Peasants’ War have to do with the present day? Above all, it raises enduring questions of access to energy, ownership and participation – all of which converge in the broader question of justice. The rainbow, once emblazoned on the flag of the 1525 rebels and seen in the sky by Thomas Müntzer and his followers near Bad Frankenhausen as a benevolent sign from God – before they were murdered – remains, 500 years later, a powerful symbol of peace and hope. Today, it also stands for the right to individual freedom.

As we commemorate the Peasants’ War, the Werkleitz Festival is addressing the current challenges facing rural communities worldwide. Key topics include the continuing privatization of land, the future of the food we eat, and the ecological consequences of globalized agriculture.

The festival includes a series of artistic contributions shown in the important zoological collection of the ZNS Central Depository of the Natural History Collections at Martin Luther University Halle–Wittenberg. The accompanying symposium – addressing climate, water and soil – is being organized in partnership with the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and KollektiV Landwende. The film program will be screened in the old lecture hall of the ZNS and at the Zazie cinema.

The 2025 Werkleitz Festival is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Planetary Peasants at Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle.