On the Hambach Castle located today in Neustadt an der Weinstraße situated in the Palatinate, there are plaques commemorating the demonstration of 27 May 1832, known as the Hambacher Fest, which was attended by some 20,000 and according to some estimates even 30,000 people. Its participants who gathered to express their support for the ideas of freedom, democracy, social equality and German unification, and the immediate impetus for its organisation was support for the Polish insurgents.

The Hambacher Fest took place at a time of high political and social tensions in Europe. Germany, divided into numerous states within the German Union, was governed by a system of political repression imposed after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Strict laws, such as the Carlsbad Acts of 1819, restricted freedom of the press, assembly and political activity. In the years leading up to the Hambach demonstration, social discontent was growing, particularly in the Palatinate, which had come under the rule of the Kingdom of Bavaria as a result of the reorganisation after the Congress of Vienna. The people of the Palatinate were dissatisfied with high taxes, censorship and political restrictions. In addition to the Polish case, the situation in France was not insignificant, with the adoption in 1830 of a constitution that recognised the sovereignty of the people, and in the same year the Belgian Revolution took place that led to the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium. Changes were also taking place in the German states themselves, including Saxony and Kurhessen, which adopted constitutions.

The course of the manifestation
The demonstration was organised by liberal activists such as Johann Georg August Wirth and Philipp Jakob Siebenpfeiffer. It was officially described as a 'festival' combined with a picnic at Hambach Castle to circumvent the ban on political assemblies. In reality, it was an open political demonstration. The events were mainly attended by the middle class - small businessmen, merchants, lawyers, journalists, among others.... some were attracted by general dissatisfaction with the economic situation, others by the idea of German unity, and finally there was no shortage of those for whom all these issues were equally important. Among the most important ideas raised were the slogans:
- protest against censorship in favour of freedom of the press and speech,
- democracy and equality including equal rights for women and men,
- German reunification - striving for national unity in a liberal spirit and even European conferderation,
. - the right to self-determination of peoples - solidarity with other nations fighting for independence, including the Poles after the November Uprising,
- freedom of assembly, elections and public participation in government.

During the demonstration, flags of various colours were flown, including red-white and red-and-gold, which became the symbol of the German national movement and later the national colours of Germany.

Delegations from Hesse, Bavaria or Alsace attended. Although the authorities reacted harshly to the gathering and its organisers were repressed. The event was one of the first mass gatherings of a political nature in German history to promote liberal and national ideas, and its effects were far-reaching. Among other things, the demands proclaimed became one of the inspirations for the Spring of Nations. Although the demonstration itself had no immediate effect, the slogans raised in public returned with particular force in 1848. Nowadays, Hambach Castle is regarded as the "cradle of German democracy", and plaques on the castle remind us of its symbolic role in the struggle for freedom and civil rights.

Commemoration and Polish traces
Polish political emigrants after the November Uprising were seen in many countries of the German Union as heroes of the fight for freedom and symbols of resistance against despotism. Their fate aroused both admiration and sympathy, which prompted the organisation of extensive material aid and symbolic support. German society, especially in regions with strong liberal tendencies such as the Palatinate and Baden, perceived the Polish refugees as an inspiration in the pursuit of their own social and political reforms.

Friendship and solidarity with the Poles was expressed not only in gestures of support, but also in active participation in their affairs. The German press often described the Polish émigrés as "knights of freedom," underlining their moral authority. Services for the intention of Poland were organised in many cities, and pro-Polish sympathies found expression in literature, art and popular culture. The Poles were also seen as a bridge between the nations of Europe, linking the various national liberation and democratic movements.

On the other hand, in some political and conservative circles, the presence of Polish émigrés caused concern, especially because of their involvement in revolutionary activities. They were sometimes seen as "dangerous radicals," leading to attempts by the authorities to limit their influence. Nevertheless, the Polish refugees gained enormous support among ordinary citizens, for whom they became a symbol of the struggle for freedom and justice. It is worth recalling in this context the words of the eminent German poet Heinrich Heine:

"The monstrous fate of so many noble martyrs for freedom, dragging in long mournful processions through Germany, was indeed capable of stirring to the depths every nobly feeling heart. One saw the march of the Poles with one's own eyes in Germany, and the calm, quiet German people, who had endured their own tribulations so patiently, were so deeply shaken by the sight of the unfortunate Sarmatians, so moved with compassion and anger, so thrown off balance, that they came close to doing for strangers what they had never been able to do for themselves. Namely, to remove from himself the most sacred duties of servitude and make a revolution'.

In contrast, Jochan Georg August Wirth wrote that:
"The rebirth of Poland can only come about through Germany. Our nation is also morally and legally obliged to redeem the sin of Poland's annihilation. Our nation must regard the rebirth of Poland as its most important and urgent task, also in its own interest".

On the wave of pro-Polish sympathies, the future anthem of Poland became a popular song, translated into German. This wave was also the basis for Dietrich Monten's painting 'Finis Poloniae 1831' (oil, canvas, 1832, Old National Gallery in Berlin), which refers to Tadeusz Kościuszko's alleged cry and depicts the crossing of the border with Prussia by broken insurgent troops

. The Rhenish Palatinate, where the Hambacher Fest took place, was one of the places where Polish emigrants, especially political refugees after the November Uprising (1830-1831), found favourable conditions for political activity. The liberal, republican and anti-monarchical ideas prevalent in the reform movements in Germany coincided with the aims of the Poles. In fear of repression or as a result of it, thousands of Poles left the country, creating the phenomenon of the Great Emigration. Within contemporary Germany, refugees appeared most often in Saxony and the south of the country. Their presence not only influenced the development of liberal and democratic ideas in Germany, but also provided the impetus for efforts to unite this divided country.

Numerous relief initiatives arose in response to the needs of the refugees - collections, support committees, balls and charity concerts were organised. An example of such activities was the Women's and Girls' Union in Frankfurt am Main, which organised a raffle to benefit Polish refugees. Leon Drewnicki wrote of Tha hospitality: "When we passed through German towns, the inhabitants would come out to meet us with music, and, playing and singing patriotic songs, they would bring us into the towns. They would give dinners and balls for us, and after a night's lodging they would escort us a mile and two, and pay us to eat and drink". The bookseller Frederick Brockhausz chaired the Association for the Support of Poles in Need, which supported more than 2,000 people. Balls were also organised to provide the refugees with respite through carnal pleasures - dancing, music, food, and supposedly there was no shortage of other carnal pleasures, and as Józef Zieliński recalled, Poles had a reputation for being inclined, more than other nations, towards women and less restrained, adding that a husband with a Polish wife preferred not to leave her.

An expression of solidarity with the Poles was their honourable participation in the Hambacher Fest. The demonstration, which attracted more than 25,000 participants, included: Jan Czyrski, the poet and publicist Franciszek Grzymała (1795-1831), Tadeusz Krępowiecki (1798-1847) and Aleksander Łaski (1805-1867). Poles were seen as heroes of the fight for freedom, who not only acted for their own homeland, but also supported other nations in their quest for freedom and democracy. Poland's fate was a vivid reminder of the dangers of a lack of freedom and the division of the country between powerful monarchies. The November Uprising became for many participants in the Hambacher Fest a symbol of the heroic struggle for independence.

During the demonstrations, repeated references were made to the situation of Poland - divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria. The demand for Polish independence was presented as part of a wider struggle for the freedom of European nations. Participants proclaimed slogans calling for the unification of Germany, as well as civil rights.

Cultural significance
The Polish presence in Germany influenced the development of numerous literary and artistic works, both tangible and intangible. German poets and writers with liberal views, such as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797-1848), Franz Grillparzer, Georg Herwegh (1817-1875), Gottfried Keller (1819-1890), Nicolaus Lenau (1802-1850), Julius Mosen (1803-1867), August von Platen (1796-1835) or Ludwig Uhland (1787-1862), created the so-called "Polenlieder" - songs of the Polish people. Polenlieder - political songs and poems dedicated to Poland. Uhland wrote, among others, the poem "Mickiewicz" in honour of the November Uprising. Between 1830 and 1849, more than 1,000 songs of this kind were written, most of them immediately after the defeat of the uprising.

During this period of heightened pro-Polish sympathies, the future anthem of Poland, translated into German, became very popular as a song symbolising the fight for freedom. The same wave of solidarity with the Poles gave rise to such works as:

. Dietrich Monten, 'Finis Poloniae 1831', oil on canvas, 1832, Old National Gallery, Berlin.
The work's title refers to Tadeusz Kościuszko's alleged outcry and depicts the dramatic scene of the shattered insurgent troops crossing the border into Prussia after the defeat of the November Uprising. The painting, full of symbolism and emotion, became one of the artistic expressions of sympathy and solidarity for Poland in a difficult period of its history.

Edmund Lindenbaum, 'Farewell to the Poles', after 1832, lithograph, Berlin City Museum [Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin], printed by J.C. Schall the younger, published by Verlag L. Sachse & C., Berlin).

Hans Mocznay, " Das Hambacher Fest am 27. Mai 1832", watercolour, Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, inv. no. Kg 77/17.
A rather popular watercolour (reproduced, among other things, in the form of a postage stamp) created, however, only in the 1970s depicting the course of the demonstration painted on the basis of a 19th century woodcut. In the foreground, next to the black, red and yellow flag, we can see the Polish flag, but it is worth noting that the Polish flag does not appear in the earlier depictions.

At the end of the 1980s, the Hambach castle witnessed some similar, although not as many, events organised by the Polish side, and above all by the Christian People's Liberation Service, which was founded in 1987 - there were "Solidarity" demonstrations, as well as discussions and other events.