The Panorama Museum, Frankenhausen Photo by Martin Zeise, CC BY-SA 3.0
Following initial uprisings in southern Germany, the German Peasants’ War quickly spread and reached Thuringia, where Frankenhausen became the centre of the rebellion in the spring of 1525. Under the leadership of Thomas Müntzer (see companion article here), thousands of peasants and craftsmen gathered there. Despite early successes, they were decisively defeated by the princely army on May 15, 1525, in a pivotal battle. Around 6,000 rebels lost their lives, and many more were executed or brutally punished. Müntzer was captured, tortured, and publicly beheaded.
This defeat marked the end of the Peasants’ War in Central Germany. Today, the Panorama Museum on the Schlachtberg (Battle Hill) in Bad Frankenhausen commemorates this heroic chapter of history with Werner Tübke’s monumental painting Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany. The 13-meter-high 360-degree painting is considered one of the most significant works of modern monumental art. It was completed in 1987 and blends historical events with mythological and symbolic elements into a multi-layered composition. At its core are the Peasants’ War, the intellectual, scientific, technological and cultural transformation of the Renaissance, and the question of individual responsibility in times of upheaval.
This article follows Karl Max Kober’s interpretation (Werner Tübke: Monumentalbild Frankenhausen, VEB Verlag der Kunst Dresden, 1989) and provides an introduction to this extraordinary artwork, along with an analysis of key sections. You can do a virtual tour of the artwork here.
A Journey Through the Panorama
The painting is housed in a purpose-built museum with a large circular room. A 360° panorama with no beginning or end captivates visitors. On entering the hall, one’s glance is drawn forward to an enormous rainbow — a symbol of the peasants’ rising, where a journey through history begins.
A vertical axis runs from the invisible apex of this rainbow down to a well at the bottom edge. In the centre, between the battle scenes under the rainbow and the well, stands Thomas Müntzer, the key figure in the Peasants’ War, clad in black, holding a lowered flag. He appears as a calm, contemplative figure, seemingly aware of the tragic outcome of the struggle. Two banners frame this section, leading further into the scene. Below, turbulent groups of figures surge forward, creating dynamic tension. In the upper section, the peasants’ wagon camp appears, surrounded by the chaos of battle. A radiant colour circle with a light-blue figure symbolizes the fall of Icarus — and the peasants’ doom.
Beneath the battle scene, figures gather around the well with red blossoms. The pomegranate at its centre represents resurrection and renewal — in serene contrast to the surrounding turmoil. Here, the artist brings together prominent 16th-century figures: Hans Sachs, Albrecht Dürer, Martin Luther, Lucas Cranach, Tilman Riemenschneider, Jörg Ratgeb, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Ulrich von Hutten, Nicolaus Copernicus, Paracelsus, Christopher Columbus, Johannes Gutenberg, Bartholomäus Welser, and Jakob Fugger — embodying the intellectual and cultural transformation of their era.
A dark Last Judgment looms as a menacing wedge descending upon humanity. Justitia sits atop a globe, her scales tipping toward a kneeling peasant — a reference to justice and responsibility. In contrast, scenes of village life unfold, ranging from punishments to sheep-shearing. Above, ships with billowing sails evoke the discovery of America.
The panorama is rich in symbolic scenes: Pilate washing his hands in innocence while a fool gazes directly at the viewer. Demons flay a body, a hanged man is danced around, and peasants pay tribute to feudal lords. A printing workshop and a gear mechanism represent the technological progress of the time. Three tents with animals allude to a contemporary fable in which animals, as allegories for humans, elect kings and wage wars. The painter includes a self-portrait —beside his wife, who is riding a horse. At the very top, a dying man’s soul is taken by a demonic creature—another self-representation of the artist.
Further Scenes and Symbolism
Another section extends to a castle on the horizon and a blue cloud. Though the scenes are visually separated by terrain, Tübke’s composition interconnects them thematically. A large ship stranded on a meadow stands at the centre — a metaphor for confusion and social decline. The tightly packed passengers, craftsmen with their tools, await departure, unaware they are “high and dry.” Shoes lying before the ship symbolize the Bundschuh (peasant shoe – often displayed on their flags) movement. A fool plays music while monks look on. Above, an “Anti-Rome Calf” mocks the Pope, depicted as a crucified thief tormented by devils. A bound woman with a child represents The Course of the World. Higher up, peasants pull a nobleman from his horse to negotiate as equals. Nearby, the world is turned upside down: roosters joust in a tournament, while hens and geese hang a fox.
The scene of book burnings shows Martin Luther with two faces, expressing his contradictions: revolutionary against church feudalism, yet later an opponent of the peasants. Below, Thomas Müntzer appears as a coin minter (Müntzer means ‘minter’) — symbolizing his role as a forger of new ideas — flanked by an indulgence seller. At the very top, Saint Anthony wrestles with demonic temptations while Luther turns one of his faces toward him — a reference to his inner conflicts and fear of the rebellious masses. Luther’s struggle with the Pope, modelled after a contemporary woodcut, unfolds behind a ridge, keeping the viewer at a distance. People carry their tools, while musicians and a fool accompany the scene.
Before a shimmering blue sphere on the horizon, an aggressive angel descends upon a retreating peasant — not as a bearer of glad tidings but as a threat. The peasant, with a green halo, has overturned a writing desk. The transparent sphere reveals a flat Earth — a nod to Copernicus and the intellectual upheaval of the Renaissance. To the right, a grotesquely dressed group holds a “Fools’ Court” — contrasting with peasants encircling a nobleman. In the background, an impoverished artisan leads monstrous animals past a splendid castle.
Final Symbolic Elements
A large blue cloud of light dominates the panorama. Surrounded by dancing peasants and a turned-away fool, it alludes to Jeremiah’s prophecy of divine judgment. At its centre, a screaming head appears, flanked by angels pouring out God’s wrath. In the upper left, the nine Muses lament the loss of the arts in “German lands.”
A jagged rock cuts through the composition, accompanied by a spiral of fire and raining stones — signs of stagnation and doom. Adam and Eve are depicted at the moment of the Fall — partly alive, partly like statues. Adam sows bones and skulls, while Eve follows with a harrow on horseback. The emerging human race displays varied passions: some fade into the background, others mourn a murdered man.
Peasants gather at the rock to swear the Bundschuh oath. Flames above their heads symbolize enlightenment, while a naked figure struggles in vain to uproot a tree stump — an emblem of human powerlessness.
Beneath a blue cloud, two men sit at a table, while a third holds a small flag inscribed “To Narragonia” — a fictional refuge for shattered hopes. A fool crawls on the ground, reaching for a fallen playing card.
At the lower edge of the painting, the artist depicts submissive behaviour (historically called “Fuchsschwanzstreifen”— foxtail grovelling): One figure bows with a foxtail in hand, an older man polishes a noble’s shoe, and three others kneel before a rider. Grey, lamenting figures represent the “Dunkelmänner” (Men of Darkness), mocking the moral decay of the Church.
A floating blue devil with bellows leads to the next scene, where musicians, dancers, and drunkards revel. Death, acting as a judge, breaks his staff, while a thief robs a hanged man. Here, merriment and joy are inextricably linked to transgression and death.
At the bottom stands a large fool, gesturing ambiguously toward the spectacle. He embodies “Herr Niemand” (Mr. Nobody) and “Herr Jedermann” (Everyman), serving as a commentator on the world’s follies. As a key figure, he urges the viewer to broaden their perspective and grasp the greater rhythm of the painting. Two towering rocks form the inner boundary of this section. Beyond them, the vibrant scene unfolds, while a tower anchors the gaze. The painting’s shift from “Autumn” scenes to “Winter” suggests chronological progression.
Behind a rocky peak, a group of plague victims emerges on a cart. A pardoner, dressed as a fool, travels the land selling indulgences, while an execution by sword and a man broken on the wheel are depicted. Against a black sky, the Pope appears with donkey’s ears, surrounded by devils and demons. On a snowy field, bustling activity unfolds: inside a house, a peaceful couple sits, while outside, mercenaries plunder the village. To the left, women attack indulgence sellers with whips and buckets as a fool folds his hands. Vanity rides past with a mirror in hand, while two women stand ready on a loaded cart — yet the draft animal is missing, a parable for foolish behaviour.
Peasants place burning candles in the snow. A figure with the Bundschuh emblem stands out, followed by strange characters: a one-legged man on crutches, a man crawling beneath a Bible, and a crouching figure bearing a double cross. A laurel-crowned poet with a fool’s club evokes Ulrich von Hutten. A woman carries a child in a cradle while leading another by the hand. Nearby, Flora, the goddess of spring, scatters flowers over two brawlers fighting at her feet. A barred cage with prone figures represents a “human trap,” operated by the devil. The Tower of Babel symbolizes human hubris. A woman in yellow with multiple faces holds a banner inscribed “Babel,” while the “Seven-Vices Woman” appears with butterfly wings. A large transparent fish hovers over the snow, containing a reclining figure and fragments of a map. A destructive torrent of water crashes to the earth, beside which stands a giant egg — symbolizing both hope and, in the cold, frozen potential.
Müntzer’s Sermon and the Final Battle
Before the tower, Thomas Müntzer preaches to a crowd. A peasant in yellow rises defiantly, while a wanderer with a staff — symbolizing the Bundschuh (also called “Stäbler” – ‘staffers’ due to their improvised weapons) — marches along the lower edge. Mercenaries advance and cannons are positioned for battle. As the season progresses to May, we return to the beginning – the battle scene. The rainbow above the centre draws the eye to the other side of the combat scene, where peasants, under the banner of freedom, triumph over their foes. At the bottom, one fool sleeps while another charges forward with a windmill in hand. The battle scene, with Müntzer just below, is the sunniest scene of the entire painting. It gives hope.
Artistic Mastery and Symbolism
The painter renders chaos with precise composition. White highlights, dark shadows, and sinuous forms create vitality. The calm sky and the Kyffhäuser landscape (the local low mountain range) heighten the drama. A bird flutters before the banner of the feudal mercenaries. Birds appear elsewhere — nature mingling with fools, angels, and demons — reflecting the rich worldview of people 500 years ago and speaking in their language.
Werner Tübke’s panorama is a masterpiece of modern art, uniting historical, mythological, and symbolic layers. It explores the Peasants’ War, the intellectual upheaval of the Renaissance, and humanity’s existential search for meaning, justice, and freedom. The composition employs diagonal, circular, and spiral structures to guide the eye and amplify tension. Fools, allegorical scenes, and illusionistic elements underscore the ambivalence of human action and the tragedy of historical failure.
Tübke’s panorama invites viewers to engage with the complexity of history and the depth of its visual language. It is not only an extraordinary work of art but also a monument to the quest for a better world, the sacrifices made in that struggle, and the enduring power of artistic memory.
Panorama Museum, Am Schlachtberg 9, Bad Frankenhausen. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Entrance €9.50 / reduced €8.50, audio guide included. The companion article by Jenny Farrell on Thomas Muntzer is here.
