Wine-growers' incomes fell sharply, while farm costs remained unchanged or increased. The heavy indebtedness posed an existential threat to the existence of the winegrowers. To draw attention to their plight, they demonstrated in many cities along the Moselle. After demonstrations in Bullay and Cochem, such a meeting was convened in Bernkastel-Kues on February 25th. In the afternoon, flocks of winegrowers arrived in Bernkastel on foot and by boat from the villages downstream the Moselle. About 2,000 men formed up in a demonstration. On the signs brought along were inscriptions and requirements that referred to the situation of the winegrowers.
Winegrower's wrath unleashed
The destination of the train quickly became clear: the tax office, which at that time was in the Bernkastel district, at the corner of Schanzstraße/Schloßweg. Once there, the situation quickly escalated. Windows were thrown in, tax files torn, tables, chairs, typewriters thrown out onto the street. Then the demonstration trail moved to Burgstraße to storm the financial treasury there. Here too, files were carried onto the road and scattered. Similar treatment was given to the documents of the customs office in the Bahnhofstraße in Kues.
Responses
The authorities reacted as expected: the same evening police officers from Trier arrived for reinforcements, and the next day there were already arrests. But the inhabitants of Bernkastel and the neighbouring communities protested against it: with a certain success! The detainees were dismissed and the legal proceedings began.