There was no stopping Richard Wagner now. The political situation had become especially volatile after the democratic German parliament in St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt passed a new Imperial Constitution for the country in March 1849. The Saxon parliament in Dresden adopted this constitution, but did so against the will of King Frederick Augustus II, who accordingly disbanded it at the end of April. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The municipal guard reacted by mobilizing. Now the citizens of Dresden armed themselves and rose up against the authorities. Prussian troops joined those from Saxony to fight the insurgents. The sound of cannons echoed everywhere throughout the city, paving stones were upended, and barricades constructed with all manner of furniture, carts, wagons, and much else besides, all piled up high. Fires broke out, and everywhere you could see buildings damaged by cannonballs. General lawlessness reigned. Mutilated corpses were put on display, and people became paralyzed by fear. The rebels received an influx of men from the surrounding regions, while the government forces were reinforced by more Prussian troops. Wagner was convinced that the prevailing conditions of society would only change through revolution, and so he made fiery speeches, wrote revolutionary propaganda, and even showed up at the barricades. His writings from this revolutionary period reflect the contradictions inherent in him. On the one hand, his goal was the “full emancipation of the human race,” but on the other, he was also calling for the “emancipation of kingship,” whatever he might have understood that to mean. This was despite Minna’s having implored him never to get actively involved in the issues of the day. Although he later denied it, he placed himself at the forefront of the revolutionary struggle (which is no wonder, given his volatile nature and rhetorical talent). Later, he was indicted for having used his garden to host discussions about arming the people. Even more serious was the testimony of the owner of a brass foundry by the name of Oehme, who claimed that Röckel and Wagner had ordered him to manufacture a large number of hand grenades in May 1849.