bavarikon4UCelebration of the Revolution in the Bavarian National Theatre, 17 November 1918
On 17 November 1918, Kurt Eisner (1867-1919) staged a Celebration of the Revolution at the National Theatre in Munich. The event was musically accompanied by Beethoven's Leonor Overture, conducted by Bruno Walter (1876-1962), and the peoples’ song written by Eisner. The speech was delivered by the Prime Minister himself. In it, he formulated his thoughts about the new state to be created. In particular, a living democracy was to be established that offered the people more opportunities for participation than just regular elections. He also began by commemorating Ludwig Gandorfer (1880-1918), also a member of the USPD, who had died in a car accident on 9 November 1918. Eisner had planned the revolution together with him since his release from prison on 14 October 1918 and had led the march to the Munich barracks on 7 November 1918. His brother Carl Gandorfer (1875-1932) received a special Legitimationskarte (congress card) signed by Eisner for the celebration of the revolution.
The Gandorf brothers from Pfaffenberg near Mallersdorf in Lower Bavaria offered Eisner the opportunity to establish a link with the Bavarian peasantry to ensure the city's food supply. Carl Gandorfer, who, unlike his brother Ludwig, was a member of the Bavarian Farmers' Union, named the members of the Parliamentary Peasants' Council, which subsequently consisted exclusively of members of the Farmers' Union.