First published in 1859, the Würzburger Stechäpfel (Würzburg Thorn Apples) and its sequel Würzburger Wochenblatt und Stechäpfel (Würzburg Weekly Paper and Thorn Apples), issued between 1865 and 1877, are "a satirical original publication" from the press of Würzburg journalist Stephan Gätschenberger, who at times also edited the paper himself. The Stechäpfel (Thorn Apples) is one of several satirical and entertaining journals that appeared in Würzburg under various titles during the latter half of the 19th century.

 

Following the revolutionary events of 1848, Gätschenberger embarked on his journalistic career in late 1848. His first imprisonment occurred in 1852, when he was detained for several weeks. Despite this, Gätschenberger remained politically active, until the Ministry of Hohenlohe, which he supported, was defeated in the 1869 elections by patriotic and conservative forces.

 

It was during this period of political and journalistic engagement that the Würzburger Stechäpfel was published. This satirical paper, originally founded by the well-known local physician Dr. Michael Schmerbach, leader of an exodus of Würzburg students to Wertheim. Thanks to the benevolence of the District President Zu Rhein, the Stechäpfel even received state subsidies. The articles, poems, jokes, and caricatures primarily focused on the conditions in Würzburg and Lower Franconia, often addressing local and regional issues with sharp, unvarnished commentary. The paper was known for skewering the involved parties with biting satire. Personal enmities and journalistic skirmishes eventually led to several lawsuits, and in 1877, Gätschenberger was sentenced to imprisonment once again. After his release, he founded a new journal, the Würzburger Glöckli (Würzburg Little Bells), which was continued by C. J. Rick following Gätschenberger’s death in 1882.