In 1717, Johann Sebastian Bach was jailed for nearly a month because he tried to quit his job.

In 1717, Johann Sebastian Bach served as the concertmaster and organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst at the court of Sachsen-Weimar. When the position of Kapellmeister became vacant, the Duke passed over Bach and appointed the son of the previous director instead. Feeling insulted, Bach accepted a new job offer as Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen.The Duke of Sachsen-Weimar refused to accept Bach's resignation and was infuriated by the composer's repeated demands to leave. On November 6, 1717, the Duke ordered Bach's arrest for his 'stubborn testimony.' He was confined to a detention cell for nearly four weeks while the court determined how to handle his insubordination.Historical records from the Weimar court secretary confirm that Bach was finally released on December 2, 1717. He was granted a 'dishonorable discharge,' which was a formal mark of disgrace at the time. Despite the grim conditions of 18th-century imprisonment, Bach remained productive during his month of captivity.Biographers and musicologists, such as those at the Bach-Archiv Leipzig, suggest that Bach may have worked on the 'Orgelbüchlein' or early drafts of 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' while jailed. This event highlights the rigid social structures of the era, where musicians were often treated as the personal property of their royal employers. Bach's imprisonment remains one of the most famous examples of a labor dispute in music history.