Confessional coercion and church discipline after the Peace of Augsburg of 1555

Religious penalties in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation as reflected in church, police and penal regulations

Abstract

Religious freedom after the Peace of Augsburg of 1555 was linked to social status and could be enjoyed above all by the elites, who were permitted to attend Imperial Diet Sessions. In everyday life in early modern times – when the process of
confessionalization was of great importance to most people – freedom was linked to ecclesiastical tradition and religious organization. Countless church, court and police regulations from the 16th to the 19th century rarely allowed for religious options. „Order“ usually meant adhering to the only „beatifying“ religion, which was propagated as the „right“ faith. The privilege of choosing between confessions
and denominations remained the exception to the rule for believers.