Peace of Augsburg
Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany
What happened
Emperor Charles V, represented by his brother Ferdinand, and the Lutheran princes of the Schmalkaldic League. Catholics and Lutherans in the Holy Roman Empire reached a settlement at Augsburg on 25 September 1555. Each prince could choose Lutheranism or Catholicism for his own lands, a rule later summed up as 'whose realm, his religion'. People who disagreed with their ruler's choice were allowed to move away.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It made the religious split in the Empire legal and permanent, and gave Lutherans legal standing. It has been called a first step toward a Europe of independent states.
What came next
Other Protestant groups, such as Calvinists, were left out, and the system broke down in the early 1600s, helping to cause the Thirty Years' War. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 gave wider protection to minority faiths.
Did you know?
Because of the peace, Augsburg has two churches side by side, St Ulrich's and St Afra's, one Catholic and one Lutheran.
Timeline
- 1530The Augsburg Confession is presented at the Diet of Augsburg.
- 25 September 1555The Peace of Augsburg is signed.
- 1618The Thirty Years' War begins.
- 1648The Peace of Westphalia is signed.