Konfessionalisierung und religiöse (In)Toleranz in Prag in der zweiten Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts

• Published in: Bohemia (München) Vol. 58; no. 2; p. 286
• Main Author: Nodl, Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Czech; English; French; German
• Published: Munich Collegium Carolinum e. V 01.01.2018
• Subjects: 15th century; Catholics; Confessions; Historical analysis; History; Meaning; Reconciliation; Religion; Tolerance
• ISSN: 0523-8587
• DOI: 10.18447/BoZ-2018-4348

The author discusses the question whether the term confessionalization, hithertoused predominantly in German historical research dealing with the second half ofthe 16thcentury, may be also applied to the Prague environment of the years 1435-1496. He argues that the concept in its strictest sense, i.e. meaning a close connexionbetween confession (in the sense of creed) and the emergence of the modern state, isnot applicable to the Prague developments in the second half of the 15thcentury. Ifone defines confessionalization, however, as a development devoting more and moreattention to the differences between confessions, as intolerance and as enforcementof confessional discipline across a broad spectrum of aspects of social and privatelife, the confessionalising process was in full swing in the Prague environment. True,in the Bohemian Kingdom, seeking reconciliation among its confessions at the timein question, Prague was an exception. While there were only very limited confes-sionalising tendencies in the Utraquist and Catholic parts of Bohemia before the endof the 16thcentury, in Prague religious and political life underwent confessionaliza-tion long before this process would start in the principalities and towns under directimperial administration.