Letter of Majesty

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dimadick (talk | contribs) at 07:06, 5 September 2022 (→‎References). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Letter of Majesty (1609) was a 17th-century European document, reluctantly signed by the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, granting religious tolerance to both Protestant and Catholic citizens living in the estates of Bohemia.[1] The letter also created a Bohemian Protestant State Church, run by said estates.[2] A similar Letter was issued for Silesia.

In 1611, Rudolf inexplicably permitted his cousin Leopold to invade Bohemia with some 7,000 troops. A considerable Bohemian force drove Leopold back from the suburbs of Prague, and the Bohemian Estates called upon Matthias to take over the government of their kingdom.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ "The Bohemian Religious Peace (July 1609)"
  2. ^ Wedgwood 2005, p. 71.
  3. ^ Parker, 1997, p.8

References