Eherecht und Ehegerichtsbarkeit in der Reformationszeit

Ralf Frassek examines the legal solutions found by Saxony in the 16th century in order to fill the vacuum which had arisen in matrimonial law. As a result of the Reformation, matrimonial law had become irrelevant due to Luther's rejection of canon law on the one hand and the disappearance of the bishops' matrimonial jurisdiction on the other hand. The question of jurisdiction and the occasional juxtaposition of various decision-makers led to the creation of the Wittenberg Concord. According to this, early Protestant matrimonial law was taken from three sources of law: the legal content which was established in the church rules, the expert opinions given by theological authorities and the legal decisions handed down by the matrimonial courts, mainly those of the Wittenberg Concord.