Protestanten

Whereas the term »Protestants« describes several Christian churches, groups and movements today, its history in the Holy Roman Empire of the 16th and 17th century is marked by conflict among these churches which today are included quite naturally under this term. It became a battle cry for Lutherans and for members of the Reformed church as well, since both parties laid claim to this exclusively and supported their claims, which referred to theology, church politics and imperial law, on a terminological level - if nothing else, in order to deny the counterpart from the other denomination any right to exist. Christian Witt shows how the term »Protestants« developed into an integration concept in the 17th century, and how this quite intentionally became a collective term for several Reformed churches, thus taking the decisive step in the direction of its use today.