Reformation and Revolution

These keywords describe the "Confessional Age" in Franconia, which begins in 1517 with the publication of Martin Luther's theses. The Reformation and Counter-Reformation, Renaissance and Humanism, peasants' wars, far-reaching alliances and the Thirty Years' War followed, which finally ended in 1648 with the "Peace of Westphalia".

But what has Franconia got to do with the Reformation?

Even if Franconia was not at the center of the movement, it was one of the regions in Bavaria in which many significant events related to the Reformation took place. Luther made several visits to Franconia and as a consequence, the Reformation spread very quickly in the area, especially in Nuremberg which acted as a kind of leading "center of communication".

In retaliation, the Catholic Church in the Franconian countryside carried out a harsh and brutal crackdown  to enforce the Counter-Reformation. The result of the devastating clashes between religions was a war that began in 1618 and ended in 1648, which became known as the "Thirty Years' War".