Restitutionsedikt#

Restitutionsedikt (Edict of Restitution): At the height of his military and political successes in the Thirty Years' War Emperor Ferdinand II issued an edict on March 6, 1629, ordering the restitution of all church assets secularised or given to the Protestants after 1552 to the Catholic church. The edict was only to be enforced by imperial commissioners. This met with fierce resistance, since it would have had devastating effects on Protestant Germany and would have meant a loss of power for the princes. In view of these conflicts the Swedish king decided to join in the Thirty Years´ War. The edict was never realised and it was formally annulled by the Treaty of Westphalia.

Literature#