!!!Staatskirche

Established Church, state church, union of Church and State as 
"societates perfectae" under state leadership, with a privileged 
church. The Peace of Augsburg of 1555 placed secular and spiritual 
powers in the hands of princes, whose choice of religion was made 
obligatory for their subjects. In each territory of the empire only 
one denomination was to be recognised.  Absolutism and  Josephinism 
claimed general jurisdiction; the state was to supervise the church 
and influence its organisation and appointments, the church's 
influence on the state ("placet") was reduced to a minimum, and 
appeals were to lie to state authorities. Since the  Edict of 
Tolerance of 1781 Austria has granted different denominations freedom 
of religion and the status of recognised religious communities endowed 
with corporate rights, who are free to organise and administer their 
internal affairs independently of state interference. The National 
Socialist regime was openly hostile to the churches. After its end, 
the Second Republic adopted a neutral stance vis-à-vis the 
various denominations; since then, the churches and the state have 
developed a partnership relationship characterised by freedom and fair 
cooperation. Their relations are governed by the Law on Church-State 
Relations (Staatskirchenrecht).

!Literature
H. Schwendenwein, Oesterreichisches Staatskirchenrecht, 
1992.


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