Ratisbon Legacy Order, 1524 (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, GR Fasz. 500 Nr. 9 1/2)

From 27 June to 7 July 1524, twelve southern German bishops, chaired by the papal legate Lorenzo Campeggio (1474–1539), by the Bavarian dukes William IV (1493–1550, duke 1508–1550) and Louis X (1495–1550, duke 1514–1545) and by Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (1503–1564, from 1531 Roman-German king) met in Ratisbon. It was the first meeting of Catholic leaders to secure the old faith. There, the implementation of the Worms Edict which prohibited Luther’s teachings and the reform of the clergy were discussed.

The agreement was reflected in the so-called legacy order. This document is a handwritten German translation of the original Latin text (fols. 2–18). It was probably composed in the Munich court chancellery and served as a model for subsequent prints in the German language. Chancellor Augustin Lösch and Secretary Augustin Köllner (d. 1548) added corrections.

In the end, the draft for the conclusion of the second Bavarian religious mandate is attached (fols. 18v–20r), by which the order was announced. In 38 articles of reform, the order established rules of conduct for the clergy and religious norms. These were not reformulated in terms of content, but were still in the tradition of the fifteenth century.

The order had no dramatic effect, but is nevertheless to be seen as a success of Bavarian religious policy. For the first time, in addition to a deliberate resistance against the new doctrines of faith, it aimed at the elimination of abuses in the Catholic church.

To the digitised copy