Second Bavarian Religious Mandate, 1524 (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Kurbayern Mandatensammlung 1524 X 2-1)

The second Bavarian religious mandate was a consequence of the development in the empire after 1522, since Pope Clement VII (1478–1534, pope 1523–1534) had refused to convene a council for the elimination of church abuses. Thereafter, in 1524, the diet in Nuremberg decided to announce a national council.

This decision was both against the wishes of King Charles V (Roman-German king 1519–1556, emperor from 1530) and of the Curia. Therefore, king and pope concluded with twelve southern German bishops and with Dukes William IV (1493–1550, duke 1508–1550) and Louis X of Bavaria (1495–1545, duke 1514–1545) formed a particular alliance. The participants met from 27 June to 7 July 1524 at the so-called Ratisbon Conference.

The new mandate translated its resolutions into national law. The mandate was produced in the workshop of the Munich printer Hans Schobser (d. around 1530) as a poster for display in the duchy. At the same time, it was published in the form of the publication shown here, which was intended for use by the authorities and supplemented by the text of the Worms Edict and by the Ratisbon Reform Order. On 2 October 1524, the mandate was published and sent to the ducal officials, to the Bavarian nobility and to the clergy for further release.

The mandate exactly defined the Lutheran doctrine. It set out the prohibitions for the subjects. The Lutheran books and writings became subject to censorship and a ban on studying at the University of Wittenberg was issued.

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