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Rudolf II issues the Letter of Majesty (1609)

Type Event Region Bohemia Time 1609

In July 1609 Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II issued the Letter of Majesty in Bohemia, confirming existing religious rights and guaranteeing freedom of b…

Timeline

  1. 1608–1609Bohemia · BohemiaBohemian Protestant nobles and Catholic court factions clashed over church ownership, freedom of belief, and imperial authority; growing pressure from the estates forced Rudolf II to seek a political compromise to avoid open civil war.
  2. 1609Prague · BohemiaRudolf II formally signed and published the Letter of Majesty, recognizing the right of nobles, towns, and peasants within Bohemia to choose Protestantism or Catholicism in their own territories, and confirming the estates' traditional privileges in religious and fiscal affairs.
  3. 1609–1610Bohemia · BohemiaThe Letter temporarily stabilized Bohemia, but disputes over its interpretation, the succession crisis, and the rise of Matthias's power quickly eroded its effectiveness, with tensions heating up again in the 1610s.

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