RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Speratus Speyer
came part of the archdiocese of Mainz, the larger portion of the see being on the right bank of the Rhine, and the smaller portion on the left bank. The northern and southern limits respectively were Altrip and Lauterburg, while in the east the diocese extended to the present Wtirttemberg circle of Jagst, and in the west to the vicinity of Pirmasenz.
(A. Hatjck.) For a long time after the rise of Lutheranism the diocese of Speyer, although almost invariably administered by faithful and able prelates, was exposed to many vicissitudes. In 1546 the deanery of Weissenburg was incorporated in the diocese, but a few years later the troops of Margrave Albert of Brandenburg-Culmbach plundered and desecrated the cathedral. The majority of the old monasteries came into the possession of adherents of the new faith, although sturdy resistance was made to Protestantism both in its religious and its political aspects. In 1621 Ernest of Mansfeld again sacked Speyer, and in 1632 the victorious advance of Gustavus Adolphus led the bishop to make alliance with the French. This union, even though aided by Swedish neutrality, could not protect the diocese against the horrors of the Thirty- Years' War, and for ten years (1635^45) the bishop was a prisoner at Vienna. The years following were devoted to the restoration of the almost ruined diocese, but the War of the Palatinate and of the Orleans and Spanish successions brought new distress upon
Speyer, while occasional conflicts between city and diocese still further complicated the situation. The wars of the Polish and Austrian successions also worked to the disadvantage of the see. In 1801 that portion of the diocese to the left of the Rhine, which had been permanently occupied by the French, was divided between the sees of Mainz and Strasburg, while the district to the right of the river was later shared by Freiburg and Rottenburg. In 1817 the Bavarian concordat created a new diocese of Speyer, which is identical in limits with the Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate and forms part of the archdiocese of Bamberg.
Bibliography: Annates Spirenses, ed. G. H. Pertz, in MGH, Script., xvii (1861), 80-85; Fontes rerum Germanicarum, ed. J. F. Bohmer and A. Huber, iv. 315-355, Stuttgart, 1868; F. X. Remling, Urkundliche Geschichte der ehemaligen Abteien und Kloster im jetzigen Rheinbayern, 2 vols., Neustadt, 1836; idem, Das Reformationswerk in der Pfalz, Mannheim, 1846; idem, Geschichte der Bischofe zu Speyer, 2 vols., Mainz, 1852-54; idem, Urkundenbuch zur Geschichte der Bischofe zu Speyer, 2 vols., ib. 1852-53; idem, Der Speyerer Dom, ib. 1861; idem, Die Rheinpfalz in der Revolution 1792-98, 2 vols., Speyer, 1865; idem, Neuere Geschichte der Bischofe zu Speyer, ib. 1867; W. Molitor, Die Immunitat des Domes zu Speyer, ib. 1859; Urkunden zur Geschichte der Stadt Speyer, ed. A. Hilgard, Strasburg, 1885; N. Meyer-Schwartau, Der Dom zu Speyer, Berlin, 1893 ; J. Zimmern, Der Kaiserdom zu Speyer, Ludwigshafen, 1897; Urkunden zur pfalzischen Kirchengeschichte im Mittelalter, ed. F. X. Glasschroder, Munich, 1903; KL, xi. 589-614. For list of the bishops consult Gams, Series episcoporum, pp. 313-315; and Hauck- Herzog, RE, xviii. 589.
Diet of 1526.
The Political Situation (§ 1). Demands of the Estates (§ 2). Changed Political Situation; bassy to the Emperor (§ 3).
Em-
SPEYER, DIETS OF.
II. Diet of 1529.
The Emperor's Position (§1). Roman Catholic Preponderance
(§2). Withdrawal of the Evangelicals (§ 3) .
The " Protest " (§ 4). Roman Catholic Charges (§ 5).
III. Diet of 1542.
IV. Diet of 1544.
I. Diet of 1526: When Archduke Ferdinand opened the imperial diet in Speyer June 15, 1526, the political situation was unfavorable to the friends of the Reformation. Through the peace of Madrid, Jan. 14, 1526, the Emperor Charles V- had gained a free hand, and could hope to enforce within the German empire the provisions of the edict of Worms. The South German Roman 1. The Catholic princes had formed a compact
Political alliance at Regensburg in July, 1524;
Situation, the North German princes, at Dessau on June 26. So when, early in 1526, Duke Henry of Brunswick reached Spain, to entreat the emperor's support in behalf of the ancient faith, Charles joyfully acceded to the appeal. On Mar. 23, 1526, he announced that he expected to start for Rome in June, then to proceed to Germany to put an end to Lutheranism.
Accordingly, the imperial instructions to the estates at Speyer demanded no more than advisement over the ways and means whereby the ordinances of the Church might be administered as usual. But although the chiefs of the Evangelical party, Elector John of Saxony and Landgrave Philip of Hesse, had not yet arrived, the two princely colleges, on June 30, demanded some action in the matter of terminating abuses. The cities declared
the execution of the edict of Worms to be impossible. At the same time they demanded that such practises as opposed the word of God 2. Demands be abolished. On July 4, this memorial of the of the cities was communicated to the Estates, princely colleges, and it was accepted unaltered. At this juncture, each of the three tribunals, electoral, princely, municipal, elected a separate committee, whose office was to decide between abuses to be abolished and the good practises to be retained. The anti-Roman temper of the major part of the German nation again came openly to the front, and powerful reenf orcement was received by the arrival in Speyer of Landgrave Philip on July 12, and of Elector John on July 20. By an agreement subscribed at Torgau May 2, approved by other Evangelical princes on June 12, the leaders pledged themselves to open confession of the Evangelical truth. The committee for the princes endorsed the marriage of priests and the cup for the laity as articles worthy of resolute endeavor, but the municipal committee proposed to leave to a free vote with every estate of the realm how it would deal with ceremonial affairs until convention of the council. Subsequently, on July 30, a " great committee " was appointed for further consideration of the whole matter; but on Aug. 3, Archduke Ferdi-
Speyer