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Peace Treaties of Westphalia (October 14/24, 1648)*

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§5. [New Palatine Electorate.] Concerning the Palatine House, emperor and Empire consent, in the interests of public peace, that, by virtue of this agreement, an eighth electorate shall be created, which Charles Louis, (5) Count Palatine of the Rhine, and his heirs and agnates of the Rudolphine line shall in the future enjoy in accordance with the rule of succession set forth in the Golden Bull. Beyond this investiture, however, neither Charles Louis nor his successors shall possess any right over that which has been granted (together with the electoral dignity) to the elector of Bavaria and the entire Wilhelmine line.

§6. [Restoration of the Lower/Rhine Palatinate.] In addition, the entire Lower Palatinate, each and every ecclesiastical and secular property, right, and appurtenance, which the electors and princes Palatine enjoyed before the troubles of Bohemia, also all the documents, registers, accounts, and other acts depending thereupon, shall be fully restored to him, making void whatever has been done to the contrary. The emperor shall ensure that neither the Catholic King [of Spain] nor any other current possessor of any part of this property shall oppose in any way this restitution. [ . . . ]

§9. [Wittelsbach Succession Rights.] If the Wilhelmine [Bavarian] male line should become entirely extinct and the Palatine line should continue, not only the Upper Palatinate but likewise the electoral dignity, which the dukes of Bavaria possess, shall return to the said surviving counts Palatine, who shall at the same time enjoy the simultaneous investiture, and then the eighth electorate will be abolished. In this case, however, the Upper Palatinate shall revert to the surviving counts Palatine, and the heirs of the elector of Bavaria’s allodial (6) lands shall remain in possession of the rights and benefits which lawfully appertain to them. [ . . . ]

§13. [Amnesty for Palatine Wittelsbachs.] Further, the entire Palatine family, including all and every one who are or have been in any way attached to it—especially the ministers who have worked for it in this assembly or elsewhere and also those who are banished from the Palatinate—shall enjoy the general amnesty described above with an equal right and as fully as others who are comprised in the said amnesty and this agreement, particularly with regard to grievances.

§14. [Renunciation of Upper Palatinate.] Charles Louis and his brothers shall reciprocally pay obedience and observe fidelity to His Imperial Majesty, just as the other electors and princes of the Empire do. He and his brothers shall also renounce for themselves and their heirs the Upper Palatinate for as long as there are lawful male heirs of the Wilhelmine branch. [ . . . ]

§19. [Chronological Standard for the Restoration of Properties.] Those of the Augsburg Confession (7) who were in possession of churches, and among them the burghers and residents of Oppenheim, shall be preserved and maintained in the ecclesiastical status of the year 1624. It shall be permissible for others who wish to embrace the rites of the Augsburg Confession to practice them publicly in the churches at set hours and privately in their own houses or in other houses determined for this purpose by their own or nearby ministers of the Divine Word. [ . . . ]




(5) Karl I Ludwig (1632-80).
(6) The term “allodial” refers to lands owned outright, as distinguished from lands held in feudal or any other kind of tenure. Here are meant the prince’s equivalent of a royal domain.
(7) Lutherans.

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