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

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[Articles XI-XIV determine the compensation of the Imperial estates for the lands lost to the Queen of Sweden: the Brandenburg elector receives the bishoprics of Halberstadt, Cammin, and Minden, plus an expectancy on the archbishopric of Magdeburg; the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin receives the bishoprics of Schwerin and Ratzeburg. The duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who lost lands as compensations to the two princes named above, acquires for a prince of his line an alternation with a Catholic bishop in the see of Osnabrück.]

[Article XV describes the principles of amnesty and restitution for Hesse-Kassel as well. The landgrave of Hesse-Kassel received the secularized abbey of Hersfeld, plus 600,000 Thalers. (26)]

Article XVI
§1. [Enforcement of the Peace.] As soon as the peace treaty shall have been signed and sealed by the plenipotentiaries and ambassadors, all acts of hostility shall cease, and whatever things have been agreed above shall at the same time be executed and performed on both sides. [ . . . ] [The subsequent paragraphs concern the publication of the peace, the release of prisoners, and the withdrawal of garrisons. The estates of seven Imperial Circles are required to pay 5,000,000 Thalers in return for the queen’s withdrawal of the Swedish armies from their lands.]

§18. [Retention of Present Holdings.] It shall not, for the future or at present, be a detriment to or prejudice against any town that has been taken and kept by one party or the other. [ . . . ]

§19. [Dispersal of Armies.] Finally, the troops and armies of all those who are making war in the Empire shall be disbanded and discharged, and each party shall keep up only as many men in his own dominion as he judges necessary for his security.




(26) The Thaler (from the Bohemian mining town of Joachimstahl/Jáchymov) was a silver coin used throughout early modern Europe. In the Empire it was used as a standard against which the various principalities’ coins could be valued.

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