The end of animosity between Catholics and Protestants in the mid-20th century marked a significant change in European life, where conflicts had existed for over four centuries. Historical violence, such as the St Bartholomew's Day massacre and the Thirty Years' War, characterized earlier relations. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw ongoing persecution, particularly against Catholics in Germany, and deep-seated divisions across Europe, affecting daily life, politics, and culture. This long-standing enmity eventually transformed, leading to unprecedented inter-Christian peace by the 1950s.
The enmity between Catholics and Protestants, known as the two confessions, had been one of the organising principles of European life for over four centuries.
For seven years, state authorities in Germany expelled Catholic orders, took over Catholic educational institutions, and censored Catholic publications during the persecution of Catholics.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anti-Catholicism and anti-Protestantism remained powerful forces, shaping social and political life across Europe.
By the 1950s, a revolutionary inter-Christian peace emerged, marking a significant transformation in relationships that had long been defined by mutual hatred.
Collection
[
|
...
]