2.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course will explore the history of religious tolerance, conflict, and dissent in Poland, Bohemia, and Moravia. The Bohemian Reformation (1436) created an unprecedented environment for the flourishing of various religious groups in the Czech lands. The Polish General Charter of Jewish Liberties (1264) granted religious and legal autonomy to Jews, while the Warsaw Confederation (1573) guaranteed freedom of worship to all free persons within Poland-Lithuania. We will study the legislation that provided liberties and protection from persecution to members of different religious communities. We will also examine the relationships between these communities, investigating how their close proximity influenced shared or contested geographical spaces, such as places of worship and cemeteries, competition for resources, and efforts to establish religiously homogeneous “towns” or districts. Our study will include buildings, artworks, and artifacts created by these communities, tracing mutual influences and patterns of representation.