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The
name Huguenot - originally a
derogative term used by their
opponents - is a common term for the French protestants since about
1560. Calvinism originating from Geneva won more followers
around the middle of the 16th century in the aristocracy and in the middle class of France. |
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Johannes
Calvin (1509-1564) |
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propagation of the Protestantism and the economic strength of its followers caused uneasiness and hate among the Catholics of France.
Catherine de Medici, widow of Henry II, who governed for her son
King Charles IX, allied herself occasionally for political reasons with
the Huguenots, but most of the time she fought them. The Huguenots fought for the
free practice of their faith and the acknowledgment of their political and
civil rights. The king tried to suppress it. Finally it came to open
civil war. Between 1562 and 1598 eight wars were fought between the Catholics
and the Protestants in France. Leaders of the Huguenots were Admiral
Coligny and the Prince Louis of Conde. The Huguenots received support from
England, Germany and Switzerland. The Catholics under the Dukes of Guise
were supported by Spain. The peace treaties at the end of each war granted a certain
measure of religious and political tolerance to the Huguenots, certain
safe places were granted. Already during these Huguenot wars
many families left France.
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the Bartholomew's Night on August 24th, 1572 thousands of Huguenots, who had met
for the wedding of Henry of Navarre in Paris,
were killed by arrangement of Catherine de Medici
and by agreement of Charles IX. Among
the dead was also the Admiral Coligny.
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The
Bartholomew's Night
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| The Bourbon prince Henry of
Navarre succeeded him
as leader of the Huguenots.
After he inherited the French throne in 1589, he converted to
Catholicism 1593 for political reasons: "Paris is worth a mass!" In the
edict of Nantes on 13 April 1598 however he granted his former 'comrades
in faith' freedom of conscience, the citizen rights, locally limited free
worship and about 100 fortified 'safe places'.
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again under
King Louis XIII and his Cardinal Richelieu. In its process the Huguenots finally lost
their last 'safe place' when La Rochelle was defeated in 1628. They lost their political rights,
but kept
some religious liberties. These were extremely limited under Louis XIV
and the practising their religion was restricted even further. By the so-called Dragonets,
when catholic soldiers were quartered in Protestant families, it came to forced
conversions. These pursuits culminated finally in the revocation of the
Edict of Nantes on 23 October 1685. |
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But
although the escape from the country was forbidden under strictest punishments,
about 200.000 Huguenots fled to England, Germany, into the area of the
Netherlands, to Switzerland and the English colonies in North America.
Particularly Brandenburg-Prussia promoted the settlement of the Huguenots.
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The
Flight of the Huguenots
Jan
Luyken, 1696 |
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The Huguenots, who remained in France, established themselves mostly in
the Cevennes; these so-called Camisards were fought and finally subjected in the Cevennen war
1702 to 1705. In the course of 18th Century, the
French Protestants gradually received many of their rights back. In the
'Edict of Endurance' of Versailles in the year 1787 the Huguenots where endured, in the code Napoleon from 1804 they
received full equal rights.
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