Protestantenverein

The German Protestant Association (also General German Protestant Association or simply Protestant Association, abbreviated DPV ) was an association of German Protestants, which according to § 1 of its statutes at the bottom of evangelical Christianity a " renewal of the Protestant Church in the spirit of evangelical freedom and in harmony with the whole of civilization his time " sought.

Formation

As part of the "new era " in the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1860 it came to demands for self-government of date by the Ministry of Interior under their Protestant Oberkirchenrat led Protestant church. The new church constitution by June 1861 strengthened the position of Local and conducted a general synod as a representation of the church people. In order to secure the liberal forces in the church representation in the Synod, but also expand to the democratization of the Church and to realize if possible also in other country churches, theologians and lay people came regularly to conferences in Durlach together. The fourth Durlacher Conference held in August 1863 under the chairmanship of the Heidelberg pastor Karl Zittel, suggested the idea of regularly recurring meetings such German Protestants who cherish the belief that embarrassed since years longer path of the church restoration our German people to Christianity more and more alienated. Due to some designed by the Heidelberg professor Daniel Schenkel theses were combined to establishing and convening a German Protestants tags and designated as its main purpose the initiation of a German national representation whole church.

Held at Frankfurt am Main on September 30, 1863, of 131 notables visited from all major German Protestant churches Vorversammlung was converted to the proposal of the Berlin Union Association of Protestantentag in a Protestant club. The target has been formulated to leave the theological work of liberation and purification of the doctrine of the still prevailing dogmatism of Protestant science, on the other hand to consider the expansion of the church's constitutional and community life and the promotion of practical ecclesiastical activity as the main area of its activity. Theologically influential was next leg especially Richard Rothe.

The final justification of the association took place on his first actual meeting in Eisenach, 7 and 8 June 1865 at which involved 300 theologians and 200 laymen. The Heidelberg constitutional lawyer Johann Caspar Bluntschli forwarded this and also the first held annually Protestants days, the general assemblies of the DPV. According to the unanimously adopted statutes of the Protestant Association was particularly act as meaning that the congregation of the opposite hierarchy come into their own and thereby also to real one's life; he wants everything that the moral strength and welfare of the people conditionally seek to promote and collect for these purposes, efficient workers from all over German Protestant people and unite.

Effectiveness

The members of the DPV gathered in local or district or country clubs. They had their special representation on the Protestants days. The management of affairs was in the hands of a committee, especially the Büreaus (since 1874 in Berlin).

Since 1866 and even more since 1870, the Protestant Association was also significantly active in the national sense and has almost all the measures which led to the clash of cultures and amendments to the Constitution of the Evangelical Church in Prussia, called for and endorsed at its meetings in advance. However, his liberal stance provoked the opposition of many church authorities in Germany. In many German regional churches spiritual members of the Protestant Association could not hiring, in Prussia not usually go for carriage. Only in the Palatinate state church where the club was founded as early as 1858 Protestant Palatine to the DPV joined as a national organization, he had his stronghold and won lasting impact.

In connection with the restorative turn of church politics in Prussia, the then Minister of Culture, Adalbert Falk was accompanied by the resignation until the President of the Prussian Evangelical Supreme Ecclesiastical Council, Emil Herrmann, the DPV came under even more suspicion and lost almost everywhere in importance. For this purpose, also contributed to the founding of the Evangelical Alliance in 1886, who continued the anti-Catholicism of the DPV, but was not equal successful. On top of that the new generation of liberal theologians (especially, but not only in the circle of Albrecht Ritschl ) turned away from the embossed Rothe and thighs form of ecclesiastical liberalism.

Around the turn of the century the club, who had held no more Protestants days 1890-1896 could consolidate his position. In 1910 he convened with other liberal groups to a World Congress for Free Christianity and Religious Progress. Under the Secretary-General Wilhelm thrust ring and the President Paul Luther, who belonged to both the German People's Party, the DPV was in the Weimar Republic, once again win influence. In the era of National Socialism, he sought a neutral position between the German Christians and the Confessing Church to hold. After 1945, he joined the Federation of Free Christianity.

Organs of the Protestant Association were among others in Berlin (initially Elberfeld ) appearing Protestant pamphlets and the Yearbook of the German Protestant Association ( Elberfeld, 1869-72 ). The club were close to the liberal Berliner Zeitung and the Protestant Church appears to Bremen German Protestants sheet.