Simultaneum
Encyclopedia
A shared church, or Simultankirche, Simultaneum or, more fully, simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th century Germany
, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in Europe in the wake of the Reformation. The different Christian denomination
s (such as Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, or United
, etc.), share the same church building, although they worship at different times and with different clergy
. It is thus a form of religious toleration
.
Simultaneum as a policy was particularly attractive to rulers who ruled over populations which contained considerable numbers of both Catholics and Protestants. It was often the opposite of cuius regio, eius religio
and used in situations where a ruler was of a different religion than the majority of the people, and not strong enough to impose his religion on the population.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in Europe in the wake of the Reformation. The different Christian denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s (such as Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, or United
United and uniting churches
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
, etc.), share the same church building, although they worship at different times and with different clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
. It is thus a form of religious toleration
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
.
Simultaneum as a policy was particularly attractive to rulers who ruled over populations which contained considerable numbers of both Catholics and Protestants. It was often the opposite of cuius regio, eius religio
Cuius regio, eius religio
Cuius regio, eius religio is a phrase in Latin translated as "Whose realm, his religion", meaning the religion of the ruler dictated the religion of the ruled...
and used in situations where a ruler was of a different religion than the majority of the people, and not strong enough to impose his religion on the population.
Examples
- Altenberg im Bergischen LandAltenberg (Bergisches Land)Altenberg is an Ortsteil in the municipality of Odenthal in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and was formerly the seat of the Counts of Berg...
, Altenberg Collegiate Church, since 1857 Catholic-United simultaneum - AlthaldenslebenHaldenslebenHaldensleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Ohre river, approx. 30 km northwest from Magdeburg. It is connected by railway to Magdeburg, Oebisfelde and Eilsleben. It is the capital of the district Börde. It has a Protestant and a Catholic church. An old equestrian...
, Double Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - BautzenBautzenBautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...
, St. Peter's Cathedral, oldest Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum since 1524 - BéarnBéarnBéarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
, there was a simultaneum, 1561–1569 - BechtolsheimBechtolsheimBechtolsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Ss. Mary and Christopher, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, French Church of Friedrichstadt, Calvinist-United simultaneum since 1981 - St. Martin's Church, BiberachSt. Martin's Church, BiberachSt. Martin's Church, Biberach is a church in Biberach an der Riß, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is the oldest still active Simultaneum or shared church in Germany.-History:...
, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day - BiebelsheimBiebelsheimBiebelsheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
, St. Martin's Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - Boos upon Nahe, Simultaneum, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day
- BraunebergBraunebergBrauneberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is known above all for its wine and its meteorological distinctions.- Location :The municipality lies on the...
, St. Remigius Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - BraunfelsBraunfelsBraunfels is a town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Framework Road.- Location :The climatic spa of Braunfels lies at a height of some 100 m above the Lahn valley...
, Castle Church, since 2005 a Catholic-United simultaneum - WildenreuthErbendorfErbendorf is a town in the Upper Palatinate region of Germany. As of December, 2006, the town has a population of 5,341.The following villages are incorporated into the town:...
, St. James' Church, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day - FröndenbergFröndenbergFröndenberg is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Fröndenberg is situated in the Ruhr valley, approx...
, Collegiate Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - Gau-OdernheimGau-OdernheimGau-Odernheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, St. Rufus Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - GnieznoGnieznoGniezno is a city in central-western Poland, some 50 km east of Poznań, inhabited by about 70,000 people. One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was mentioned by 10th century A.D. sources as the capital of Piast Poland however the first capital of Piast realm was most likely Giecz built around...
, St. Michał Kozal Church, Roman Catholic and Evangelical (of the Augsburg confession) simultaneum (the church with two presbiteries) - GoldenstedtGoldenstedtGoldenstedt is a municipality in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hunte, approx. 12 km northeast of Vechta....
, in VechtaVechta (district)Vechta is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Oldenburg, Diepholz, Osnabrück and Cloppenburg.-History:...
, Lower SaxonyLower SaxonyLower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
was a simultaneum between 1650 and 1850. - Groß AmmenslebenNiedere BördeNiedere Börde is a municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated between Haldensleben and Magdeburg....
, former Cloister Church, from 1614 until 1817 a Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum, since then a Catholic-United simultaneum - Hahn im Hunsrück, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day
- HildesheimHildesheimHildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, St. Michael's ChurchSt. Michael's Church, HildesheimThe Church of St. Michael in Hildesheim, Germany, is an early-Romanesque church. It has been on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1985.-History:...
, since 1542 a Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum - Frankenhof, St. Margareth Church, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day
- Götzendorf, St. Magdalena Church, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day
- IllschwangIllschwangIllschwang is a municipality in the district of Amberg-Sulzbach in Bavaria in Germany....
, St. Vitus Church, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day - KulmbachKulmbachKulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its famous sausages, or Bratwürste.-Location:...
, the castle chapel on the PlassenburgPlassenburgPlassenburg is a castle in the city of Kulmbach in Bavaria. It is one of the most impressive castles in Germany and a symbol of the city. It was first mentioned in 1135. The Plassenberg family were ministerial of the counts of Andechs and used as their seat the Plassenburg...
, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day - MosbachMosbachMosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
, St. Juliana Collegiate ChurchMosbach AbbeyMosbach Abbey was a Benedictine monastery, later a monastery of Augustinian Canons, in the town of Mosbach in the Odenwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Mosbach Abbey:...
, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - Neuried-SchutterzellNeuriedNeuried is a municipality in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, St. Michael's Church, a Catholic-United since 1804 - Neustadt an der WeinstraßeNeustadt an der WeinstraßeNeustadt an der Weinstraße is a town located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With 53,892 inhabitants as of 2002, it is the largest town called Neustadt.-Etymology:...
, Collegiate Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - OlneOlneOlne is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. On January 1, 2006 Olne had a total population of 3,793. The total area is 15.99 km² which gives a population density of 237 inhabitants per km²....
, a simultaneum was introduced, LiègeLiège (province)Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
in 1649 - Rheinberg-OssenbergRheinbergRheinberg is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel....
, Castle Chapel, a Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - OtterbergOtterbergOtterberg is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate with about 7,350 inhabitants. It is situated approx...
, Otterberg Abbey, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - Palatinate, Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
occupied the Electoral Palatinate, a Protestant region, during the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), during which time he introduced the Simultaneum. At the end of the war, the region returned to Protestant control, but a last-minute addition to the Treaty of RyswickTreaty of RyswickThe Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
provided for a continuation of the Simultaneum. Although intended to apply only to the Palatinate, the simultaneum was subsequently also applied in portions of Protestant AlsaceAlsaceAlsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
(a region ruled by France, but where the Edict of FontainebleauEdict of FontainebleauThe Edict of Fontainebleau was an edict issued by Louis XIV of France, also known as the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Edict of Nantes of 1598, had granted the Huguenots the right to practice their religion without persecution from the state...
was not enforced). - RingstedtRingstedtRingstedt is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-History:Ringstedt belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180...
, St. Fabian Church, since 1706 a Reformed-Lutheran simultaneum - Rohrdorf in the Black ForestRohrdorf, Baden-WürttembergRohrdorf is a town in the district of Calw in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, John's Church, a Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - SaarbrückenSaarbrückenSaarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
, Church of Peace , an Old CatholicOld Catholic ChurchThe term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
-Russian Orthodox simultaneum until the present day - SiebeldingenSiebeldingenSiebeldingen is a municipality in Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, St. Quintinus Church, a Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - ThuineThuineThuine is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, St. George's Church, Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum until the present day - VechtaVechtaVechta with a population of nearly 32,000 is the biggest city and also the capital of the Vechta district in Lower Saxony, Germany.It's well known all around Europe for the 'Stoppelmarkt' fair, which occurs every summer and has a history dating back to 1298....
, Cloister Church , since 1818 a Catholic-Lutheran simultaneum - Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, St. George's Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day
- WetzlarWetzlarWetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...
, former collegiate church, colloquially Wetzlar CathedralWetzlar CathedralWetzlar Cathedral is a large church in the town of Wetzlar, located on the Lahn river some 50 km north of Frankfurt . Construction began in 1230 and is still unfinished, since the western front is still missing its northern belfry...
, since 1544-1817 a Catholic-Lutheran, from then on a Catholic-United simultaneum - Wilnsdorf-RödgenWilnsdorfWilnsdorf is a municipality in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:The southern municipal limits, with the Kalteiche peak, part of the Rothaargebirge, form not only the community's highest point, at 579 m above sea level, but also the boundary...
, St. John the Baptist Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - WissembourgWissembourgWissembourg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in northeastern France.It is situated on the little River Lauter close to the border between France and Germany approximately north of Strasbourg and west of Karlsruhe. Wissembourg is a sub-prefecture of the department...
, there was a so-called trimultaneum, with a Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed congregation sharing one church. - Worms-PfeddersheimWorms-PfeddersheimThe former free imperial city Pfeddersheim is a borough of Worms since 1969. It became a borough after 2,000 years of independent history.Pfeddersheim is located in the Pfrimm valley in Rhenish Hesse and surrounded by Riesling vineyards...
, Simultaneum, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day - Worms-RheindürkheimWorms, GermanyWorms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
, St. Peter Church, Catholic-United simultaneum until the present day