The Legal Category of Tolerance in the Constitutional Acts of the Holy Roman Empire

The idea of tolerance dates back to the era of the Reformation and confessionalization. The article examines the development of the legal category of tolerance from M. Luther and the Augsburg religious peace of 1555 to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The legal category of tolerance is reflected in these most important constitutional acts of the Holy Roman Empire. Formulas for interconfessional compromise were found in the norms of these agreements. Citizens received the right to worship at home. The imperial constitution allowed for denominational pluralism. In some German principalities, religious freedom has become the basis of religious policy.