440 years ago Poles headed Europe with tolerance

[tufta]

440 years ago, on 28th Jan., 1573 the first document in Europe securing religious freedom and tolerance was agreed and signed:



It is called The Warsaw Confederation. In the preceding years and especially following 1573 Rzeczpospolita became - relatively - an extremely safe place for anyone, regardless relgion. In fact some historians claim that she was a pre-United States (also regarding her political system) - as people from around Europe, prosecuted on the basis of religions, or just wanting to improve their fate, including financial, migrated into her.
It is telling that the deterioration of this fine country co-incided with breaking the rules of Warsaw Confederation 1573 mainly by Catholic ('state') part of the society.

Map of religions in Rzeczpospolita 1573



yellow - Catholic
green - Orthodox
blue - Lutheran
violet - Calvin

[Bonobo]

It is called The Warsaw Confederation.

Yes, that is something that Poles have been always proud of and even today many Polish members of forums recall the fact when repel the attacks of trolls who point to Polish racis, xenophobia etc.


It is telling that the deterioration of this fine country co-incided with breaking the rules of Warsaw Confederation 1573 mainly by Catholic ('state') part of the society.


Really? I thought it was Protestants who too eagerly cooperated with Swedish invaders and later had to suffer consequences from Catholic Poles.

[tufta]

Yet it was the Catholic Pole's which were most of all responsible for the whole atmosphere in the country - or to be more precise their religious leadership. To make it even more complicated it was a king from Sweden - Sigismund III Vasa who stopped to follow the Warsaw Confederation and contr-reformation in Rzeczpospolita peaked (though still in a rather mild form bloodiness-wise), didn't he?

[Bonobo]

Jan 29, 2013 9:02:17 GMT 1 tufta said:

Yet it was the Catholic Pole's which were most of all responsible for the whole atmosphere in the country - or to be more precise their religious leadership. To make it even more complicated it was a king from Sweden - Sigismund III Vasa who stopped to follow the Warsaw Confederation and contr-reformation in Rzeczpospolita peaked (though still in a rather mild form bloodiness-wise), didn't he?

Oh, yes, I forgot about that moron! ;D ;D ;D ;D We lost the Russian throne due to his stubborness and greed for power.

When will Warsavians knock down the column of that pathetic guy?

[tufta]

Well we agree to a certain degree
Mind you that he was a Krakovian. ;D

[Bonobo]

Jan 30, 2013 12:36:13 GMT 1 tufta said:

Well we agree to a certain degree
Mind you that he was a Krakovian. ;D

Hey, I forgot he moved the capital to Warsaw!!!!

That is why you still keep him there and will never remove from office (that is, Castle Square) !!!!!!!!!