Confederation of Warsaw 1573

In 1573, while many other countries in Europe were gripped by violent religious conflict, the members of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Diet had to choose a new king. Candidates included various foreign princes, among them Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox. To avoid the threat of a religiously motivated civil war in Poland, the deputies met in Warsaw in January 1573 and agreed on the Confederation of Warsaw: a document, sealed with more than 200 wax seals and today kept in the National Archives of Poland. It has been included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register of the most important historical documents and named “a milestone of religious freedom”. But what makes it relevant to the question of religious tolerance and peace? Among other things, in Article V the delegates expressed their political will not to use or allow violence against followers of other religions. The agreement says nothing about which religion might be the true one. It does not even formulate the principle of religious tolerance. But compared to the contemporary situation in Europe, the Confederation of Warsaw can be considered a milestone. It is not an edict from a ruler to his subjects, but a mutual declaration by peers who see themselves as representing the whole commonwealth. And it restricted the use of power and force in the pursuit of religious goals, which was unusual for the time. In doing so, it opened the way to religious freedom. Although the Confederation became part of the documents that every newly elected king had to swear to uphold, it could not guarantee religious peace in Poland for centuries to come. But today it can serve as an inspiration, showing how peace can be secured when all parties—despite their different positions and beliefs—agree not to use violence to achieve their goals.