VIII. Vereine und Religionsgesellschaften als Formen der Dissidenz: Die konfessionelle und politische Auseinandersetzung um die ,Lichtfreunde'

In the period of political repression up to the revolution of 1848-1849, private societies (Vereine) functioned as a surrogate for public life. The Gustav-Adolf-Verein, created to support diaspora communities, united protestants of different convictions, including clergy and believers who considered the traditional structures of the Prussian church insufficient to answer the needs of modern society. Among them were rationalists deemed heretics by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. By means of his Patent of Toleration issued in 1847, the king attempted to squeeze the rationalists, called 'Lichtfreunde', out of his church, arguing that they were free to form new congregations (freie Gemeinden). Their training in public debate made several of the rationalist clergymen obvious candidates for the parliamentary bodies that came into life during the revolution of 1848-1849. Most of them were considered to be "democrats".