May Laws

1873, Prussia

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June 30, 2026

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The May Laws of 1873 were enacted in Prussia as part of a broader conflict known as the Kulturkampf (German for "culture struggle"). This was a period of intense conflict between the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and the Roman Catholic Church, lasting from around 1871 to 1887.1

Bismarck, a Protestant, distrusted the loyalty of Catholics within the newly formed German Empire and was concerned by the Vatican's declaration of papal infallibility in 1870. The May Laws specifically imposed strict state controls over religious education and ecclesiastical appointments within the Catholic Church in Prussia. The goal was to assert state authority over religious institutions, particularly concerning education and church appointments, reflecting a broader conflict between civil government and religious authorities. This struggle aimed to subject the Roman Catholic church to state controls.12

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German Empire
Bismarck’s liberal period and the Kulturkampf
…were expressed in the “May laws,” which the Prussian Landtag (state parliament) passed in 1873. They were expanded in further measures promoted by Adalbert Falk, the Prussian minister of ecclesiastical affairs, in 1874 and 1875. By then it was clear that Bismarck would not achieve victory. The Old Catholics…
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…were expressed in the “May laws,” which the Prussian Landtag (state parliament) passed in 1873. They were expanded in further measures promoted by Adalbert Falk, the Prussian minister of ecclesiastical affairs, in 1874 and 1875. By then it was clear that Bismarck would not achieve victory. The Old Catholics…
Read More

Kulturkampf
In 1873 the May Laws, promulgated by the Prussian minister of culture, Adalbert Falk, placed strict state controls over religious training and even over ecclesiastical appointments within the church. The climax of the struggle came in 1875, when civil marriage was made obligatory throughout Germany. Dioceses that failed…
Read More
In 1873 the May Laws, promulgated by the Prussian minister of culture, Adalbert Falk, placed strict state controls over religious training and even over ecclesiastical appointments within the church. The climax of the struggle came in 1875, when civil marriage was made obligatory throughout Germany. Dioceses that failed…
Read More