Reuß-Ebersdorf im Jahr 1733

Ein Konflikt zwischen Halle und Herrnhut

Abstract

During the early days of the Moravian Church, the relationship between Zinzendorf and Halle changed from a difference of opinion to a clear break. This change also affected the situation at the court of the Reuss family in Ebersdorf, which, as an important example of aristocratic Pietism in central Germany in the early modern period, was closely related not only to Halle but also to Zinzendorf. Herrnhut Pietism was first introduced in Ebersdorf in 1730, which furthered the split between Halle and Herrnhut within the Ebersdorf court community. When Johann Peter Siegmund Winckler and Friedrich Christoph Steinhofer successively joined the count’s court and thus became leaders of the two parties, the partisan conflict in Ebersdorf intensified. In order to reconcile the two parties, Heinrich XXIX of Reuss-Ebersdorf organized a conference in his castle on 3 August 1733, which, however, failed due to the intransigence of both sides and contributed to the final break between Halle and Herrnhut. Winckler‘s rejection of coexistence between the two parties ultimately led to his departure. Steinhofer then gradually took over the leading role in the religious life of the Ebersdorf castle community. This meant a Pietist shift from Halle to Herrnhut in Ebersdorf. The Ebersdorf example shows that harmonious coexistence was almost impossible at an aristocratic court at that time.