The Staffort Book is a religious-historical work that was printed in 1599 in the Staffort Castle printing house[1] and is regarded as an attempt by Margrave Ernst Friedrich von Baden-Durlach to reconcile Lutheran and Calvinist doctrine. A translation into modern English is available.[2]
Karl II of Baden-Durlach married the Protestant Princess Kunigunde of Brandenburg-Kulmbach in 1551. He converted to the Protestant doctrine and ordered the introduction of Protestant worship in the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach with the church order he issued on June 1, 1556.
After his death in 1577, his son Ernst Friedrich von Baden-Durlach inherited the lower margraviate with the offices of Durlach, Mühlburg, Pforzheim, Graben and Staffort. He was a friend and patron of the sciences and is said to have enjoyed spending time in Staffort Castle. In 1584, he founded the Gymnasium Illustre, which was named Ernestinum after its founder.
While he was brought up as a devout Lutheran at a young age, he later also leaned towards Calvinism. From 1595, he attempted to introduce a reformed doctrine in the margraviate, also appointing reformed pastors and civil servants, but met with considerable resistance from his people and his Württemberg neighbors. He appointed Calvinizing teachers to the Gymnasium-Illustre and pursued intensive theological studies himself. Above all, he opposed the Formula of Concord of the Lutheran Church (1577) and refused to sign it. He had a print shop set up in Staffort Castle and employed the Speyer Huguenot printer Bernhardt Albin in his service to have his own printed works produced in Staffort.
Two of his own books were printed in Staffort: firstly the Kurtze und einfeltige außer Gottes Wort und der Alten Rechtgläubigen Kirchen gestellte Bekanntnuß nach welcher als einer Richtschnur die Kirchen und Schuldiener in der Markgravschaft Artikel so in diesen Zeiten zwischen denjenigen so sich zur Augsburgischen Konfession bekennen contovertierend und strittig sind, in ihren anvertravertrauen Kirchen und Schulen zu verhalten haben (Staffort 1599). The larger book, which went down in church history as the Staffort Book, was published in the same year. The title is: Christliche Bedenken und erhebliche wohlfundierte Motiven Deß Durchleuchtigen Hochgebornen Fürsten, Herrn Friederichen Marggraven zu Baden und Hochberg etc. welche ihre Fürstliche Gnaden bis dahero von der Subcription der Formulä Concordiä abgehalten, auch nachmalen dieselbe zu unterschreiben Bedenken, haben, sambt Ihre Fürstlichen Gnaden Confession und Bekanntnuß über etliche von den Evangelischen Theologen erweckte strittige Artikel. Printed in your F. G. Castle Staffort by Bernhardt Albin M.D.XCIX.
Staffort was the last place of work for the book printer Albin, whose prints are known from 1581 onwards. He died at the turn of the year 1599/1600. His widow described herself as a printer in 1600, but no further printed works are known. The second edition of the "Glaubens-Bekanntnuß" was printed "Auf New übersehen und verbessert" in Heidelberg in 1601.
The book triggered a huge storm against the margrave in Baden. He had abandoned the foundations of the Baden Reformation. The resistance in the state was supported by the Lutheran faculty of the University of Tübingen with counter-writings, which on the other hand described him as a "fundamentally learned gentleman". Resistance was particularly strong in Pforzheim, especially as the citizens there did not want to accept the relocation of the residence to Durlach and the loss of tax privileges. When the margrave set out to resolve the confused situation by force if necessary, he died at Remchingen Castle on April 14, 1604, before achieving his goal.
Under his successor Georg Friedrich von Baden-Durlach, the old church order of 1556 was reinstated in full. The Baden church union only came about in 1821, after the Calvinist denomination had become widespread in Baden due to the immigration of Huguenots (Neureut, Stutensee-Friedrichstal) and the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss. The Staffort book thus initiated a discussion that only led to the union of the Protestant Christians in Baden 222 years later.
To mark the 200th anniversary of the church union in Baden, the Staffort Book was translated into the current language by theologian Holger Müller and published by Klotz Verlagshaus.[3] The Staffort Book was presented to an international delegation in English by Manfred G. Raupp at the 2022 General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe and a plaque indicating the printing location of the book was unveiled by Prelate Traugott Schächtele.[4]
