Words Spoken and Unspoken: Preachers and the Baltic Reformation in the Younger Europe

This essay elucidates some unique characteristics of the early Reformation in the Younger Europe and emphasizes the need for further comparative studies. It concentrates on the period 1523–25 in Stralsund (Duchy of Pomerania) and the initial clashes between the reformative preachers and the Catholic clergy. The author thoroughly analyzes and compares Catholic and Protestant sources, exploring the teachings disseminated during these conflicts, the progression of events, and the attempts from both factions to justify their respective causes. The early Reformation is primarily portrayed as a clerical endeavor in this essay. However, it also highlights the period’s potential for instigating violent breaches of morals and social and political structures.