The Reformation and the early modern era

In the 16th century, the Reformation, Renaissance and Humanism ushered in a new world view. Martin Luther’s theses fell on fruitful soil along the Danube too. The citizens of the Free Imperial City of Regensburg demonstrated denominational independence when they joined the Reformation in 1542. However, as a result of the continuing presence of the bishop and monastery, the inhabitants remained denominationally divided. During the religious conflicts of the 17th century, many Protestant refugees sought refuge in the neutral free city. Certainly the best known of these was the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who, from 1612 onwards, was in the service of the Austrian ruling classes above the Enns, in Linz. Whenever his situation in Linz became dangerous, he betook himself up the Danube to Regensburg, where he also died in 1630. In Bavaria and in Austria, Lutheranism was unable to prevail against the Catholic Counter-Reformation. In contrast, under the protection of the Sultan, many Hungarians became Calvinists.

Owing to its trade fairs, Linz developed into the most important “storehouse on the Danube”. Under Emperor Rudolph II (1576–1612), the Linzer Schloss was enlarged to give the castle its present-day lavish Renaissance design. Today, its spacious rooms house the extensive collections of the Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum.

The Danube School

The Perpetual Diet of Regensburg

After Emperor Charles V, “on whose empire the sun never set”, had convened the Imperial Diet three times in Regensburg, these assemblies were from then on only ever held here. Denominationally mixed as it was, the Free Imperial City presented a small-scale picture of the state of the Empire as a whole. The city gained additional lustre after it was chosen to be the seat of the Immerwährender Reichstag, or Perpetual Diet, from 1663 onwards. Until 1806, imperial and electoral envoys, count palatines, knights of the Empire, prelates and members of the other imperial states used to meet for a parliament (i.e. for a “discussion”) in the Old City Hall. Diplomats from all political powers were received with great ceremony. Since 1748, the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis, which, thanks to its postal service, had rich revenues at its disposal, had held the honourable post of Prinzipalkommissar, as the Emperor’s representative at the Diet was called. Gesandtenstraße, or “Envoys’ Road”, still runs through the core of Regensburg’s Old Town today. As the town of the White Gold, Passau still enjoyed several profitable centuries. Tons of salt were shipped down the Inn to Passau and, from there, to Bohemia and Austria. However, at the beginning of the 17th century, the Elector of Bavaria seized the lucrative salt trade for himself and cut Passau off from the trade connections. While the economy stagnated, the court of the prince-bishop and the city still saw a late flourishing of the Baroque. Two devastating major fires, in 1662 and 1680, burned the old Gothic city to the ground. Out of its ruins arose the new city in the triumphal Italian Baroque style in which it presents itself to the visitor today.