There were eight civil wars in France between and - the Wars of Religion. However, their position became increasingly insecure as King Louis XIV, grandson of Henri IV, listened more and more to those who advised him that the existence of this sizeable religious minority was a threat to the absolute authority of the monarch. Gradually the Huguenots' privileges were eroded. In the s Protestants in certain parts of France were deliberately terrorised by the billeting of unruly troops in their homes ['the Dragonnades'].
Finally, in Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes, while exiling all Protestant pastors and at the same time forbidding the laity to leave France. To the considerable surprise of the government many did leave, often at great risk to themselves.
Men who were caught, if not executed, were sent as galley slaves to the French fleet in the Mediterranean. Women were imprisoned and their children sent to convents. What remains of all this today?
We can say that there are roughly three factors to consider :. The second factor to consider is the tenacity of religious tradition ; it is said that if Calvin came back on earth, it is in South Africa that he could be found! We can trace back the tradition of daily Bible reading and its literal interpretation to this period, when the Huguenots did not have any pastors to guide them.
Indeed, tragically, it was this literal interpretation of the Bible which led to the theory of apartheid. Lastly, South Africa is a church-going country and the church parish still remains the centre for family and community life today.
The third factor is that in spite of, or because of their assimilation, the Huguenots have contributed greatly to the creation of the Afrikaner spirit, notwithstanding the fact that they were few in number. It is as if, since they could not remain French, the least they could do was to become the spearhead of this new country.
In the little Huguenot museum in Franschoek, their influence can still be seen. Here, a great deal of emphasis is laid on the fact that many French names can be found in the fields of politics, finance and rugby.
Jacques Basnage was a pastor in Rouen at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes — he had to escape from France due to persecution and took refuge in Holland, where he worked as a theologian, controversialist, historian and diplomat in the service of the Grand Pensioner Hensius.
The exodus of French Huguenots to Protestant countries to escape persecution was a crucial event that spanned a century. Following the Reformation , theologian John Calvin became a leading figure in Protestantism in the 16th century, famed for his intellectualism. Because of the influence wielded by followers of Calvinism , it was initially tolerated by the crown. French Calvinists adopted the Huguenot name around , but the first Huguenot church was created five years earlier in a private home in Paris.
The origin of the name Huguenot is unknown but believed to have been derived from combining phrases in German and Flemish that described their practice of home worship. In January , the Edict of St. Germain recognized the right of Huguenots to practice their religion, though with limits.
Huguenots were not permitted to practice within towns or at night, and in an effort to sate fears of rebellion, they were not allowed to be armed. On March 1, , Huguenots holding religious services in a barn outside the town wall of Vassy, France, were attacked by troops under the command of Francis, Duke of Guise. More than 60 Huguenots were killed and over wounded during the Massacre of Vassy.
Francis claimed he did not order an attack but was instead retaliating against stones being thrown at his troops. In Toulouse, a riot resulted in the deaths of up to 3, people, many of them Huguenots. The battling continued into February of when Francis, Duke of Guise, was assassinated by a Huguenot during a siege on Orleans and a truce was agreed upon. Religious violence escalated again soon enough. The worst of it came as the St.
During the three days of violence that began on the night of August 23, , and spread from town to town, officials recruited Catholic citizens into militia groups that hunted down Huguenot citizens, indulging not only in murder but gruesome torture, mutilation and desecration of the dead. Violence and murder followed in 12 cities over a two-month period after the St.
Violence such as the St. Huguenots used their freedom to organize against the French crown, gaining political power, amassing loyal forces and forging separate diplomatic relationships with other countries.
When King Louis XIV ascended the French throne in , persecution of the Huguenots began again, escalating to the point that he directed troops to seize Huguenot homes and force them to convert to Catholicism. Germain and made Protestantism illegal. More bloodshed ensued, and over the next several years, more than , Huguenots fled France for other countries. In , Louis XIV decided he wanted to prevent Huguenots fleeing to the south to Protestant communities known as the Waldensians, or Valdois, who were settled in the Piedmont region of Italy, which was just across the French border.
Troops ravaged the Protestant villages, with 12, Protestants rounded up into camps, where most starved to death. The few that did survive were sent to Germany. The departure of the Huguenots was a disaster for France, costing the nation much of its cultural and economic influence.
In some French cities, the mass exodus meant losing half the working population. Huguenots were particularly prolific in the textile industry and considered reliable workers in many fields. They were also an educated group, with the ability to read and write. Many countries welcomed them and are believed to have benefited from their arrival. Some fleeing Huguenots made their way to Geneva first, but the city could not support so many people, and only some in the clock-making profession ended up staying there.
The city of Brandenburg went so far as to advertise their eagerness for Huguenots to settle there. Some 4, Huguenots settled in Berlin and are considered to have been the spark that transformed it into a major city.
The most significant population ended up in the Netherlands, with Amsterdam received the most Huguenot transplants.
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