Congregational identity and political centralization (1652–1682) – the struggle between oligarchy and democracy in the Portuguese nation of Hamburg

Abstract

ABSTRACT The congregational unification that took place in the community of Hamburg in 1652 was a complex phenomenon. Personal rivalries among the main patrician families conjoined with political and religious differences meant a troublesome start, resulting in a protracted conflict that affected the political system of the community during its decisive years (1652–1682). Based mainly on congregational sources, particularly in the community’s protocol books, this article proposes a new interpretative model for understanding the events that led to the unification of the community, and that ultimately conspired to shape the policies and transitions of the subsequent period.