Friedensfeiern und Gedächtniskultur

Abstract

Peace celebrations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were expressions of gratitude towards God, who had bent the hearts of the princes to end devastating wars and to make space for peace and prosperity. Thanksgiving services were standard elements of the festivities, from modest Calvinist preaching to exuberant Catholic Te Deum masses. Music and prayer honored not only the Lord, but also kings and politicians, who changed their image from victorious warlords to benevolent peacemakers. The festivities started with official announcements in the name of the sovereign and ended with spectacular fireworks. Lasting witnesses of the celebrations are texts of the peace treaties, medals and prints with pictures of the events. Crucial peace treaties like Westphalia or Utrecht were remembered time and again, starting as early as a Silver Jubilee in 1738 and continuing to our times. In these centennials the contemporary context is highly visible. Peace commemorations always have a political message.