LOWER SAXON CONFEDERATION: A
federation of Reformed churches in Lower Saxony which
has existed for more than two centuries. It is the
one church body in Germany in which the
Presbyterian
system was fully carried out. In Electoral
Hanover, especially in the cities of Cells, Lüneburg,
Hameln, and Hanover, Huguenot fugitives had
been received and had formed congregations, also
in the neighboring territories of Schaumburg-Lippe
and Brunswick. On Nov. 13, 1699, it was decided
at Hanover to establish a closer union between
these scattered members of the Reformed Church.
German Reformed bodies in Hanover, Cells, and
Bückeburg joined the confederation. The
governments of Brunswick-Lüneburg and
Schaumburg-Lippe gave permission for the establishment
of the confederation, granting the union and its
congregations self-government but reserving the
so-called jura circa sacra. The first synod of the
United Reformed churches in Lower Saxony was
held in July, 1703, at Hameln. The government
of Hanover expressly stipulated that the state
commissary, who was to be present at every synod,
have a seat, but not a vote. There were at first
five French and three German congregations of the
confederation. In 1708 a German-Dutch and a
Huguenot congregation in Brunswick joined the
confederation; in 1711 the German Reformed congregation of Munden (Hanover) was included, followed, in 1753, by the Reformed in Göttingen, and
finally, in 1890, by the congregation of Altona. On
account of the removal of Huguenots to the large
cities, their congregations dwindled and were finally
united with the local German congregations. The
first to suffer this fate was the congregation at
Bückeburg (1755), followed by those of Cells (1805),
Brunswick (1811), and Hanover (1812), while the
congregation of Hameln was dissolved altogether.
Since 1812 the confederation has consisted of the
congregations of Brunswick, Buckeburg, Cells,
Hanover, Göttingen, and Munden, with Altona
since 1890. In 1824 the congregations of the king
dom of
Hanover were recognized as possessing equal
rights with the Lutheran churches, and as having
the rank of state churches. In 1839 a new agenda
for all congregations of the federation was adopted
which guards the independence of the individual
congregations but vests the ultimate authority in
matters affecting church discipline and doctrine in
a synod of the whole confederation. The State
adheres to the right of its territorial power; and
the resolutions of the synod must be confirmed by
the State. The election of a minister formerly re
quired the consent of the government, and the gen
eral state laws in Prussia still require that it be
communicated to the provincial president, who
may veto the election within thirty days. In sen
tences of synods in matters of discipline the right
of an appeal
de abuse
to the government is recog
nized. The presbyteries and synods have remark
ably advanced the life of the Church and of the
educational institutions as well as the material
resources of the communities. From the first the
confederation provided for the surviving members
of the families of their pastors, and at a later time
also of their teachers. The widows' fund, founded in
1706, has a capital that would amount to 60,000
marks for each congregation. The confederation has
sought to live in peace with its Lutheran neighbors.
In the agenda of 1711 the synod adopted the resolution
of the Conference of Charenton (1631), according
to which Lutherans are permitted to take part in the
worship of the Reformed Church without sacrificing
their own confession.
(F. H. Brandes.)
Bibliography:
T.
Huguea,
Die Ronjbderalion der rejormierten Kirchen in Niederaachaen, Cells, 1873;
the publications of the German Hugenotten-Verein, particularly the
Geschichtebllftter,
Magdeburg,
1891
sqq., in which the
contributions of Drs. F, Albrecht, F. H. Brandea, H.
Tollin and H. Villarat are especially pertinent.
