Soest program (center)
With the Soest program of October 28, 1870 , the Center Party gave itself an election program adopted by 47 people at a party meeting in Soest , which was decisive for the further development of political Catholicism in Germany. It arose from meetings of the Soest Circle in 1864, 1865 and 1866. As a motivation, Alfred Hüffer formulated in 1865 that the participants saw themselves "in an open fight against the so-called Prussian traditions". From their point of view, King Wilhelm I treaded the path of "an absolute, anti-German and Protestant Prussia".
content
Under the motto "For Truth, Law and Freedom", demands were made on church politics (independence of the church, defense against the "de-Christianization" of the church) and socio-political demands. Point six of the demand, which included the " decentralization of administration based on the independence of political corporations in the municipality , district and province " , was directed against the executive power of the predominantly Protestant Prussia , but can also be read as an early political expression of the Christian conservative idea of subsidiarity become.
Involved persons u. a.
- Alfred Hüffer
- Heinrich von Droste zu Hülshoff
- Franz Hülskamp
- Wilderich from Ketteler
- Friedrich von Landsberg-Velen and Gemen
- Georg von Mallinckrodt
- August Count Plettenberg-Lenhausen
- Burghard von Schorlemer-Alst
supporting documents
- ↑ 1848-1870 on Rhenish history
- ↑ Reconstructed from the list of signatories, cf. [1]