Kulturkampf

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kulturkampf

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the conflict period?1871-1878
2. Why did Bismarck want to control the Catholic Church?Bismarck thought the Church might make people loyal to the Pope instead of the new German state. He feared this could split the country.
3. What were the May Laws and how did they affect priests?The May Laws made priests study at state‑approved universities and take exams. The government could also fire priests who broke state rules.

Ultramontanism: A movement emphasizing the supreme authority of the Pope over national churches and secular rulers.
Papal Infallibility: The doctrine that the Pope is preserved from error when he is called upon to teach on matters of faith and morals.
Secularization: The process by which religious institutions lose their social and political influence in a society.
Reichstag: The parliament of the German Empire (1871-1918).