The Council of Constance was a major church council held in the German-speaking city on Lake Constance, convened with the support of the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. Its main purpose was to end the Western Schism, in which rival claimants to the papacy had divided Catholic Europe. The council deposed or accepted the resignation of the competing popes and elected Martin V in 1417, restoring unity. It also condemned the teachings of John Wycliffe and the Bohemian reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake in 1415, a decision that contributed to the Hussite wars. The council also asserted that a general council has authority over the pope, a view known as conciliarism.
Before and after
- 1412Birth of Joan of Arc
- 1413Founding of University of St Andrews
- from 1414 to 1451Sayyid dynasty
- from July 1414 to October 1414Hunger War
- from 5 November 1414 to 22 April 1418Council of Constance
- from 1415 to 1453Lancastrian War
- from 21 August 1415 to 20 December 1999Portuguese Empire
- from 1417 to 1420Construction of Registan
- 1417Construction of Tiananmen Square
More in Art, literature & culture
- from 1000 to 1200Rise of Romanesque art
- July 1054East-West Schism
- from 11th century to 14th centuryOrigins of Catharism
- 1320The Divine Comedy
- from 14th century to 17th centuryRenaissance
- 1469Origins of Sikhism
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.