Poland

Poland occupies a special place in Renaissance political history, as religious freedom was incorporated into the principles of government in 1573. Protestants, Muslims, Jews, and other groups coexisted in the same cities during the 16th century as they had during the 15th, with no expulsions or official persecutions. Commoners in general experienced a greater atmosphere of personal freedom than in other parts of eastern Europe. The Polish Diet had two houses, the Senate (upper house) consisting of appointed members, and the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) consisting of elected representatives. This governmental body functioned both judicially and legislatively, and new laws were approved only by the Diet. Because actions of the king himself could be reviewed before the Diet, Renaissance Poland was a parliamentary monarchy. Significantly, electors from the Diet chose Poland’s kings.

After 1569, the principality of Lithuania was formally unified with Poland, creating a territory three times the size of present-day France. The Diet was extremely powerful during the 16th century, when the provincial diets were virtually autonomous. Although the king could appoint administrative officials, he was not permitted to remove them from office. This policy encouraged an independent atti-

Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe

Tude among those in charge of local administration, making centralization of the government impossible. When Poland doubled its land area in 1569, government at the national level faltered. The consolidation that might have made Poland a powerful presence in European politics never occurred.