History glossary
Peace of Westphalia
the 1648 treaties that ended the Thirty Years’ War and reset religious and political arrangements.
- Category
- Peace settlement
- Region
- Central Europe
- Date range
- 1648
What it means
The Peace of Westphalia refers to treaties concluded at Münster and Osnabrück in 1648. They ended the Thirty Years’ War and adjusted relationships among the emperor, imperial estates and other powers. The agreements recognised Calvinists alongside Catholics and Lutherans and protected territorial rights; they did not dissolve the empire or instantly create modern sovereign states.
