Popular Catholicism in Nineteenth-Century Germany

The book explores popular religious life in a region similar to modern North Rhine-Westphalia between 1830 and 1880, challenging traditional views in German historiography. It highlights the increasing secularization in the early nineteenth century, marked by low church attendance and a shift in morality. However, it reveals a significant reversal in the two decades following 1850, as renewed loyalty to the church emerged, fostering the growth of political Catholicism during this transformative period.