ogether several previous documents of which one was of the 9th century. It was lost before 1672.
In the first half of the 16th century Speyer once again became the focus of German history. For one, this is expressed in the fact that of 30 Imperial Diets held in this century, 5 took place in Speyer. Since Luther�s posting of his 95 Theses and the Diet of Worms of 1521 creed, reformation and uprisings had become the dominating issues of domestic politics. With this background the Imperial Diet of 1526 convened in Speyer. As always for the host town of a Diet, accommodation and provision for several thousand guests, the elector of Saxony alone travelling with 700 guests and 400 horses, were a challenge for the council, inhabitants and landlords. On the other hand, such events provided a town with considerable earnings.
After the grand opening on 25 June 1526 with processions of princes and envoys to the cathedral and the ceremonious high mass, and after two months of much deliberation, the Diet decided upon matters which happened to be of great importance for Speyer: the Imperial Regiment and the Imperial Chamber Court (Reichskammergericht), next to the Emperor the highest ranking representatives of state power, were both moved to Speyer the following year.
Yet the pressing questions of religion remained unsolved. The ambiguous resolution of the Diet that each estate should behave as it saw fit before God and the Emperor, favoured the expansion of Luther�s doctrines.
In March 1529 the Imperial Diet again met in Speyer (see Diet of Speyer 1529). The argument about religion, conscience and obedience divided the Imperial estates. On 19 April a majority decided to rescind the Imperial resolution of the last Diet in 1526 and to reconfirm the Edict of Worms, passed by the Diet of Worms in 1521, imposing the Imperial ban on Luther and his followers.
This resolution outraged the participating evangelical princes and Imperial towns. On 20
