il, they drew up a letter of protest which was rejected by the Diet but then delivered to Emperor Charles V. This Protestation at Speyer sealed the schism of the Christian church and is considered the birth of Protestantism. From this time on the adherents of the reformation movement were called Protestants.
The Imperial town of Speyer chose to side with the Protestants and the 17th century was distinguished by its alliance with the Protestant Union and by the influence of the Catholic League personified by the Bishop of Speyer. In the turmoil of the Thirty Years� War Speyer, walled but hardly able to defend itself, found itself in the range of the often embattled fortresses of Frankenthal, Friedrichsburg, Philippsburg and Landau. Thus the town took on the roles of refuge, military hospital, supply post and troop camp. In addition, it was occupied by Spanish, Swedish, French and Imperial troops in quick succession and it was only in 1650 that the last armies left the town, leaving behind debts, hunger and disease.
Urbain de Maill�-Br�z� fought in many battles. He participated in the Siege of La Rochelle (1627�1628). In 1635 he conquered Heidelberg and Speyer, together with Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force, at the head of the Army of Germany.
Again in 1688 troops stood at the gates of Speyer, this time from France. In the �War of the Palatine Succession� (1688�1697) � also called the �War of the Grand Alliance�, the �Nine Years� War� or occasionally, the �War of the League of Augsburg� the town experienced the greatest and most far-reaching destruction in its history by General Melac: the expulsion of its inhabitants and the whole town put to the torch, including the cathedral with the tombs of the ancient emperors, churches, monasteries, and guild halls. Over 700 houses were destroyed and many towers and gates of the town fortifications were blown up.
The Baroque buildings of Trinity Church, the town hall and the town store
