Historedia
EuropeEvent

Signing of the Warsaw Confederation

When
1573
Where
Warsaw
Episodes
1

During the first interregnum following the death of Sigismund II Augustus, the Convocation Sejm convened in Warsaw. On 28 January 1573, representatives of major religions signed the Warsaw Confederation, establishing legal religious tolerance and securing noble rights for the upcoming royal election.

Episodes

  1. 6–29 January 1573 · WarsawConvocation Sejm Convenes

    The Sejm convened in Warsaw during the interregnum to secure governance and prepare for the royal election.

Background and detail

Political Context. The death of Sigismund II Augustus in 1572 ended the Jagiellonian dynasty and triggered an interregnum. The Protestant camp lacked legal guarantees for their faith, prompting the Convocation Sejm to convene in Warsaw to secure governance continuity and prepare for the election of a new king.

The Signing. The Sejm deliberated as a confederation between 6 and 29 January 1573. On 28 January, the Confederation Legislature signed the act in Warsaw. Representatives of all major religions pledged mutual support and tolerance, creating a foundational document for the Commonwealth's constitutional system.

People involved

Sources

  1. Warsaw Confederation Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-06
  2. Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.