Censorship and civic order in Reformation Germany, 1517-1648: 'printed poison & evil talk'

The history of the European Reformation is intimately bound-up with the development of printing.

With the ability of the printed word to distribute new ideas, theologies and philosophies widely and cheaply, early-modern society was quick to recognise the importance of being able to control what was published.

Whilst much has been written on censorship within Catholic lands, much less scholarship is available on how Protestant territories sought to control the flow of information.

In this ground-breaking study, Allyson F. Creasman reassesses the Reformation's spread by examining how censorship impacted upon public support for reform in the German cities.