Just a few metres from here, at the "Kaiserbrunnen", a three-headed peacock reminds us of the time of the medieval schism. After 1378, there were two rival popes, one in Rome, the second in Avignon. The Pisa Council of 1409 was meant to put an end to the schism. Instead, a third pope was elected and the situation grew even worse. The Church was now divided into three parts, and the whole of Europe suffered from the so-called "Great Western Schism".

Most of all, King Sigismund objected to the schism. In December 1413, Sigismund met one of the three popes at the Italian city of Lodi. They decided to hold a council in Constance and re-establish the unity of the Church (causa unionis). Other tasks of the convocation were a Church reform (causa reformationis), and the combat of heresy (causa fidei).

 600th Anniversary Of The Council Of Constance

From 2014 to 2018, the city of Constance again invites people from far and wide to come and visit the Council sites. Under the motto "Europe Is A Guest" Constance commemorates the events of its Council. The five anniversary years are symbolized by five fascinating personalities of the congress, each of them representing one theme
that was current then and is still current today.

600 years after the Council of Constance, the city has again become a place of encounters, dialogue, and impulses. For further information and advice, please visit our office right here in the inner yard of the "Sparkasse", or our website at www.konstanzer-konzil.de.