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[German Version] I. History – II. Legal Status I. History 1. Establishment The Evangelische Kirche der Union (EKU) was founded as the “Evangelische Kirche in den Königlich Preussischen Landen” by a cabinets-ordre of Fredrick William III dated Sep 27, 1817 (on the change of name, see 3 below). The king, who belonged to the Reformed Church, took an interest in theological and ecclesiastical matters. His policy of toleration matched the trend of the times; under the influence of Pietism and the Enlightenment, concern for confessional ques-¶ tions wa…

[German Version] (Feb 25, 1803, Wettin – Feb 4, 1878, Halle) belonged to the Old Lutherans and became adjunct professor in Halle in 1829. On Sep 29, 1833 he published the Glaubens-Erklärung [Declaration of faith] against the unirte Kirche… als eine von der reinen biblischen und evangelischen Wahrheit abgefallene (united church… as one that has forsaken the pure biblical and Protestant truth). He seceded from the Prussian regional church on account of its rationalizing heresy concerning the Lord's Supper and became the pastor of an independent…

[German Version] (1862, Kallies – Feb 20, 1942 Berlin). After studying in Dorpat (Tartu), Bursche became a pastor in Wiskitki-Zyradow in 1885, deacon in Warsaw in 1888, a consistory councilor in 1895, and in 1905 was appointed General Superintendent of the Evangelical-Augsburgian Church in Poland by Tsar Nicholas II; in 1937 he was elected bishop, synodal pres…