# Expulsion of the Polish Brethren (1658)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1658-expulsion-of-the-polish-brethren
Location: Warsaw

The Sejm banished the anti-Trinitarian Polish Brethren, ending an era of broad religious freedom. Within the broader Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth period: The Commonwealth of Both Nations elected its kings and prized noble liberty and religious tolerance. It won famous victories but was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, the Ottomans and the Cossacks, and by political paralysis. At this point in the timeline (1658), the governing authority was John II Casimir Vasa (King of Poland). Reigned through the Khmelnytsky Uprising and the Swedish Deluge before abdicating in 1668. Expulsion of the Polish Brethren mattered because religion shaped Polish identity, culture and the country's place in Europe. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Expulsion of the Polish Brethren mattered because religion shaped Polish identity, culture and the country's place in Europe.

Ruler at the time: [John II Casimir Vasa](https://poland-history.com/rulers/john-ii-casimir-vasa)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Polish Brethren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Brethren)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Expulsion of the Polish Brethren](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Expulsion+of+the+Polish+Brethren)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)