Crypto-Protestantism is an historical phenomenon that occurred on the territory of the Habsburg Empire. It describes the attempt made after the Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...

 to regain for Catholicism parts of the Empire that had become Protestant. The Protestants in the areas that were re-Catholicised by force strove to retain their own confession inwardly while they outwardly pretended to accept Catholicism. With the 1782 Edict of Tolerance

1782 Edict of Tolerance

The 1782 Edict of Tolerance was a religious reform of Joseph II during the time he was emperor of the Habsburg Monarchy as part of his policy of Josephinism, a series of drastic reforms to remodel Austria in the form of the ideal Enlightened state. Joseph II's enlightened despotism included the...

Protestantism was again permitted, and from that time on the Protestants could live their faith openly once more.