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Kulturkampf

American  
[kool-toor-kahmpf] / kʊlˈturˌkɑmpf /

noun

  1. the conflict between the German imperial government and the Roman Catholic Church from 1872 or 1873 until 1886, chiefly over the control of education and ecclesiastical appointments.


Kulturkampf British  
/ kʊlˈtʊəˌkæmpf, ˈkʊltə- /

noun

  1. the struggle of the Prussian state against the Roman Catholic Church (1872–87), which took the form of laws designed to bring education, marriage, etc, under the control of the state

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Kulturkampf

< German: culture struggle, equivalent to Kultur culture + Kampf battle, struggle (cognate with Old English camp ); see camp 1, kemp 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The Kulturkampf was in part a product of Germany’s unique form of government.

From Textbooks Jan. 1, 2020

The word Kulturkampf translates more literally into “cultural struggle,” but Mr. Hunter feels his tweak was justified.

From The Wall Street Journal May 25, 2018

In a portentous passage recalling Tony Blair’s penchant for grand historical narratives he cast British politics today as a giant Kulturkampf between open and closed.

From Economist Sep. 22, 2016

“The court has mistaken a Kulturkampf for a fit of spite.”

From Time Jan. 19, 2015

Ever since the Kulturkampf the Centrum has held the balance of power in Germany, acting sometimes with the Conservatives and sometimes with the Social Democrats.

From My Four Years in Germany by Gerard, James W. (James Watson)

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