Memory and Identity

The Huguenot diaspora is one of the most important dispersions of a religious minority in early modern Europe. Traditionally known as "le Refuge", this migration led to the exodus of nearly 200,000 Protestants out of France in 1685. This work offers a comparative perspective on this event and its repercussions by an international group of 17 specialists of early modern France, Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands and historians of British and French colonial America and Dutch South Africa. It sheds light on the Protestant experience both in and outside of France. The Huguenot experience of 17th century France and the diaspora is examined through the lens of minority status and assimilation. This volume explains why some Huguenots chose to emigrate instead of being assimilated by the dominant Catholic group, while others recanted their faith and remained in France.