KULTURKAMPF
Kul*tur"kampf`, n. [G., fr. kultur, cultur, culture + kampf fight.]
(Ger. Hist.)
Definition: Lit., culture war; -- a name, originating with Virchow (1821 --
1902), given to a struggle between the the Roman Catholic Church and
the German government, chiefly over the latter's efforts to control
educational and ecclesiastical appointments in the interest of the
political policy of centralization. The struggle began with the
passage by the Prussian Diet in May, 1873, of the so-called May laws,
or Falk laws, aiming at the regulation of the clergy. Opposition
eventually compelled the government to change its policy, and from
1880 to 1887 laws virtually nullifying the May laws were enacted.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition