A major change that occurred in Europe after the Treaty of Augsburg in 1555 was the establishment of the principle of cuius regio, eius religio, which allowed rulers to determine the religion of their own territories. This treaty effectively ended the religious civil wars in the Holy Roman Empire by recognizing both Lutheranism and Catholicism as legitimate confessions. The agreement marked a significant step towards religious tolerance, allowing for some degree of coexistence between different Christian denominations, but it also led to further sectarian divisions and conflicts in Europe in subsequent years.