Reformation and the Thirty Years' War
The papacy was already abolished in Offenbach in 1542 and the Lutheran faith was introduced instead. Around 1590, Count Philipp II introduced police and court regulations in addition to church regulations. His son and successor Wolfgang Ernst again made the Reformed faith the binding state religion, but practiced religious tolerance.
The Thirty Years' War put a stop to all these developments. During the war, Offenbach's inhabitants suffered from the destructive effects of the war, famine and plague. By the end of the war, Offenbach's population had been decimated and the town was slow to recover from the war.
It was only under the regency of Count Johann Philipp from 1685 to 1718 that far-reaching changes took place. The count enforced a strictly mercantilist policy, allowed migration and invested in education. In order to settle immigrants, especially Huguenots and Jews, on a long-term basis, Count Johann Philipp granted his new citizens various privileges and rights. The count was probably motivated by the idea of giving Offenbach, a small town with a population of only around 800, a new lease of life through craftsmanship and trade. The original peasant population was supplemented by a bourgeoisie. Craftsmen and entrepreneurs expanded the population structure. Over fifty manufactories were established in the 18th century, and the trade gained economic importance beyond the region.