▁official ▁church ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Germany , ▁while ▁the ▁respective ▁r uler ▁was ▁the ▁church ' s ▁formal ▁head ▁( e . g . ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Pr uss ia ▁head ed ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Church ▁of ▁Pr uss ia ' s ▁older ▁Provin ces ▁as ▁supre me ▁governor ), ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁monarch ' s ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Governor ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁This ▁changed ▁somewhat ▁with ▁growing ▁religious ▁freedom ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁republic an ▁states ▁of ▁Bre men , ▁Frankfurt ▁( 1 8 5 7 ), ▁Lü beck , ▁and ▁Hamburg ▁( 1 8 6 0 ). ▁The ▁greatest ▁change ▁came ▁after ▁the ▁German ▁Revolution , ▁with ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁We imar ▁Republic ▁and ▁the ▁ab dic ation ▁of ▁the ▁princes ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁states . ▁The ▁system ▁of ▁state ▁churches ▁disappeared ▁with ▁the ▁We imar ▁Constitution ▁( 1 9 1 9 ), ▁which ▁brought ▁about ▁dis est ab lish ment ▁by ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁church ▁and ▁state , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁desire ▁for ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁churches ▁to ▁merge . ▁In ▁fact , ▁a ▁mer ger ▁was ▁perman ently ▁under ▁discussion ▁but ▁never ▁material ised ▁due ▁to ▁strong ▁regional ▁self - conf idence ▁and ▁trad itions ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁denomin ational ▁fragment ation ▁into ▁Luther an , ▁Re formed , ▁and ▁United ▁and ▁unit ing ▁churches . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Revolution , ▁when ▁the ▁old ▁church ▁govern ments ▁lost ▁power ,