# Berlin Conference (1884)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1884-berlin-conference
Location: Berlin
Themes: Politics

European powers meet in Berlin in 1884–85 to set rules for dividing Africa among them. The final act guarantees freedom for missionaries, and colonial rule speeds the spread of both Catholic and Protestant missions across the continent. At this point in the timeline (1884), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Leo XIII (20 February 1878 – 20 July 1903).

## Why it matters
It opened the era of colonial Africa, in which Christianity spread faster than at any time before.

Pope at the time: [Pope Leo XIII](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-leo-xiii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Berlin Conference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Conference)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Berlin Conference](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Berlin+Conference)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_20th_century)