Martin Luther initiated an era with the slogan: 'Freedom for the Christian person.' However, it soon closed with the arrival of John Calvin, the religious dictator who sealed the interpretation of the Bible with his own. Any deviation was considered a crime against God and the state, surpassing the terror of the Papal Inquisition.

However, free thought that believes liberty is the essence of humanity emerges now and then to challenge the dictator, exposing the flaws of unilateral thinking and calling for the sovereignty of human conscience. Such was the case with Sebastian Castellio, a man who understood Calvin's danger and fought with reason to resist human hatred and defend the right to freedom, away from clerical oppression.

Zweig understood well that wars lead the world into the abyss. He found voices in historical figures to denounce war and autocracy, advocating for peace and the liberation of humanity from all forms of dictatorship. He deeply believed that only freedom is eternal since it is the origin, and all violence will vanish as it is alien to humanity.