Religion in Germany

The largest religion in Germany today is the Christians, who comprise many different sects, the largest of which is the Evangelical Church in Germany. An estimated 30.5% of the population belongs to this Protestant church, which holds sway primarily in Northern Germany. Likewise, the Roman Catholic Church, which boasts 31.2% of the German population, has more authority in the South. After Christianity, the second largest religious group is Muslims, whose 3.3 million adherents make up 4% of the population. Islam is followed by Buddhism and Judaism. By far, Christianity has had the largest influence on religion in Germany over the centuries.

While many Germans belong to a Christian community, less than 10% of them attend religious services and participate in church life. Many independent and congregational churches have been established throughout Germany, but many are small not very influential. German Martin Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church, the sole established religion in Germany in the sixteenth century, sparking the Protestant Reformation and altering the course of world history. While the religious majorities dominate in former West Germany, there are also states such as Hamburg, Berlin, Saxony, and Brandenburg where secularism has taken hold.

Religious observances and strong sectarian affiliations are much less common in the former East Germany, which was dominated by the Soviet Union for forty years. The former East German government encouraged its citizens to take on an atheistic worldview through government programs and social institutions such as youth consecrations, a secular equivalent to religious coming-of-age ceremonies. As a result, East Germany has the lowest rates of attendance for religious services in the world today, which has had a significant affect on religion in Germany.

There is also a thriving community of religious minorities in Germany today, including Muslims, Jews, and other sects. It is estimated that 3.3 million Muslims currently reside in Germany, including those of different denominations, which is largely the result of labor migration in the 1960s and political turmoil in the Middle East during the 1970s. Germany also has the fastest growing Jewish population in the world today, which is now viewed as more accepting of Jewish immigrants than the previous Soviet-era regime. The Jewish population is still significantly smaller than it was before the Nazis came to power in the 1930s. Germany is also home to a significant number of new religious movements, both legitimate and illegitimate. Protestant churches in Germany diligently disseminate warnings about cults and sects, which they refer to as Sekten. These groups are seen as harmful and destructive, and make it difficult for their members to quit. These sects disrupt the status quo of religion in Germany, and must be curtailed by the government.