Empty churches, new temples: Germany's growing religious diversity

Lead

In the Bavarian city of Erlangen, a new synagogue is being prepared, two major mosques are planning expansions, and an association has purchased land to build a Shiva-Vishnu temple for the Hindu community. This burst of religious construction reflects a broader transformation underway across Germany, where established Christian churches are losing members while other faith communities grow.

Coverage Comparison

Deutsche Welle reports extensively on these developments, noting that Erlangen, a city of 119,000 residents, now hosts a university with more than 2,000 students from India. The Indian community has become the largest non-German population group in the city, according to the local Hindu association. Silvia Klein, who heads Erlangen's Department of Integration and Diversity, describes the city as a "clear example" of how religious diversity is becoming visible in Germany's urban landscape.

Key Claims

Christian churches shrinking

Germany's major Christian churches are in decline, according to figures cited by Deutsche Welle. Only around 36.6 million people now belong to the Catholic or Protestant Church, roughly 44% of the country's 83.5 million residents. A few years ago, more than half of the population belonged to these churches, the report notes.

Growing Muslim population

More than 5.3 million Muslims were living in Germany as of 2020, according to the report. The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) comprises 862 mosque congregations in Germany, and the Ahmadiyya community is also opening several mosques each year. In Erlangen, both major mosques are planning expansions to accommodate their growing congregations.

New Hindu temples

The construction of Hindu temples is becoming increasingly common in Germany, with multiple temples now operating in cities like Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, and Berlin. In Erlangen, the association "Hindu Tempel Franken" has purchased land using donations, its own funds, and a loan, with construction expected to begin no later than 2027.

Orthodox Christian growth

About 3.8 million Orthodox Christians live in Germany, according to a 2024 survey by the Protestant Church. The number of Orthodox congregations is growing, with new construction projects and takeovers of vacant church buildings. In Erlangen, the Coptic Church took over a former Catholic house of worship just three years ago, converting "St. Peter und Paul" into the Coptic Orthodox Church dedicated to St. Mary and the Holy Apostles.

Perspectives

Local officials see the diversity as a positive development, highlighting the rich mix of cultures, languages, and religions in Erlangen. Coptic deacon Ragai Edward Matta told DW: "In the past we had 18 families with 50 or 60 members. Today there are around 60 families with a good 200 people." Meanwhile, the shrinking of established churches raises questions about the future of many church buildings, as seen in the Coptic Church's takeover of the former Catholic church.

Jewish life is also expanding, with new synagogues opened in Magdeburg and Potsdam, and Jewish houses of prayer now present in all German state capitals. This diversity is increasingly visible in the urban landscape, as Germany adapts to its changing religious demographics.