Religion in Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany, and people there come from many different backgrounds and beliefs.

In 2022, most people in Berlin—about 72%—did not belong to any particular religion. This means the city is very diverse in beliefs and values.

Among those who do follow a religion, the largest groups are EKD Protestants and Catholics. In 2022, about 12.6% of people in Berlin were registered as EKD Protestants, and around 7.3% were Catholics. There are also communities of Islam, with about 4% of the population, and smaller groups like Jewish people, making up about 1% of the city.

Over the years, the number of people identifying with Christianity in Berlin has gone down. In 2010, about 30% of Berliners identified as Christian, but by 2022, this number had fallen to just 15% for registered church members. This shows how beliefs and traditions in Berlin are always changing.

Irreligion

Berlin is often called the "atheist capital of Europe" because many people there do not follow a religion.

In 2009, people in Berlin voted on whether students should learn about ethics or a religion class. More than half voted to keep ethics as a required class, but students could still take a religion class if they wanted. Many people in East Berlin voted against adding religion classes. There are also groups in Berlin that support ways of thinking that do not include religion, like the Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands, which was started in Berlin in 1993.

Christianity

The Protestant church in Berlin is called the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO). It has many Lutheran groups and some Reformed and United Protestant groups. In 2010, about 18.7 percent of Berlin’s people were part of this church.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin started in 1994. In 2010, around 9.1 percent of Berlin’s people were Roman Catholic.

About 2.7 percent of Berlin’s people in 2010 were in other Christian groups, mostly Eastern Orthodox. Berlin has important Orthodox cathedrals.

Protestant Church

Main article: Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia

Roman Catholic Church

Main article: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin

Orthodox Church

Islam

In 2009, Islamic groups in Berlin said there were about 249,000 members. By 2015, many people in Berlin came from Arabic or Islamic countries, especially from Turkey.

The Berlin Mosque in Berlin is Germany's oldest mosque. It was built between 1923 and 1925 and has two tall towers called minarets. The Sehitlik Mosque, built in 1983, is the largest mosque in Berlin and also works as a cultural center.

Judaism

Berlin has a growing Jewish community. Many of these people come from Russia, Eastern Europe, Israel, and German Jewish backgrounds.

Important Jewish places, like the Centrum Judaicum and several synagogues, have been fixed up and opened again since 2007. Berlin has events celebrating Jewish culture. The Neue Synagoge ("New Synagogue") is a famous old building from the 1800s. It was the main synagogue for the Berlin Jewish community and remains an important landmark on Oranienburger Straße.

Buddhism

In 1924, a man named Dr. Paul Dahlke started the first Buddhist monastery in Germany, called "Das Buddhistische Haus" in Reinickendorf. It is one of the oldest and biggest centers for a type of Buddhism called Theravada in all of Europe.

The first temple for a kind of Buddhism from Thailand opened in Berlin on April 16, 1995. It is located in a neighborhood called Pankow and is managed by a group of people who follow Thai Buddhism. The temple was built with the help of a Buddhist leader from Bangkok.

Places of worship

Berlin has many special buildings where people gather to practice their faiths. There are groups like the Baptist, United Methodist, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The city also has an Old Catholic church, an Anglican church, and the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church with several parishes.

Berlin is home to many mosques for Muslim worship. There are also two Buddhist temples and three Hindu temples.

Interfaith initiatives

In recent years, Berlin has started more programs to bring together people of different religions. One famous project is the House of One. It wants to create a shared space where followers of various religions can meet.

In 2016, Berlin held its first Interfaith Music Festival, called “Festival der Religionen.” This event had live music and dance from artists of 13 different religions. The festival also had a fair where people could learn about each other’s beliefs and some exhibitions about faith topics.