Religions and languages in Germany

Since the time of Boniface, Germany was officially considered a country of Christianity and almost all the locals professed this particular religion. Later, from the 17th to the 20th centuries, two religions dominated in the country. Those were Catholicism and Protestantism. This was influenced by two factors - the thirty-year war and Protestant movements of Luther. At the beginning of the 20th century, the law declaring the separation of religion from state was approved in Germany at the Constitutional level. Since then, the religion has no longer exerted pressure on the domestic or foreign policy of the country. Citizens of Germany have the full right to choose independently the religion they want to profess, or to abandon it completely .

In modern Germany, about 37% of the total population are Catholics. Protestants make out 35%; they include Evangelists and Baptists. About 20% of the population consider themselves believers, while they can not attribute themselves to any particular existing confession. About 10% in the country are atheists. Due to the increase in the number of migrants from Africa, other countries of Europe and the Middle East, a small percentage of the population professes Islam, Judaism and other foreign religions. Confessions in Germany have visible territorial distinctions. Thus, in the north and east of the country the evangelical religion prevails, and thanks to the influence of modern Europe, the number of atheists grows every year.

In the western part of the country, the population, for the most part, professes Christianity. All immigrants tend to stay in large cities in Germany, as there are more high-paid jobs and it is much easier to find a home. That is why Islam and Judaism in the province are difficult to find. In general, the religious influence on the society is at an extremely low level, although things were different a little over a century ago. The religion of the inhabitants of Germany absolutely doesn’t affect their welfare and self-realization. In the largest cities, many churches and temples are built. Regular worship services are held there. Even the atheists celebrate such religious holidays as Christmas and Easter. They have long became national holidays. All municipalities provide employees with days off on these dates. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Provinces of Germany are a bit more serious about the religion, and there is still a church tax there. Kids in German schools, regardless of their personal preferences, learn the basics of the Christian religion and Protestantism. In general, the attitude of the Germans towards religion is quite tolerant. In addition to the main religions, there are many different sects whose work is not pursued at the state level. A clear division of law, labor and religion allows diverse confessions to exist in close proximity and not to provoke conflicts.

The official literary language in Germany is German. Almost the entire population of the country or about 97% speaks it. German is one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world. It is a state language for many countries. Almost all members of the European Union and other international European organizations speak it. There are also a wide variety of dialects in some provinces of Germany and small towns, numbering more than 60. The same applies to residents of border areas. National minorities speak Danish, Lusatian, Gypsy, Friesian, and Lower Saxon. Approximately half the population of the country speaks English fluently.