In a unique event, religious groups in Germany’s capital opened their doors for one night, to highlight the city’s diversity and provide an insight into almost 100 faith groups. DW’s Kate Brady reports from Berlin.
Despite only 36 percent of Berlin’s population professing to having a religion, 93 religious communities from across the city took part in this year’s “Lange Nacht der Religionen” or “Long Night of Religions”on Saturday – opening their doors to an estimated 10,000 fellow Berliners.
From Judaism to Paganism, Christianity to Hinduism; sermons, tours, meditation and rituals all took place in synagogues, churches and temples across Berlin’s 12 districts.
More than 780,000 of the capital’s 3.4 million population come from a migrant background, and from different backgrounds come a diverse collection of religious groups – something which organizer Dr Thomas Schimmel saw as a reason to celebrate and unite.
“It’s been a great success,” Schimmel told DW. “It’s probably the only event where interreligious discussions really take place.
Following an increase in right-wing extremism and racially-motivated attacks in Germany this year, Schimmel said it was exactly this sentiment of the “strange” and the “unfamiliar,” which the “Lange Nacht” aims to diminish.
“Religion is actually something peaceful and unifying. Religion isn’t what’s often portrayed in the media – namely that they’re violent and fundamentalist,” Schimmel said.
“I hope also that people come who have prejudices so that they can see that Muslims, for example, are completely normal people who want to live peacefully like the rest of us.”
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