Non-Religiousness in Eastern Germany
The research project Nonreligiousness in Eastern Germany examines to what extent lifestyles, norms and ideologies in Eastern Germany constitute reactions to the secularization enforced by the former communist regime. Considering the current Ostalgie – represented in products and attitudes – it seems obvious that attitudinal aspects of the GDR are still present in Eastern Germany in forms of a voluntary secularism, albeit bereft of the former ideological underpinnings. This is evidenced with the lasting popularity of the Jugendweihe (youth dedication ceremony), but also with the adaptation of churchly wedding rites at civil marriage ceremonies and some positions of radical left-wing parties.
- Panel „Remote effects of secularization in Eastern Germany”, XXI. World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, 23th-29th August 2015, University of Erfurt (Jenny Vorpahl, Dirk Schuster, Prof. Dr. Johann Ev. Hafner, Dr. Hans-Michael Haußig)
- Panel: „Theoretical and empirical approaches to the relationship between religion and nonreligion in Germany”, ISORECEA Conference 2016: “Religion and Non-Religion in Contemorary Societies”, Zadar, Croatia, 21th–24th April 2016 (conduct: Jenny Vorpahl and David Schneider)
- Jenny Vorpahl: The ritual design of civil marriage ceremonies in Germany. Lecture in the panel „Not religion, but not without religion. Representations of nonreligious ideas, forms and practices“, Conference of the European Association of the Study of Religions: „Relocating Religion“, Helsinki, Finnland, June 28th – July 1th 2016.
- Dirk Schuster: The evaluation of the science of atheism in the GDR by policy makers. Lecture in the panel „Nonreligion and Atheism in Central and Eastern Europe“, Conference of the European Association of the Study of Religions: Relocating Religion, Helsinki, Finnland, June 28th – July 1th 2016.
- Habilitation project: What Comes After Religion? Atheistic concepts of the dying out of Religion. (Dirk Schuster, 2015-2020)
- Religiosity in Potsdam/Brandenburg: In the city of Potsdam there are about 80 religious communities. Confronted with their secularized environment, most went into “hibernation mode’. Where are they to be found? How interconnected are they? What role does the turnaround of 1989/90 play in the history of their communities? When do Yoga studios and freethinking groups become part of the religious scene? We envision and are planing a book with articles and portraits encompassing statements of faith, rites, locality and structures (Prof. Dr. Irene Becci, Lausanne, Prof. Johann Hafner, Dr. Helga Völkening 2012-2016).
Publications:
- Communicating Religion and Atheism in Central and Eastern Europe
