Visions of Belonging

The religious landscape in Germany has seen considerable change - In the Christian-influenced, albeit highly secularized society, religious diversity is on the increase.

The pluralism of religions, however, is seen by over 70% of Germans as a cause for conflicts and by only about half as enriching. Western European neighbors are far more tolerant of Islam and other non-Christian religions than Germany, as a survey of the University of Munster in 2010 showed. It reported that Germans speak out against new mosques and minarets far more often than the French, Danes, Dutch or Portuguese, and are also less willing to grant other religions equal rights. There is now even a ruling by the Cologne Regional Court that deems the ritual male circumcision illegal and thus restricts the freedom of religion.

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"When I think of Germany in the night, I cannot sleep," Heinrich Heine wrote about his country in exile in Paris in 1843, swaying between ironic detachment and longing. Heine, who experienced exclusion from German society throughout his lifetime, is now one of the most translated poets of the German language and shaped the image of Germany at home and abroad.

What image of Germany do German cultural figures have today? What do they value as positive? And how do their experiences and perspectives as a minority influence contemporary cultural life? Which works of German culture open up space for identification for them and their audience? Which new German narratives emerge today that reflect cross-cultural influences?

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