Christianity around the world

Christianity in Germany

Germany is the land of the Reformation. Christianity was planted here in the early medieval centuries through missionaries like Boniface, and in 1517 Martin Luther's protest in Wittenberg set off the Protestant Reformation that reshaped Christianity across the world. Germany has been divided between Catholic and Protestant regions ever since. Today it is a largely secular society in which Catholic and Protestant churches remain significant, alongside growing free and immigrant-led congregations.

How Christianity came to Germany

Christianity spread into the Germanic lands over the early medieval centuries. The English missionary Boniface, remembered as the apostle of the Germans, preached widely in the eighth century and helped organize the church there. For centuries these lands were part of Western Catholic Christendom, dotted with monasteries, cathedrals, and universities.

Then, in 1517, an Augustinian monk and professor named Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses at Wittenberg, protesting abuses and calling the church back to grace and Scripture. The Reformation that followed divided Western Christianity and gave the world Luther's German Bible, congregational singing, and the conviction that a sinner is justified by faith. Germany has been a patchwork of Catholic and Protestant regions ever since. In the twentieth century, under the Nazi regime, the Confessing Church and figures such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer bore costly witness.

The church here today

Modern Germany is largely secular, and church membership has declined, yet the churches remain a major presence. The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany (the EKD) each count many millions of members and run extensive schools, hospitals, and charities. There are also growing free churches and lively immigrant congregations. The country's Christian heritage is visible in its cathedrals, its Christmas traditions, and its music, from Bach onward.

If you are seeking here

If you are living in Germany and quietly wondering about Jesus, you are not alone, and you are welcome. Faith is not a nationality or a family tradition you are locked into or out of; it begins wherever one person turns to Christ and asks. You can start today by reading a Gospel, by praying honestly in your own words, and by finding a community that follows Jesus near you.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Germany important to Christian history?

Because it is the land of the Reformation. In 1517 Martin Luther's protest at Wittenberg set off the Protestant Reformation, which reshaped Christianity worldwide and gave the world Luther's German Bible.

Is Germany Catholic or Protestant?

Both. Since the Reformation Germany has been divided between Catholic and Protestant regions. Today the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany each have many millions of members.

Is Germany still religious?

Modern Germany is largely secular and church membership has declined, yet the churches remain a major presence in charity, education, and culture, alongside growing free and immigrant-led congregations.