Bells Ringing, Choirs Singing – The Role of Religion in Germany
Seven o’clock in the morning, and the church bells are ringing. Not just like a normal day’s seven chimes, this is continuous ringing, probably many more decibels than ever observed throughout the week. Yes, it is Sunday, and Augsburg churches deliver a splendid wake-up call to it citizens who are sleeping. It seems that these same bells woke up the American citizens too, seeing as the church was but across the street away from our hotel. While we may have objected to the incessant ringing as a notification to attend mass in the morning, the bells were an important reminder of the role religion plays in Germany, especially in Augsburg. With the city’s long history comes its equally devout religious population – mainly Christian, split between the Roman Catholic Church and the different Protestant denominations.
It goes further to show the dominance of religion when one observes German law, whereby stores in Germany are closed on Sunday by mandate – as the Bible states that Sunday is the day of rest, so the entire city observes. Supermarkets and shops all close on Sunday, except a few couple days per year which the city permits stores to remain open. Likewise, businesses and most forms of work are expected to remain closed on Sunday as to respect the religious day of the week and allow for people to attend church.
While the German population as a whole is devout, what I did observe was a fewer amount of signs of faith around Germany as compared to the United States. With the exception of the large amount of churches that scatter the city that serve as both historical monuments as well as religious houses of worship, individuals are seldom seen wearing cross necklaces. Religious bumper stickers, signs of the cross, or the ichthys (“Jesus fish”) are seemingly nonexistent in Augsburg and in other areas of Southern Germany.
The rest of the day, however, was spent at magnificent Castle Neuschwanstein, home of King Leopold (the insane).