German Evangelical Church Assembly

The German Evangelical Church Assembly (German Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag, DEKT) is an assembly of lay members of the Evangelical Church in Germany, that organises biennial events of faith, culture and political discussion.

This article is about the conventions held since 1949. For the homonymous conventions held between 1848 and 1872, see Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag.
Jerusalem Cross is used as a logo of the Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag since 1950s.
Illumination on the Hohenzollern Bridge for Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag 2007. Cologne Cathedral is in the background.

History

The biennial five-day convention, the main mission of the organisation, was founded in 1949 by laypeople, with the intention of strengthening the democratic culture, following Nazi rule and the Second World War.[1]

During the 1970s and 1980s, Kirchentag was strongly affected by the peace movement and became a key platform for Christian pacifism.[2]

Description

The German Evangelical Church Assembly sees itself as a free movement of people brought together by their Christian faith and engagement in the future of the Evangelical Church and wider society. The assembly partakes in bible study, lectures, and discussions, and also hosts concerts.

The five-day Kirchentag festival, or convention, takes place in a different German city every two years.[1] This is the Assembly's main mission. These events bring together around 100,000 visitors, who participate for the whole period. It has achieved a high importance, as can be seen by many attending politicians, including the Chancellor and Federal President; Angela Merkel has been a frequent guest to the Assembly. The media impact, while the Kirchentag is held, is also considerable.

In 2015, the convention was held in Stuttgart.[1]

Namesake

Between 1848 and 1872 conventions of Protestant clergy were held under the same German name as they are nowadays: Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag. For a description, see the Evangelical Church Conference.

References
  1. "Thousands gather in Stuttgart for Germany's festival of faith and action". World Council of Churches. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  2. Sandford, John (3 April 2013). Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Culture. ISBN 9781136816031.
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