Interfaith Dialogue
Exchange of religions in Heidelberg successful
“In Heidelberg, we experience grateful that Muslims, Jews and Christians in interreligious dialogue especially as religiously bound people are getting along well and can have a stimulating exchange. " (Plenum Interfaith Dialogue)
Years ago under the auspices of deputy mayor Wolfgang Erichson the City of Heidelberg has initiated a successful diaglogue between the religions in Heidelberg, in which the Protestant Church and the Catholic Church, the Jewish community, the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Centre, and the Heidelberg Baha’i Spiritual Assembly are engaged. Since September 2023, deputy mayor Stefanie Jansen leads the Interfaith Dialogue.
New composition of the Interreligious Dialogue
Since its founding on July 4th 2008 the deans of the Protestant and Catholic Churches, Dr. Marlene Schwöbel-Hug und Dr. Joachim Dauer, influenced the development of the Dialog substantially. Both of them resigned. In the Interfaith Dialogue are now the successors, the new deans, Dr. Ellsiepen of the Protestant Church and Alexander Czech of the Catholic Church, as wells as the new head of the Catholic City Church Heidelberg, priest Johannes Brandt, represented.
Their followers are Dr. Christof Ellsiepen for the Evangelical church and Alexander Czech for the Catholic church as well as the new director of Heidelbergs "Stadtkirche", priest Johannes Brandt.
“The successors are looking forward to the exchange with the Muslim Imam, the Jewish Rabbi, the representative of the Bahá’i and other guests of the Interreligious Dialogue”, said Mayor Wolfgang Erichson on the occasion of the first meeting in the new composition on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
Exchange of views, meeting, cooperation
Heidelberg’s Interfaith Dialogue is founded on a deep respect for the participating religious communities.It strive to improve social cohesion through common efforts of the religions in a pluralistic society. The Dialogue reaches further than tolerance in the sens of "endurance of person of a different faith". Differences are not denied, the religions are not made equal instead the foundation is laid to meet on the same level. The representatives of the religions cooperate together on joint projects and events. There are four working groups regarding the topics theology-structures, youth and family, festivals and service as wells as space.
