Judgment in Leipzig
Crucifix requirement in Bavaria: Court rules that Söder’s crucifix decree in authorities is legal
Markus Söder (CSU), Bavarian Prime Minister, hangs a cross in the entrance area of the Bavarian State Chancellery in 2018
© Peter Kneffel / DPA
Since 2018, a cross must hang in all state buildings in Bavaria. Now the Federal Administrative Court should decide whether this is legal. The Prime Minister should be pleased with his verdict.
The cross with the cross: Since 2018, every state building has to be in Bavaria hanging a crucifix – and there has been a dispute over this regulation ever since. Now the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has spoken out: the so-called cross decree from Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) is legal.
The religiously critical Association for Freedom of Thought (bfg) had previously filed a lawsuit against the regulation and called for the crosses to be removed. He argues that the state is obliged to be neutral when it comes to ideological issues. “What does a cross have to do with an official activity, with the issuing of a driving license (…)? Nothing!”, lawyer Hubert Heinhold said last week at the oral hearing in Leipzig.
More on this soon star.