The “Association for Freedom of Thought in Munich” had sued Söder’s decision to have crucifixes hanging in all official buildings in Bavaria. The Federal Administrative Court has now decided that the Free State was not violating its neutrality obligation. But the dispute is by no means over.
Many people in Bavaria have probably almost forgotten the excitement surrounding the Kreuzer decree. In the spring of 2018, the state government under the newly elected Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) decided that from now on crosses should be placed “in a clearly visible manner” in the entrance area of the Free State’s official buildings. Violent protests followed, even church leaders criticized the use of the Christian symbol for transparent political purposes. The matter had legal repercussions; the “Association for Freedom of Thought in Munich” went to court. Now, five and a half years later, the Federal Administrative Court has announced a verdict: the crosses can remain.