Free religious community Mainz
On February 27, 1847 , the Free Religious Congregation Mainz was constituted under the name "German Catholic Congregation". It was founded by the publisher and bookseller Christian Scholz (1806–1880), who later took part as a member of the pre-parliament in Frankfurt's Paulskirche . The first Mainz free religious were Christians who were critical of the church and who joined the community in protest against dogmatism and the hierarchical structure of the clergy.
history
The first service took place in the Cafe Milano on the Große Bleiche by preacher Schell from Wiesbaden. After Preacher Engelmann, Eduard Duller followed in the preaching office. Born in Vienna, he is a writer and liberal journalist who sympathized with the bourgeois revolution of 1848/1849 . A number of preachers followed, calling themselves pastors since the 1920s.
For the history and philosophical-theological background of the Free Religious see also " Free Religious Movement ".
In June 1863 the German Catholic community of Mainz was granted corporate rights by the grand ducal government. On April 29, 1863, the community bought the "Heilig-Geist-Spital" from the city to hold their festive hours there. After 25 years the "Heilig-Geist-Spital" was sold to the Mainz Aktien-Bierbrauerei . The former Cafe Milano on Große Bleiche 53 was acquired in 1891 and transformed into a community center. In the same year, the German Catholic community in Mainz was renamed "Free Christian Community" to give way to the name "Free Religious Community Mainz" in 1911. At the same time, the congregation emphasized its orientation towards this world, freedom from the compulsion to believe and conscience and the spread of a worldview based on scientific knowledge.
In the 19th century the number of parishioners reached its highest level in 1858 with 1186 people, only to fall to about 350 in the years between 1870 and 1890. The main reason was political persecution and resistance from the government. Only after 1914 did the number of community members increase again to over 1000. In 1923, the Hessian Ministry of the Interior again granted the community corporate rights.
With the beginning of the National Socialist dictatorship in 1933, a number of free religious communities were banned. Other parishes - including Mainz under their pastor Georg Pick - struggled to come to terms with the new rulers and were able to continue to exist to a limited extent. Nevertheless, some of its members who were politically active against the Nazis were arrested. The community center in the Große Bleiche was destroyed in the bombing raid on Mainz. In January 1958, the new community center with a celebration hall, event rooms and community office was inaugurated at Gartenfeldstrasse 1 in the Neustadt district of Mainz.
Ideal background
Since the 1950s, the parish has changed character, which is reflected in the principles of its constitution. In 1950, the community understood religion to mean "reverence for God as the eternal source of all being". 17 years later she defined her basic attitude as "reverence for the eternal primordial foundation of all being". Another 18 years later, in 1985, the preamble stated that their basic attitude was "reverence for the diverse forms of being" that manifest themselves in nature, man and the universe. This shows a development in the Free Religious Community of Mainz that is breaking away from the traditional concept of religion and rejecting transcendent references. The parishioners feel more committed to a worldview anchored in this world. Since its beginnings, however, the Free Religious Community Mainz has represented the principles: philosophical, close to nature and humanistic.
The basic ideas of the Free Religious Community Mainz (1991) begin with the statement:
- “Knowing about the history and tradition of the free religious, whose supreme principle is free self-determination in all religious matters and the development of a religiosity related to human needs, based on the standard of reason; committed to responsibility for people, nature and the environment; in recognition of the diversity of forms of life and wisdom; The members of the Free Religious Community Mainz orient themselves to the following basic ideas, in the knowledge that they are to be critically questioned on the basis of changing knowledge and needs. "
The symbol of the Mainz community is the sun wheel as an ancient symbol of wholeness: the center of the four spokes symbolizes the immortal. The sun wheel also stands for the course of the year with the four seasons and for the four turning points in the personal life story: childhood, youth, adulthood and old age.
structure
Celebrations and events are the main focus of community life. Ceremonies, which take place regularly, consist of an address on topics that touch the content of free religion. In addition, the community accompanies its members in the curriculum vitae with the celebrations of baptism / consecration, youth consecration, wedding and funeral service. The members are informed about current topics and events from the community via a monthly magazine "Weg ohne Dogma". In addition, a parish letter provides information twice a year about special parish issues.
The highest organ is the regular municipal assembly. This is followed by the council and the council. The preamble of the "Constitution of the Free Religious Community Mainz" begins with the sentence: "The Free Religious Community Mainz is an association of people who are willing to recreate their worldview on the basis of science, humanism, freedom and the responsibility of the individual to develop."
As early as 1882 the contribution system was converted to tax collection, i. H. the contributions have since been collected via the religious community tax.
The community has existed as a state-recognized religious community (corporation under public law) for over 150 years. It has its community center in Mainz Neustadt.
literature
- Jürgen Späth: History of the Free Religious Congregation Mainz , Mainz 2007
- 125 years of the Free Religious Congregation Mainz , Mainz 1972
- Lothar Geis: Free Religious Places in Mainz , Mainz 2009