Hinduism in Germany

Hinduism in Germany has about 97,500 followers of the faith community. These include Hindus Indian, Tamil, European and Afghan origin.

Beginnings of interest in Hinduism in Germany

Hinduism in Germany has long been represented almost exclusively in Indology and religion known union literature, as a religion alive predominantly only in the religious practice of the few, for example, living as merchants, diplomats or restaurateurs in Germany Indians and Tamils. Since the 19th century there were a small number of German supporters of Hindu reform movements. The reception of Hinduism in Germany had at the beginning of the 19th century, with Hegel, the brothers AW and F. Schlegel, Herder, W. von Humboldt, A. Schopenhauer, and others taken in the context of German idealism and his philosophy of religion a powerful beginning and was marked religiously from the beginning. On these bases, the German Indology, which made accessible by Max Muller and Paul Deussen as important representatives in the late 19th century, the source texts of Hinduism and accessible in systematic representations emerged. The quote Schopenhauer on the classical Hindu treatises, the Upanishads, the Deussen his edition prefaced by 60 Upanishads, testifies: "It is the belohnendste and uplifting reading that in the world is ... possible, it has been the solace of my life and will be of my death. "

Hare Krishna movement since the 1960s

Active this coming from the Indian subcontinent religion was widespread in small scale in the 1960s and 1970s of monastic living members of the Hare Krishna movement, which was then counted by the Christian churches to so-called youth religions. The first Hare Krishna temple in Germany was opened in Hamburg in 1970. During this time, young German who traveled from spiritual and other reasons, to India, various, usually referred to in Germany as "sects " faith groups turned to again and again. So they joined in India, for example, the movement of the Neo - Sannyas, which then maintained communities in Germany.

Tamil communities since the 1980s

A large and stable Hindu community was formed in 1983, as the result of the civil war in Sri Lanka about 60,000 Tamils ​​immigrated to Germany. Of these, approximately 45,000 practicing Hindus who also einrichteten 24 small temples for their communities. Often these were just remodeled basement rooms or apartments.

Hindu Temple in Hamm -Uentrop

1993 celebrated Tamil believers in Hamm, the annual temple festival with a public procession of the Goddess Kamakshi. Taking place in May / June festival attracted year after year 15,000 to 20,000 people from all over Europe, in 1997 the construction of a 27 times 27 meter Hindu Sri Kamadchi - Ampal temple in Hamm- Uentrop allowed until 2002 with an area of ​​700 m². During the second largest Hindu temple in Europe, the Neasden Temple in London, was built in the North Indian style, this third largest Hindu temple in Europe is built faithfully in the Tamil style.

Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple in Berlin

In Berlin, where, according to the Tempelbaugemeinschaft about 6,000 Hindus from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh live, 2007, the groundbreaking ceremony for a 4,600 m² large temple complex was carried out in Hasenheide park in the district of Neukölln. The sponsoring organization Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple eV planning to build the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple Berlin.

Sri Mahamariamman temple in Sulzbach- Old Forest

The Sri Mahamariamman Saar temple was built in 1994 in the building and on the site of a former restaurant in Sulzbach- Old Forest. He is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Germany and the largest in area in the southwest. The parish includes the Saarland, Luxembourg and neighboring villages in France, Baden- Württemberg and Rhineland- Palatinate. The temple is dedicated to Sri Maha Mariamman, the main Indian mother goddess. See the believers in the goddess her own mother. It ensures well-being and health, she is companion in difficult days. Sri Maha Mariamman sits in the large magnificent shrine in the middle of the room, is clothed in magnificent robes and adorned with flowers. In shrines deities such as Ganesha, Murugan, Shiva, and other Vairavar also be worshiped.

Thiru Kalyana Murugan Temple in Bielefeld

About twelve years ago the Tamil Cultural and Educational Association had purchased the property in Bielefeld on Begaweg 11. Back in 2006, presented the club a building permit to remodel the rooms in a large prayer room. In October 2012, the work was completed it. Now the temple also has a heated floor and was opened on 27 January 2012.

Sri Kurinchikumaran temple in Gummersbach

In Gummersbach was after Sri Kamadchi - Ampal Temple completed the geographically largest Hindu temple in Hamm, Germany, 2008. The name derives from the deity Murugan.

Sri Muthumariamman temple in Hannover

In Hanover, in 2009, the temple dedicated to Sri Muthumariamman, which is the largest in Northern Germany with 140 sqm. It is situated in a commercial area and is decorated externally very simple.

Sri Sithivinayagar Hindu temple in Nuremberg

Sri Sithivinayagar Hindu temple, Humboldtstr. 103, 90459 Nuremberg, Mass: Friday 18.00 clock

Hindu Temple: more

An updated overview of Hindu temples in Germany can be found on the website of Shivadarshana.

Pay

In 2005 there were in Germany about 42000-45000 Tamil Hindus from Sri Lanka, 35,000-40,000 Hindus of Indian origin, about 7,500 Hindus German or European origin and about 5,000 Afghan Hindus.

Yoga Movement

Nearly ubiquitous is the yoga in Germany. An idea of ​​figures and dynamics of the yoga movement gives the following statement of F. Eissler in the lexicon of the Evangelical Center for Philosophical Questions ( EZW ) in 2009: " Were there 20 years ago in Germany around 2000 yoga teachers, today there are already well over 10000, the growth trend continues. Organized is a part of them in the " professional association of yoga teachers in Germany " ( BDY since 1967, today about 2500 members ), based in Göttingen and in the " Professional Association of Yoga Vidya Teacher / inside" ( BYV ), the second largest association in Germany with based in Frankfurt and about 1,400 members. Seven Yoga associations founded in June 2007 the "German Yoga umbrella organization " ( DYV, Hamburg) to represent the common interests of the public and to serve the preservation and promotion of the diversity of yoga.. " About the Yoga, its manifestations, teaching and development, as well as its history in Germany fully informed a representative compilation: ., the path of yoga - Handbook for practitioners and teachers of yoga primarily offered through private yoga schools and by some 750 folk high schools until 1989, around 200 000 participants had at 12 600 Yoga. courses participated Meanwhile, there are likely to be more than 1 million in Germany comparison:. .. . U.S. Yoga is practiced by about 8 % of the population the notion that yoga practiced only as a health-promoting gymnastics or respiratory therapy and relaxation technique that overlooks the in yoga magazines and in the iconography and symbolism of many yoga schools recognizable reference to the philosophies of Classical and tantric Yoga and Hinduism. Religion Scientifically here is a syncretic form of participation can be seen on Hinduism, which takes place mostly below the threshold of complete identification. This appropriation takes place often on the basis of imported esoteric ideas. A partial identification with Hindu beliefs, however, is unmistakable. This manifests itself as in ritual openings of yoga classes with chanting. Anna Trökes, a prominent teacher of body - oriented Hatha Yoga explains: " With the widespread use of the integral thinking in our time, which is accompanied by a decrease of fears of contact with everything that spirituality means, now, however, the interests and needs begin both the yoga instructor and the participant slowly to relocate. Some offer education, which is more oriented towards spiritual and holistic content, others are more open approach to allow this content to be " to apply also in this way again and again people from the West to Hinduism. The dynamics of the reception of Yoga in connection with the borrowing of Hindu ideas for two hundred years, Philip Goldberg described knowledgeable and detailed for the American culture. This process has taken place in parts in interaction with relevant developments in Germany in the 20th century and led to similar results. Yoga is perceived quite Christian side in its religious dimension. Elements of Yoga are taken in Christian Meditationspaxis based on theoretical or practical accordance with Christian meditation teachings.

Art forms of Hinduism: Dance

A non-binding form of participation in Hinduism can be seen in the spread of various forms of classical Indian dance, in particular the Bharatanatyam, Kathak of, or of Odissi. Bharatanatyam is myths dance, whose diverse means of expression are also suitable for the representation of other religious materials, whose origin lies in the Tamil temples and its repertoire is essentially Hindu. Bharatanatyam and other styles of classical Indian religious dance are taught in Germany in many places and performed in public.