Bavaria’s controversial cross rule is legal, German court rules

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - The German state of Bavaria’s controversial decree about hanging crosses in public buildings is in line with laws, the country’s top administrative court ruled on Tuesday.

The decree, which was enacted in 2018, requires all public buildings in Bavaria to display Christian cross in the entrances in a clearly visible way to greet visitors.

The Federal Administrative Court said the Bavarian state made it clear in the decree that by hanging up crosses in public buildings, it was “not identifying itself with Christian beliefs” but manifesting “Bavaria’s historical and cultural character.”

The court turned down a complaint filed by The Association for Freedom Conscience (bfg), which argued that the controversial practice was a violation of the state’s obligation of neutrality and keeping an equal distance toward all religions.

It confirmed a lower court’s decision on the matter, which had rejected the complaint last year.

The Federal Administrative Court said the display of cross in public buildings was a mere administrative regulation with no external legal effect, and it does not violate any rights and freedoms of the plaintiffs, which are guaranteed by the constitution.

It further said that the principle of neutrality does not require the state to completely renounce religious references in the sense of strict secularism.

“It rather obliges the state to be open to the diversity of religious beliefs and prohibits it from identifying with a particular faith,” the court said.

It concluded that the display of cross at the entrance of public buildings “does not stand in the way of the state’s openness to other religions and world views.”