Bavaria is bracing itself for the introduction of a new law under which Christian crosses will have to hang in the entrance of all public buildings.

Despite opposition from prominent members of the Catholic church and leading theologians, the law will come into effect in the southern German state on Friday.



Under the auspices of the state premier, Markus Söder of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Kreuzpflicht or “crucifix obligation” was brought in to reinforce Bavarian identity after a surge in Muslim immigration.



Bavaria was on the frontline of the refugee crisis in 2015 when a large proportion of the almost 1 million people who sought refuge in Germany entered the country via the state, with the fallout boosting the popularity of the anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD).

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Söder, who has fixed a cross to the wall of his office, said: “We want to give a clear signal that people have a desire to stress their identity.”

The move has prompted an outcry in some circles, with leading members of the Catholic church, including cardinals and bishops, calling it divisive. “The crucifix is a genuine religious symbol and it should not be reduced to a folkloric object and regional custom,” said the incoming bishop of Würzburg, Franz Jung.

The protestant theologian Johanna Haberer called the move a mistake, saying: “We have enough crucifixes in Bavaria. Söder is instrumentalising and abusing the cross as a religious symbol.”

Söder has repeatedly said the cross should not be viewed as a religious symbol, rather as a cultural one central to Bavarian identity.

Bavaria has one of the highest densities of people who identify as Catholic in Europe – 50% in the last census – while 19% are Protestant and 4% are Muslim. But the numbers have declined considerably since the 1970s when about 70% declared themselves to be Catholic.

According to a recent poll by Infratest dimap, 56% of Bavarians are in favour of the cross ruling, while 38% are against it.

Support is strongest among supporters of the far-right AfD to whom the CSU lost a large swath of voters in last September’s elections: 77% of AfD supporters back the ruling, as do 71% of CSU voters. Social Democrats are divided, with 52% in favour and 46% against, while the strongest opposition is among the Greens – 74% of their supporters are against it.

Tobias Haseidl, one of the few remaining makers of Christian crosses in Bavaria, said that contrary to some expectations he had not received an increase in orders. He did not support the initiative, he said.

“I’m sure that most officials will buy factory-made crucifixes,” he told the Oberbayerisches Volksblatt newspaper, adding that mass-produced crosses from Asia had dented his trade in recent years. “But I doubt anyway that hanging a cross in entrances has much purpose. For me the cross is a symbol of help and empathy. Those who hang it up should be prepared to fulfil the moral obligations associated with it and I don’t see much evidence of that.”

Some public institutions including schools and museums have said they will resist the ruling despite the potential legal consequences. Students at universities across the region have also said they will protest against it.

With local elections coming up in October, the CSU has made no secret of the fact it is trying to claw back voters lost to the AfD.

Despite its poor showing in the general election, the CSU has considerably more clout on the national stage since the appointment of the former Bavarian premier Horst Seehofer to head the German interior ministry under Angela Merkel, a post he swiftly renamed the Heimat or homeland ministry.

The AfD has hit back, calling the law “gesture politics” and urging the CSU to engage in proper reform of the country’s immigration system.