Berkley Center

Nestled in the heart of Baden-Württemberg, the small university town of Tübingen is known for its “students and atmosphere.” At first glance, Tübingen is reminiscent of many small European towns, steeped in the charm of its winding cobblestone streets and the romantic Neckar River that runs through it. A closer look reveals, however, that Tübingen has a unique identity of its own, one that has been especially shaped by the force of religion. Since the establishment of Tübingen University under Count Eberhard im Barte in 1477, religion has served to distinguish the university and, thus, the town from the many others located in this same region of Germany. The arrival of the Sindelfingen Convent of Canons during the 1470s not only provided Tübingen with a strong source of financial support, but the canons themselves served as the university’s very first professors.

Nearly 60 years later, religion altered the identity of Tübingen once again, when Duke Ulrich I of Württemberg brought the Reformation to Tübingen. The introduction of Protestantism, and the subsequent creation of the Protestant Seminary, put Tübingen on the map as one of the few areas with a Protestant stronghold in what is otherwise a predominantly Catholic area of Germany. Fast-forwarding more than 400 years later, religion still serves to distinguish Tübingen, as seen through the legacy left behind by current Pope Benedict XVI, who spent many years at the university as a theologian.

Despite the strong influence religion has clearly played in the development of Tübingen, my initial observations of religion in the lives of the Germans quickly led me to distinguish between the concepts of religious “belief” and religious “tradition.” The supposed secularism that has become closely identified with much of Western Europe can certainly be observed on any given Sunday in Tübingen. The pews of churches throughout the country remain eerily empty at Mass and church services on Sunday morning. Rather than being observed of a day of worship, Sunday is best known among Germans as a day for hiking in the wilderness or enjoying a peaceful afternoon at a nearby café. As one student of evangelical theology explained to me, most of those in attendance at church services are older generations, who have either maintained the tradition of attending service since their childhood, or those who feel the need to return to church, often as a means of socializing and engaging with others in their own age group. In this way religion seems to play a minimal role in shaping the beliefs, but at the same time continues to exert its influence as a means of tradition in the lives of many Germans.

Wandering throughout the town, signs of religious tradition undeniably play an important role in the day-to-day lives of those in Tübingen. Dating back to the 1500s, the magnificent Evangelical Cathedral, Stiftskirche, located in the heart of the old town, continues to bring the town together for a variety of cultural events, including University orchestral and choral concerts. At any given time of day the echo of the kirchen glocken, or church bells, can be heard throughout the tiny streets. Cemeteries that belong to smaller churches through out the town are well-kept and maintained with a fresh bouquet of flowers at every gravestone, suggesting a deep sense of respect for the deceased. In yet another example of religious tradition, many Germans continue to pay taxes to the church as a way of maintaining their entitlement to certain privileges such as getting married in the church or sending their children to kindergarten schools run by the churches. In this way, religion seems to have lost its function in defining the spiritual beliefs of people, but it has very much survived as a force that dictates the way people live and what they have come to value. Why this phenomenon has occurred, at least in terms of Christianity, is one I seek to further explore and better understand during the remainder of my time Tübingen.