Verdict - Court: Cross decree in Bavarian authorities is legal
The crosses in Bavaria's authorities can stay up. The Federal Administrative Court dismissed complaints against the controversial cross decree issued by Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder (CSU). The regulation, which has been in force since 2018, stipulates that a cross must hang in every state building in Bavaria.
The highest German administrative court in Leipzig rejected an appeal against a previous decision by the Administrative Court (VGH) in Munich on Tuesday. The crosses did not violate the right of other ideological communities to freedom of religion. The Federal Administrative Court also ruled that they did not violate the ban on discrimination on the grounds of faith under fundamental law.
The lawsuit was brought by the religiously critical Association for Freedom of Thought. It demanded the repeal of the decree and the removal of the crosses. However, the association had already conceded defeat before the Administrative Court last summer. Although the Administrative Court had seen a violation of the state's duty of neutrality, it essentially classified the crosses as passive symbols "without a proselytizing and indoctrinating effect".
Criticism even came from churches
In April 2018, the Bavarian cabinet passed the cross decree on the initiative of Söder, who had just become Minister President at the time. Despite fierce criticism - even from the churches, which accused Söder of misusing the Christian symbol for election campaign purposes - the decree came into force in June 2018.
Paragraph 28 of the rules of procedure for the authorities of the Free State of Bavaria now states: "A cross must be clearly visible in the entrance area of every office building as an expression of Bavaria's historical and cultural character."
The Association for Freedom of Thought had already announced the next step before the verdict was announced: In the event of a defeat, it would appeal to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe.
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Source: www.stern.de
