Religion and Education in Hamburg, Germany

By | December 24, 2021

Religion: Around 27% of the population belong to the Protestant regional church, 11% to the Catholic church. The Hamburg Jewish Community, located under the umbrella of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, has 3,500 members (approx. 0.19% of the population). Evangelical Regional Church is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (Sprengel Hamburg and Lübeck); On the Catholic side, the area of ​​the state of Hamburg is part of the archdiocese of the same name. The second largest religious community is made up of the Muslims; the estimates of their size vary widely; the mean is around 142,000 (around 8% of the population). All in all, numerous Christian churches and faith communities, non-Christian religious groups (Bahais, Buddhists, Hindus) as well as religious or ideological special communities are represented in Hamburg.

In 2018, Hamburg made Reformation Day (October 31) a national public holiday.

Education: The school system is regulated by the Hamburg Schools Act (HmbSG of April 16, 1997, amended several times). The primary school lasts four years and is usually run independently; however, it can also be attached to a district school. Pre-school classes set up at primary schools already enroll children one year before they start school. The district school prepares its students in a total of nine years for the acquisition of the Abitur (grade 11: preliminary level, 12 and 13: study level of the upper level). At the university level, the requirements for the advanced technical college entrance qualification can also be acquired. At the end of grade 9 or 10, the first general school qualification can be obtained, at the end of grade 10 the intermediate qualification can be obtained. The grammar school prepares its students for a total of eight years for the Abitur (grades 5 and 6: observation level, 7-10: intermediate level; the introduction to the upper level begins in year 10; 11 and 12: study level of the upper level). Opportunities for cooperation in the upper level between the district school and the grammar school are planned. Children and young people with special educational needs are taught in general schools together with pupils without special educational needs and are given special support (inclusion) or attend special schools. Opportunities for cooperation in the upper level between the district school and the grammar school are planned. Children and young people with special educational needs are taught in general schools together with pupils without special educational needs and are given special support (inclusion) or attend special schools. Opportunities for cooperation in the upper level between the district school and the grammar school are planned. Children and young people with special educational needs are taught in general schools together with pupils without special educational needs and are given special support (inclusion) or attend special schools.

The elementary sector is regulated by the Hamburg Childcare Act (KibeG of April 27, 2004, amended several times). The care quota for children from 3 to under 6 years is 90.5% and for children under 3 years it is 44.7% (1.3.2017).

The vocational schools include vocational school, vocational school, vocational preparation school, technical college, vocational college, vocational high school and technical school. The schools of the second educational path include evening school, Hansa-Kolleg and evening grammar school. The preparatory college is primarily used by foreign applicants to determine or recognize their higher education entrance qualification.

The higher education system includes state universities (University of Hamburg, Hamburg University of Technology, HafenCity University – University of Architecture and Metropolitan Development (HCU), Helmut Schmidt University of the Federal Armed Forces) and universities (University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, HFBK University of Fine Arts Hamburg, University for Music and Theater (HfMT) Hamburg, Academy of Police Hamburg, North German Academy for Finance and Tax Law Hamburg), plus universities in private sponsorship (Brand Academy – University of Design and Communication, Bucerius Law School – University of Law, European Distance Learning University Hamburg, HFH Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration, EBC Hochschule (Campus Hamburg),KLU Kühne Logistics University – University of Applied Sciences for Logistics and Management, NBS Northern Business School, MSH Medical School Hamburg and Das Rauhe Haus – Evangelical University for Social Work & Diakonie), as well as branches of universities in other federal states the DIPLOMA University, University of Fresenius, Macromedia University of Media and Communication, ISM International School of Management, FOM University of Economics & Management).ISM International School of Management, FOM University of Economics & Management).ISM International School of Management, FOM University of Economics & Management).

Education in Hamburg, Germany