cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/3197004
Source: https://landgeist.com/2023/08/12/births-outside-of-marriage-in-europe/.
I mean looking at the other numbers on the map, the eastern countries generally seem to have much lower outside-marriage birth rates yet east Germany has higher rates than the west. I’d have expected closer numbers to e.g. Poland in east Germany and closer to France/Belgium/Netherlands in the west.
Yeah but Poland for example is very catholic traditionally. Also South and West Germany, while East Germany was more protestant. The socialist system in the GDR didn’t care much for religion or actively opposed it leaving todays east Germany then largely atheist. I think this plays a huge role. You’ll see the same divide looking at women working or children in kindergarten because east Germany favored a more progressive way of family and gender roles.
They didnt just ‘didnt Care much’, the goverment discriminated you If You believed in god. Examples i have Heard of is that If you wanted to Go to university or wanted a promotion they advised you to Stop practicing your religion.
I don’t remember the exact Numbers, but about 80% were catholic after the war and about 15% were after Germany united again.
