Landeskirche
In Germany and Switzerland, a Landeskirche is the church of a region. The term usually refers to Protestant churches, but—in case of Switzerland—also Roman Catholic dioceses. They originated as the national churches of the independent states, States of Germany or Cantons of Switzerland, that later unified to form modern Germany or modern Switzerland, respectively.
Origins in the Holy Roman Empire
In the pre-Reformation era, the organization of the church within a land was understood as a landeskirche, certainly under a higher power, but also possessing an increased measure of independence, especially as concerning its internal structure and its relations to its king, prince or ruler. Unlike in Scandinavia and England, the bishops in the national churches did not survive the Reformation, making it impossible for a conventional diocesan system to continue within Lutheranism. Therefore, Martin Luther demanded that, as a stop-gap, each secular Landesherr should exercise episcopal functions in the respective territories. The principle of cuius regio, eius religio also arose out of the Reformation, and according to this a Landesherr chose what denomination his subjects had to belong to. This led to closed, insular landeskirchen. The principle was a byproduct of religious politics in the Holy Roman Empire and soon softened after the Thirty Years' War.At the time of the abolition of the monarchies in Germany in 1918, the Landesherren were summus episcopus in the states or their administrative areas, and the ties between churches and nations came to be particularly close, even with Landesherren outside the Lutheran church. So the king of Bavaria was at the same time supreme governor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria right of the river Rhine. In practice, the Landesherren exercised episcopal functions only indirectly through consistories.
In Germany
List of Landeskirchen in 1922 with changes until 1945
Those of the following Landeskirchen, which existed in 1922, founded the new umbrella German Evangelical Church Confederation. There were mergers in the 1920s and under Nazi reign in 1933 and 1934.The first date given before every entry in the table below refers to the year, when the respective church body was constituted. Such a date of constitution is somewhat difficult to fix for the 19th century, when church constitutions were reformed and came into effect, which usually provided for more or less state-independent legislative and executive bodies more or less elected by parishioners. The Protestant Reformation and some church organisation of course existed long before.
For the 20th century the given years refer to the formal establishment of the respective church body. The second date refers to the year, when the respective church body ceased to exist, due to a merger or unwinding. The third entry gives the name of each church body alphabetically assorted by the first territorial entity mentioned in the name. This makes sense because Landeskirchen have clear regional demarcations, therefore usually somehow mentioned in their names. The post-World War I church bodies, listed below, have never existed all in the same time. One can sort the table below alphabetically or chronologically by clicking on the button with the gyronny of four.
| Consti- tuted in | Merged in | Name of the church body | Denomination | Number of souls and territorial ambit | Remarks |
| 19th century | persisting | Anhalt Evangelical State Church of Anhalt Evangelische Landeskirche Anhalts | United by confession | parishioners Free State of Anhalt | The Church body comprises only congregations of united confession. The official church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Anhalt. |
| 1821 | persisting | Baden United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden Vereinigte Evangelisch-protestantische Landeskirche Badens | United by confession | parishioners the Republic of Baden | The new name replaced the prior United Evangelical Protestant Church of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1920, when the new church constitution accounted for the Grand Duchy having become a republic. The Church body comprises only congregations of united confession. The official church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Baden. |
| 1809 | persisting | Bavaria Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria right of the river Rhine Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Bayern rechts des Rheins | Lutheran | parishioners Free State of Bavaria right of the Rhine, thus except of the then Bavarian Governorate of the Palatinate, which formed a separate church body since 1848. In 1918 the Reformed congregations earlier subsumed within the Bavaria church body seceded and founded the independent Evangelical Reformed Church in Bavaria. On 1 April 1921 the Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Saxe-Coburg merged in the Bavaria church body. | The new name replaced the prior Protestant State Church in the Kingdom of Bavaria right of the river Rhine in 1921, when the new church constitution accounted for the Kingdom having become a republic and the Reformed congregations having formed a separate church body. The Bavaria official church body remained an intact church, since the Nazi-submissive German Christians remained a minority in the synod after the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents of the Confessing Church could act within the church body. |
| 1843 | 1934 | Birkenfeld Evangelical Church of the Region of Birkenfeld Evangelische Kirche des Landesteils Birkenfeld | United by confession | parishioners The Oldenburgian exclave of the Region of Birkenfeld. In 1934 the Birkenfeld church body merged into the Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union, to be precise in its Ecclesiastical Province in the Rhineland. | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Church of the Principality of Birkenfeld after 1918, when the new Oldenburgian monarchy with its Principality of Birkenfeld had become a republic. The Church body comprised only congregations of united confession. The Ecclesiastical Province in the Rhineland, of which Birkenfeld had become a part, was a destroyed ecclesiastical province, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the provincial synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church in the Rhineland. |
| 1877 | persisting | Bremian Evangelical Church Bremische Evangelische Kirche | United in administration | parishioners Bremen city and one united congregation in the historical centre of Bremerhaven, which was extended by 1939 by prior Hanoveran suburbs, whose Lutheran parishes continue to belong to the Hanover Lutheran church body. | The church body comprises mostly Reformed and less Lutheran congregations and one united congregation. The official church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Bremian Confessing Church. |
| 1872 | persisting | Brunswickian Evangelical Lutheran State Church Braunschweigische evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche | Lutheran | parishioners Free State of Brunswick, when the state territory was altered in 1942, the Brunswick church body readjusted its ambit accordingly, ceding congregations to and reveiving some from the Hanover Lutheran church body. | The official church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Brunswickian Confessing Church. |
| 1922 | 1933 | Frankfurt upon Main Evangelical State Church of Frankfurt upon Main Evangelische Landeskirche Frankfurt am Main | United in administration | parishioners the formerly Free City of Frankfurt upon Main, in 1866 annexed by Prussia and since then part of the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau. In September 1933 the illegitimate church governing board merged the Frankfurt church body in the Evangelical State Church of Hesse-Nassau. | The official Frankfurt church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Frankfurt. |
| 1860 | 1976 | Hamburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Hamburgian State Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche im Hamburgischen Staate | Lutheran | parishioners Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in its borders before the Greater Hamburg Act became effective on 1 April 1937, thus including Hamburg's then exclaves such as Cuxhaven, Geesthacht, and Großhansdorf, but without today's boroughs of Altona, Harburg, Wandsbek and further formerly Holsatian municipalities in the North Borough. | The official Hamburg church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive conservative Lutherans in May 1933 even before the German Christians gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Hamburg. |
| 1864 | persisting | Hanover Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Hannovers | Lutheran | parishioners Prussian Province of Hanover, the territorial changes of the province in 1937 were not followed by a change in ecclesiastical ambit. In 1939 and 1942, when the provincial territory was altered along the Brunswickian border, both church bodies readjusted their ambits accordingly, ceding congregations to and reveiving some from each other. | The official church body remained an intact church, since the Nazi-submissive German Christians remained a minority in the synod after the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents of the Confessing Church could act within the church body. |
| 1882 | 1989 | Hanover Reformed Evangelical Reformed State Church of the Province of Hanover Evangelisch-reformierte Landeskirche der Provinz Hannover | Reformed | parishioners Prussian Province of Hanover and some Reformed parishes in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein acceded since 1923. | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Reformed Church of the Province of Hanover in 1922, when the Hanover Reformed church body caught up in terms of the title with the Hanover Lutheran church body. The official church body remained an intact church, since the Nazi-submissive German Christians remained a minority in the synod after the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents of the Confessing Church could act within the church body. |
| 1873 | 1934 | Hesse Cassel Evangelical State Church of Hesse-Cassel Evangelische Landeskirche von Hessen-Kassel | United in administration | parishioners the former Electorate of Hesse, in 1866 annexed by Prussia and since then part of the latter's Province of Hesse-Nassau. Some small northern exclaves in today's Lower Saxony were ceded in the 1920s to the Hanover Lutheran church body. In 1934 the Hesse Cassel church body merged in the Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse-Waldeck. | The official Hesse Cassel church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. However, a merger, planned since 1926, with the Frankfurt, Hesse state and Nassau church bodies failed after quarrels about their Nazi radicalism. |
| 1934 | persisting | Hesse Electorate and Waldeck Evangelical Church of Hesse Electorate-Waldeck Evangelische Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck | United in administration | the former Electorate of Hesse, except of some small northern exclaves in today's Lower Saxony, and the former Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont, except of the Pyrmont exclaves. | The official Hesse Electorate and Waldeck church body became a destroyed church, since it was merged from two destroyed church bodies. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Electoral Hesse-Waldeck. |
| 19th century | 1933 | Hesse state Evangelical Church in Hesse Evangelische Kirche in Hessen | United in administration | parishioners People's State of Hesse. In September 1933 the illegitimate church governing board merged the Hesse state church body in the Evangelical State Church of Hesse-Nassau. | The official Hesse state church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Hesse. |
| 1933 | 1945 | Hesse-Nassau Evangelical State Church Hesse-Nassau Evangelische Landeskirche Hessen-Nassau | United in administration | formerly Free City of Frankfurt upon Main, former Duchy of Nassau, both covered by then Hesse-Nassau province, and the People's State of Hesse | In September 1933 the destroyed Frankfurt, Hesse state, and Nassau church bodies merged in the new Hesse-Nassau church body, which thus became a new church body radically organised according to the Führerprinzip, thus anti-synodal and anti-presbyterial. With the end of the Nazi reign this church body was dissolved. Nazi opponents had organised along the church bodies merged into this church body. |
| 1877 | persisting | Lippe State Church Lippische Landeskirche | Reformed | parishioners Free State of Lippe. | Few Lutheran congregations have their own organisations within the else Reformed Lippe church body. |
| 1895 | 1976 | Lübeck city-state Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Lübeckian State Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche im Lübeckischen Staate | Lutheran | parishioners Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck, the Lübeck state church body persisted also after Prussia had annexed the Lübeck state by in 1937, and its incorporation into the Prussian Schleswig-Holstein province. | The official Lübeck state church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Lübeck state. |
| 1921 | 1976 | Lübeck region Evangelical Lutheran State Church of the Oldenburgian Region of Lübeck Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche des oldenburgischen Landesteils Lübeck | Lutheran | The Oldenburgian exclave of the Lübeck Region, the Lübeck region church body persisted also after Prussia had annexed the Lübeck Region in 1937, and its incorporation into the Prussian Schleswig-Holstein province. | The official Lübeck region church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. However, its land provost maintained a rather neutral position, so Nazi opponents of the Confessing Church could act within the official church body. |
| 1835 | 1926 | Lusatia Lutheran Church in Upper Lusatia Lutherische Kirche in der Oberlausitz | Lutheran | the region of :de:Kreishauptmannschaft Bautzen|Kreishauptmannschaft Bautzen of the then Free State of Saxony | In 1926 the Lusatia church body merged in the Saxony state church body. |
| 1850 | 1934 | Mecklenburg-Schwerin Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche von Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Lutheran | parishioners Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1934 the Mecklenburg-Schwerin church body merged in the Mecklenburg state church body. | The official Mecklenburg-Schwerin church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. |
| 19th century | 1934 | Mecklenburg-Strelitz Mecklenburg-Strelitz State Church Mecklenburg-Strelitzer Landeskirche | Lutheran | parishioners Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1934 the Mecklenburg-Strelitz church body merged in the Mecklenburg state church body. | The official Mecklenburg-Strelitz church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. State bishop Gerhard Tolzien was deposed. |
| 1934 | 2012 | Mecklenburg Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Mecklenburgs | Lutheran | former Free States of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 2012 the Mecklenburg church body merged in the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. | The official Mecklenburg state church body became a destroyed church, since it was merged from two destroyed church bodies. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church in Mecklenburg. |
| 1866 | 1933 | Nassau Evangelical State Church in Nassau Evangelische Landeskirche in Nassau | United in administration | former Duchy of Nassau, in 1866 annexed by Prussia and since then part of the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau. In September 1933 the illegitimate church governing board merged the Hesse state church body in the Evangelical State Church of Hesse-Nassau. | The official Hesse state church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Nassau. |
| 19th century | persisting | Oldenburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Oldenburg | Lutheran | parishioners Free State of Oldenburg except of its exclaves of Birkenfeld and Region of Lübeck. In 1921 the Lübeck region church body had seceded from the Oldenburg church body, while the Birkenfeld church body had never been part of the Oldenburg church body. | The official Oldenburg church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Oldenburg. |
| 1848 | persisting | Palatinate United Protestant Evangelical Christian Church of the Palatinate Vereinigte protestantisch-evangelisch-christliche Kirche der Pfalz | United by confession | parishioners the then Bavarian Governorate of the Palatinate and some eastern districts in Mandatory Saar. | Since the parishioners' plesbiscite in 1817 all Palatine congregations are confessionally united. The official Palatinate church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of the Palatinate. |
| 1817 | 2003 | Prussia Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union Evangelische Kirche der altpreußischen Union abbreviations: ApU, EKapU | United in administration | parishioners the Prussian provinces of Berlin, Brandenburg, East Prussia, Hohenzollern, Pomerania, Posen-West Prussia, the Rhineland, Saxony, Silesia, and Westphalia as well as the League of Nations mandates of the Free City of Danzig, Klaipėda Region and the Saar, except of some eastern Palatine districts within the latter. All the parishes east of the Oder Neisse line, including the complete ecclesiastical provinces of Danzig, East Prussia and Posen-West Prussia vanished due to fleeing parishioners before the Soviet conquest and the subsequent violent expulsion of parishioners between 1945 and 1950, including many casualties. Also the bulk of the parishes in the Pomerania and Silesia ecclesiastical provinces were lost. | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces in 1922, accounting for the facts that the Weimar Constitution had done away with state churches in 1919, and that the old-Prussian congregations were then spreading over four sovereign states and three League of Nations mandates after the different post-World War I annexations. The new name was after a denomination, not after a state any more. It became a difficult task to maintain the unity of the church, with some of the annexing states being opposed to the fact that church bodies within their borders keep a union with German church organisations. The official old-Prussian church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the general synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Only the Westphalia ecclesiastical province remained an intact church, since the German Christians did not gain the majority in its provincial synod, while all the other old-Prussian ecclesiastical provinces within Germany were taken over by German Christians as well. The Nazi opponents formed parallel Confessing Church institutions on the old-Prussian general level as well as in the destroyed ecclesiastical provinces. |
| 19th century | 1934 | Reuss Evangelical Lutheran Church in Reuss Elder Line Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Reuß ältere Linie | Lutheran | parishioners former Principality of Reuss Elder Line within the then State of Thuringia. | The Reuss church body was a stronghold of Lutheran Orthodoxy and refused the merger with the other seven church bodies in Thuringia in 1920. However, in 1934 Reuss merged in the Thuringia church body. |
| 1868 | persisting | Saxony Evangelical Lutheran State Church of the Free State of Saxony Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche des Freistaats Sachsen | Lutheran | parishioners until 1926 the then Free State of Saxony except of the region of :de:Kreishauptmannschaft Bautzen|Kreishauptmannschaft Bautzen, from 1926 on all the Free State of Saxony. All the parishes east of the Oder Neisse line vanished due to fleeing parishioners before the Soviet conquest and the subsequent violent expulsion of parishioners between 1945 and 1950, including casualties. | The new name came along with the new church constitution of 1922. The official Saxony church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Saxony. |
| 19th century | persisting | Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche von Schaumburg-Lippe | Lutheran | parishioners Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe | The Schaumburg-Lippe official church body remained an intact church, since the Nazi-submissive German Christians remained a minority in the synod after the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents of the Confessing Church could act within the church body. Even the more, in 1936 the German Christian minority was excluded from the executive board, which was then only staffed with partisans of the Nazi-opponent Confessing Church. |
| 1867 | 1976 | Schleswig-Holstein Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Schleswig-Holsteins | Lutheran | parishioners Province of Schleswig-Holstein in its borders of 1921 to 1936. | The official Schleswig-Holstein church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Schleswig-Holstein. |
| 1920 | 2008 | Thuringian Evangelical Church Thüringer evangelische Kirche | Lutheran | parishioners the State of Thuringia in its borders of 1920, until 1934 except of the areas comprising the former Principality of Reuss Elder Line. In 1934 the Reuss elder line church body merged in the Thuringia church body. | This new church body was a merger of first seven, since 1934 eight church bodies of the Thuringian monarchies. The official Thuringia church body became a very radical destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents formed the Confessing Church of Thuringia. |
| 1873 | 1934 | Waldeck and Pyrmont Evangelical State Church of Waldeck and Pyrmont Evangelische Landeskirche von Waldeck und Pyrmont | United in administration | parishioners Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont, since 1929 part of the Free State of Prussia as the District of Waldeck and the District of Pyrmont. Some small northern exclaves with Pyrmont in today's Lower Saxony were ceded in the 1920s to the Hanover Lutheran church body. | The official Waldeck church body became a destroyed church, since it was taken over by Nazi-submissive German Christians, who gained a majority in the synod by the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. However, a merger, planned since 1926, with the Frankfurt, Hesse state and Nassau church bodies failed after quarrels about their Nazi radicalism. In 1934 the Waldeck church body merged in the Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse-Waldeck. |
| 1870 | persisting | Württemberg Evangelical State Church in Württemberg Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg | Lutheran | parishioners Free People's State of Württemberg | The Württemberg official church body remained an intact church'', since the Nazi-submissive German Christians remained a minority in the synod after the unconstitutional election imposed by Hitler on 23 July 1933. Nazi opponents of the Confessing Church could act within the church body. |
List of Landeskirchen after 1945 with changes until 2012
Those of the following Landeskirchen, which existed in 1948, founded the new Protestant umbrella Evangelical Church in Germany. However, following the violations of the church constitutions under Nazi reign many church bodies did not simply return to the pre-1933 status quo, but introduced altered or new church constitutions – usually after lengthy synodal procedures of decision-taking -, often including an altered name of the church body. In a process starting in June 1945 and ending in 1953 the Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union transformed from an integrated church body, sudivided into ecclesiastical provinces, into an umbrella-like church body, renamed into Evangelical Church of the Union under political pressure of communist East Germany in 1953.The six old-Prussian ecclesiastical provinces, which were not or not completely abolished by the expulsion of its parishioners from the Polish and Soviet annexed German territories, assumed independence as Landeskirchen of their own between 1945 and 1948, however, simultaneously remaining member churches within the Evangelical Church of the Union, thus rather converted into an umbrella.
The communist dictatorship in East Germany imposed further name changes and administrative reorganisations along the inner German borders. This was reversed after unification.
There were mergers of church bodies in 1947, 1977, 1989, 2004, 2009, and 2012, and likely more are to come. The German demographic crisis and rising irreligionism influence them, especially in former East Germany. The first date given before every entry in the table below refers to the year, when the respective church body was constituted. Such a date of constitution is somewhat difficult to fix for the 19th century, when church constitutions were reformed and came into effect, which usually provided for more or less state-independent legislative and executive bodies more or less elected by parishioners. The Protestant Reformation and some church organisation of course existed long before.
For the last and this century the given years refer to the formal establishment of the respective church body. The second date refers to the year, when the respective church body ceased to exist, due to a merger or unwinding. The third entry gives the name of each church body alphabetically assorted by the first territorial entity mentioned in the name. This makes sense because Landeskirchen have clear regional demarcations, therefore usually somehow mentioned in their names. The post-war German church bodies, listed below, have never existed all in the same time. The very independent and autonomous organisational structure of German Protestantism provides for unconcerted developments. One can assort the table below alphabetically or chronogically by clicking on the button with the gyronny of four.
| Consti- tuted in | Merged in | Name of the church body | Denomination | Territorial ambit | Remarks |
| 19th century | persisting | Anhalt Evangelical State Church of Anhalt Evangelische Landeskirche Anhalts | United by confession | the former Free State of Anhalt | Between 1960 and 2003 the Anhalt church was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. The Church body comprises only congregations of united confession. |
| 1821 | persisting | Baden Evangelical State Church in Baden Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden abbreviation: EKiBa | United by confession | the former Republic of Baden | The new name replaced the prior United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden. The Church body comprises only congregations of united confession. |
| 1809 | persisting | Bavaria Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern abbreviation: ELKB | Lutheran | Free State of Bavaria | The prior name extension right of the river Rhine was skipped in 1948, after Bavaria left of the river Rhine, i.e. Governorate of the Palatinate, had been seceded from Bavaria by the Allies in 1945. |
| 1989 | persisting | Bavaria and Northwestern Germany Evangelical Reformed Church - Synod of Reformed Churches in Bavaria and Northwestern Germany Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche – Synode evangelisch-reformierter Kirchen in Bayern und Nordwestdeutschland | Reformed | Bavaria, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, former Mecklenburg in its borders of 1936, Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein. | Merger of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Bavaria and the Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwestern Germany |
| 1948 | 2003 | Berlin and Brandenburg Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg Evangelische Kirche in Berlin-Brandenburg abbreviation: EKiBB | United in administration. | East Berlin, West Berlin, and Brandenburg In 1972 the church body installed double administrative structures for West Berlin on the one hand and for East Berlin and the parishes in the 1952-abolished state of Brandenburg on the other hand, because communist East Germany did not allow pastors and church functionaries travelling freely between East and West. The two administrations reunited in 1991. | The new name replaced the prior March of Brandenburg ecclesiastical province in 1948, when this old-Prussian ecclesiastical province assumed independence as Landeskirche. The new name reflected the fact, that Berlin was no part of Brandenburg state at that time. Between 1948 and 2003 the Berlin-Brandenburg church was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. In 2004 the Berlin-Brandenburg church body merged into the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia. The church body comprised mostly Lutheran and few Reformed and united congregations. |
| 2004 | persisting | Berlin, Brandenburg, and Silesian Upper Lusatia Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia Evangelische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-Schlesische Oberlausitz abbreviation: EKBO | United in administration. | Berlin, Brandenburg, and the German remainder of Silesia, after the post-war Polish annexation of main part Silesia | The church body comprises mostly Lutheran and few Reformed and united congregations. |
| 1877 | persisting | Bremian Evangelical Church Bremische Evangelische Kirche abbreviation: BEK | United in administration | Bremen city and one united congregation in the historical centre of Bremerhaven, whose other Lutheran parishes belong to the Hanoveran church body | The church body comprises mostly Reformed and less Lutheran congregations and one united congregation. |
| 1872 | persisting | Brunswick Evangelical Lutheran State Church in Brunswick Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche in Braunschweig | Lutheran | former Free State of Brunswick In 1977 the Brunswick church body conveyed its tasks for its East German parishes to the East German Saxony Province church body. In 1992 the eastern parishes returned to the Brunswick church body. | The new name replaced the prior Brunswickian Evangelical Lutheran State Church in 1970, after considerations, that the church body is rather a Christian than an organisation related to the Brunswickian state. After a British-Soviet boundary adjustment between the British Zone and the Soviet Zone in July 1945 the formerly Brunswickian salients and the exclave of Calvörde became part of the Soviet zone. This did not affect the ecclesiastical affiliation. However, East Germany's sealing off its western border and its very restrictive granting of entry and exit visas made cross-border travelling for easterners almost impossible and difficult for westerners. In 1957 East Germany forbade further contact of the East German Brunswickian parishes with the western-based Brunswick church body on the pretense that the latter co-operated with enimical western NATO forces, following a concordat of the Brunswick church body on military chaplains for the Bundeswehr. |
| 1921 | 1976 | Eutin Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Eutin Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Eutin | Lutheran | the District of Eutin in Schleswig-Holstein | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Lutheran State Church of the Oldenburgian Region of Lübeck, reflecting the fact, that Oldenburg had ceded its exclave Region of Lübeck to the Prussian Schleswig-Holstein province following the Greater Hamburg Act in 1937. On 1 January 1977 the Eutin church body merged into the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church. |
| 1922 1945 restored | 1933 de facto 1947 | Frankfurt upon Main Evangelical State Church of Frankfurt upon Main Evangelische Landeskirche Frankfurt am Main | United in administration | the formerly Free City of Frankfurt upon Main, 1945–1946 part of Greater Hesse and of Hesse since. | The Frankfurt church body was restored after the end of the war, since the lawfulness of the September-1933 merger into the Evangelical State Church in Hesse-Nassau was doubted due to the influence of the Nazis and the Nazi-submissive German Christians, gained by the unconstitutional re-election of all synods and presbyteries ordered by Hitler in July 1933. In September 1947 a freely and constitutionally elected synod decided on the merger into the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau |
| 1870 | 1976 | Hamburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Hamburgian State Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche im Hamburgischen Staate | Lutheran | Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in its borders before the Greater Hamburg Act became effective on 1 April 1937, thus including Hamburg's former exclaves such as Cuxhaven, Geesthacht, and Großhansdorf, but without today's boroughs of Altona, Harburg, Wandsbek and further formerly Holsatian municipalities in the North Borough. | On 1 January 1977 the Hamburg church body merged into the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church. |
| 1864 | persisting | Hanover Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Hannovers | Lutheran | former Prussian Province of Hanover, in 1977 reduced for those parishes located in the Harburg area of Hanover province, which had been ceded to Hamburg in 1937 and increased by the parishes in Cuxhaven, which had been ceded from Hamburg to Hanover province on the same occasion by the Greater Hamburg Act. | |
| 1934 | persisting | Hesse Electorate and Waldeck Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse-Waldeck Evangelische Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck abbreviation: EKKW | United in administration | the former Electorate of Hesse, except of some small northern exclaves in today's Lower Saxony, and the former Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont, except of the Pyrmont exclaves, thus still including the exclave of Schmalkalden in formerly East Germany and today's Free State of Thuringia. | Between 1949 and 1989 the East German communist government inflicted similar problems onto the East German parishes of the Electoral Hesse-Waldeck church body as onto the eastern parishes of Brunswick church body. |
| 19th century 1945 restored | 1933 de facto 1947 | Hesse state Evangelical Church in Hesse Evangelische Kirche in Hessen | United in administration | former People's State of Hesse | The Hesse church body was restored after the end of the war, since the lawfulness of the September-1933 merger into the Evangelical State Church in Hesse-Nassau was doubted due to the influence of the Nazis and the Nazi-submissive German Christians, gained by the unconstitutional re-election of all synods and presbyteries ordered by Hitler in July 1933. In September 1947 a freely and constitutionally elected synod decided on the merger into the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau |
| 1947 | persisting | Hesse and Nassau Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau abbreviation: EKHN | United in administration | formerly Free City of Frankfurt upon Main, former People's State of Hesse, former Duchy of Nassau, covered by today's states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate | Merger of the Frankfurt, Hesse state, and Nassau church bodies |
| 1877 | persisting | Lippe State Church Lippische Landeskirche | Reformed | former Free State of Lippe | Few Lutheran congregations have their own organisations within the else Reformed Lippe church body. |
| 1895 | 1976 | Lübeck Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lübeck Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Lübeck | Lutheran | former Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Lübeckian State, accounting for Lübeck's statehood being abolished by the Greater Hamburg Act in 1937. On 1 January 1977 the Lübeck church body merged into the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church. |
| 1934 | 2012 | Mecklenburg Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Mecklenburgs abbreviation: ELLM | Lutheran | former Mecklenburg in its borders of 1936 Communist East Germany's sealing off its western border and its very restrictive granting of entry and exit visas made cross-border travelling for easterners almost impossible and difficult for westerners. So the Mecklenburg church body conveyed its tasks as to its western parishes to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein and its successor North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church. After unification the conveyed parishes decided not to return to their original Mecklenburg church body, personally and financially terribly weakened during East German dictatorship. In 2012 the Mecklenburg church body merged in the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. | After a British-Soviet boundary adjustment between the British Zone and the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany following the Barber Lyashchenko Agreement in November 1945 the parishes of Ratzeburg Cathedral and Bäk, Mechow, Römnitz, and Ziethen became part of the British zone. This did not affect the ecclesiastical affiliation. So the Mecklenburg church body retains a stake as co-owner in the historically important Ratzeburg Cathedral. |
| 2009 | persisting | Middle Germany Evangelical Church in Middle Germany Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland abbreviation: EKM | United in administration | former Province of Saxony and the State of Thuringia in its borders of 1920. | Merger of the Saxony province and Thuringia church bodies. |
| 1866 1945 restored | 1933 de facto 1947 | Nassau Evangelical State Church in Nassau Evangelische Landeskirche in Nassau | United in administration | former Duchy of Nassau, since 1945 split between Greater Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate | The Hesse church body was restored after the end of the war, since the lawfulness of the September-1933 merger into the Evangelical State Church in Hesse-Nassau was doubted due to the influence of the Nazis and the Nazi-submissive German Christians, gained by the unconstitutional re-election of all synods and presbyteries ordered by Hitler in July 1933. In September 1947 a freely and constitutionally elected synod decided on the merger into the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau |
| 1977 | 2012 | North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church Nordelbische Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche abbreviation: NEK | Lutheran | Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein | Merger of Eutin, Hamburg, Lübeck and Schleswig-Holstein church bodies. In 2012 the North Elbian church body merged in the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. |
| 2012 | persisting | Northern Germany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland abbreviation: Nordkirche | Lutheran | Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein | Merger of Mecklenburg, North Elbian, and Pomeranian church bodies. |
| 1882 | 1989 | Northwestern Germany Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwestern Germany Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche in Nordwestdeutschland | Reformed | the former Prussian Province of Hanover and some Reformed parishes in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Reformed State Church of the Province of Hanover in 1949, considering the accession of parishes outside of Hanover province and the latter's merger into Lower Saxony in 1946. In 1989 the Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwestern Germany merged into the Evangelical Reformed Church |
| 19th century | persisting | Oldenburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Oldenburg | Lutheran | former Free State of Oldenburg except of its exclaves of Birkenfeld and Region of Lübeck | |
| 1848 | persisting | Palatinate Evangelical Church of the Palatinate Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz | United by confession | the formerly Bavarian Governorate of the Palatinate since 1945 divided between Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saar Protectorate. | The new name replaced the prior United Protestant Evangelical Christian Church of the Palatinate in 1976. Since the parishioners' plesbiscite in 1817 all Palatine congregations are confessionally united. |
| 1947 | 2012 | Pomeranian Evangelical Church Pommersche Evangelische Kirche, abbreviation: PEK | United in administration | German Hither Pomerania | The new name replaced the prior Pomerania ecclesiastical province in 1947, when this old-Prussian ecclesiastical province assumed independence as Landeskirche. Between 1947 and 2003 the Pomerania church body was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. In 1968 communist East Germany ordered the church body to skip the term Pomerania from its name, then it chose the name Evangelical Church in Greifswald. The original name was readopted in 1990. In 2012 the Pomeranian church body merged in the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. |
| 1948 | persisting | Rhineland Evangelical Church in the Rhineland Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland abbreviation: EKiR | United in administration | former Rhine Province | The new name replaced the prior Rhineland ecclesiastical province in 1948, when this old-Prussian ecclesiastical province assumed independence as Landeskirche. Between 1948 and 2003 the Rhineland church body was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. |
| 1868 | persisting | Saxony state Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Saxony Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens abbreviation: EvLKS | Lutheran | former Kingdom of Saxony except of the small area annexed to Poland in 1945. | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Lutheran State Church of the Free State of Saxony since the Free State had been abolished in 1952, only to be re-established in 1990, which did not cause another name change. |
| 1947 | 2008 | Saxony province Evangelical Church of the Saxony Ecclesiastical Province Evangelische Kirche der Kirchenprovinz Sachsen | United in administration | former Province of Saxony. | The new name extended the prior Saxony ecclesiastical province in 1947, when this old-Prussian ecclesiastical province assumed independence as Landeskirche. Between 1947 and 2003 the church body of the Saxony Ecclesiastical Province was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. On 1 January 2009 the church body of the Saxony Ecclesiastical Province merged into the Evangelical Church in Middle Germany. |
| 19th century | persisting | Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche von Schaumburg-Lippe | Lutheran | former Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe | Any claim to merge the tiny Schaumburg-Lippe church body has been refused so far based on a solid self-confidence, also laid during the Nazi era, when this church body became the only one in 1936, which staffed all its executive board only with partisans of the Nazi-opponent Confessing Church. |
| 1867 | 1976 | Schleswig-Holstein Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein | Lutheran | former Province of Schleswig-Holstein in its borders of 1936 | On 1 January 1977 the Schleswig-Holstein church body merged into the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church. |
| 1947 | 2003 | Silesia Evangelical Church of Silesia Evangelische Kirche von Schlesien abbreviation: EKsOL | United in administration | the German remainder of Silesia, after the post-war Polish annexation of main part Silesia | The new name replaced the prior Silesia ecclesiastical province in 1947, when this old-Prussian ecclesiastical province assumed independence as Landeskirche. Between 1947 and 2003 the Silesia church body was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. In 1968 communist East Germany ordered the church body to skip the term Silesia from its name, then it chose the name Evangelical Church of the Görlitz Ecclesiastical Region. In 1992 the Silesia church body dropped its unwanted name and chose the new name of Evangelical Church of Silesian Upper Lusatia. On 1 January 2004 the Silesia church body merged into the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia. |
| 1920 | 2008 | Thuringia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Thüringen abbreviation: ELKTh | Lutheran | the State of Thuringia in its borders of 1920 | The new name replaced the prior Thuringian Evangelical Church in 1948. On 1 January 2009 the church body merged into the Evangelical Church in Middle Germany. |
| 1817 | 2003 | Union Evangelical Church of the Union Evangelische Kirche der Union abbreviation: EKU | United in administration | Berlin, Brandenburg, German Hither Pomerania, former Hohenzollern province, former Rhine Province, former Province of Saxony, post-war German part of former Silesia province, former Westphalia, as well as the Saarland, except of its eastern formerly Palatine districts. | The new name replaced the prior Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union in 1953, after the communist dictatorship in East Germany insisted on skipping the name element Prussia. Between 1948 and 2003 EKU was rather an umbrella, though running an own synod and executive body. Therefore, it was an equal member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, even though all of EKU's member churches were simultaneously members of EKD on their own. The church was merged into the mere umbrella Union of Evangelical Churches. |
| 1945 | persisting | Westphalia Evangelical Church of Westphalia Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen abbreviation: EkvW | United in administration | former Province of Westphalia | The new name replaced the prior Westphalia ecclesiastical province in 1945, when this old-Prussian ecclesiastical province assumed independence as Landeskirche. Between 1945 and 2003 the Westphalia church body was a member of the Evangelical Church of the Union. |
| 1870 | persisting | Württemberg Evangelical State Church in Württemberg Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg | Lutheran | former Free People's State of Württemberg plus former Province of Hohenzollern |
List of further Protestant church bodies in Germany
This is a list of more Protestant church bodies, which were not members of the German Federation of Protestant Churches- - 1918–1989: Evangelical Reformed Church in Bavaria – Territory: then the Free State of Bavaria right of the river Rhine
- - Lower Saxon Confederation – Territory: Calvinist congregations, mostly of Huguenot foundation, in the Free State of Brunswick, the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Hamburg and Lübeck and the Prussian Province of Hanover.
List of today's Landeskirchen
List
Offices and institutions
Administration
In Switzerland
has no country-wide state religion, though most of the cantons recognise official Landeskirchen, in all cases including the Roman Catholic Church and the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons also the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of adherents.Roman Catholic cantonal churches
In most cantons the Roman Catholic congregations are organised in cantonal church bodies which form statutory corporations with executive and supervising bodies elected by the parishioners. Roman Catholic Landeskirchen developed from denominationally separate committees of the cantonal governments in cantons with populations of mixed denomination, such as Aargau, Graubünden, St. Gallen and Thurgau. These separate government committees, competent for ecclesiastical matters of the respective denomination and founded in the 16th and 17th century, were sometimes called Corpus Catholicorum.In other cantons of prevailingly Reformed population Roman Catholic Landeskirchen were founded after World War II paralleling the long established Reformed Landeskirchen in those cantons, accounting for the recognition of Roman Catholicism as equivalent denomination. Cantons of prevailingly Roman Catholic population then followed that example, first the Lucerne.
So church buildings and other real estate, religious schools, religious charitable organisations and religious counselling centres are often owned, run and financed by the funds of the cantonally competent Roman Catholic church body. Since each has executive and legislative bodies, elected by its statutory members, each Roman Catholic church body is accepted as democratic entity entitled to levy member fees, because the usage of the funds is decided by the elected representatives of those who defray them.
As to Roman Catholic doctrine the Roman Catholic church bodies are no churches, since there is only one hierarchic church. So some Roman Catholics oppose the Roman Catholic Landeskirchen as para-ecclesiastical entities paralleling the actual Roman Catholic church, while many others support the idea since they offer Roman Catholics similar opportunities to participate in church life like the Reformed Landeskirchen.
Some cantonal church bodies bear the name Landeskirche in their name, others are called synod, federation or association of congregations or simply Catholic church of the respective Canton. Whereas the term Landeskirche actually implies the body to be a separate denomination, the term cantonal church would better apply for Roman Catholic regional church bodies, since they form a cantonally delineated corporation of the Roman Catholic parishioners within a canton but are cooperating and providing services to their members, who in canonical sense remain members of the Roman Catholic Church pastoring them by its respective diocese.
The Roman Catholic cantonal church bodies form part of the Roman Catholic Central Conference of Switzerland.