Der Deutsche Evangelische Kirchentag - Religiöses Bekenntnis, politische Veranstaltung oder einfach nur ein Event?

Hardly any event with a religious reference can attract more than 100,000 visitors like the German Protestant Kirchentag. Ever since the upcoming of the new peace movement, there are not only religious contents in the program of the Kirchentag, but also social and political issues. Against this background, the question arises: which social groups are attracted by the Kirchentag and which different kinds of motivations regarding the visit play a role. Is it the religious or the political nature of the Kirchentag, which fascinates visitors? Do younger people visit the Kirchentag, because it is just a fun event for them? Answers to these questions are given on the basis of two surveys on the occasion of the Kirchentag in Dresden in 2011 and the Kirchentag in Hamburg 2013. This unique empirical material analyses the statements and opinions of the participants of the Kirchentag, and the interpretations are made in the context of general religious developments of secularization, individualization and religious pluralism.