Festival of religions in Reinickendorf: Together for tolerance and diversity!

Festival of religions in Reinickendorf: Together for tolerance and diversity!

On Saturday, July 5, 2025, the first festival of religions took place in the Buddhist House in Frohnau, Reinickendorf. This special event brought together representatives from Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist communities in order to set a sign of tolerance, dialogue and mutual understanding. The festival was organized in cooperation with various religious communities by the Reinickendorf district office.

The event was opened by the district mayor Emine Demirbüken-Wegner (CDU), who called on to promote social cohesion, respect and recognition of diversity in her greeting. "Experience in common and endure differences and openness," is a central aspect that the BDDI (Federation of German Dialogue and Integration) also pursues to enable interreligious and intercultural exchange.

diverse program for all generations

From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the program offered a wide range of offers for all age groups. The event started with a ceremonial opening and a greeting from the district mayor, followed by an interreligious panel discussion. Selin Topal from the Ditib Selimiye Mosque Tegel, Thomas Harms from the church district of Reinickendorf, Bernd Williams-Bock from the Jewish Chabad community Berlin and Tissa Weeraratna from the Buddhist House took part in this discussion. The moderation was in the hands of Emine Demirbüken-Wegner.

Lunch offered a room for exchange and encounter before it continued with musical performances, dance performances and various workshops. The workshops devoted themselves to topics such as prayer, meditation and common values. These offers promoted intercultural dialogue and strengthened community formation.

a symbol for cohesion

The end of the event was the joint planting of a tree. This symbol should stand for growth, cohesion and a common future. Thanks to the Reinickendorf district, in particular, everyone involved and contributors who contributed to the success of the festival.

The first festival of religions in Reinickendorf demonstrates how important the interreligious and intercultural dialogue is in a diverse society. Such initiatives help promote understanding between different beliefs and thus make a valuable contribution to social peace.

The event took place in the Buddhist Haus, Edelhofdamm 54, 13465 Berlin, and impressively showed the possibilities of dialogue and encounter within the community. For future encounters, it will be crucial to create rooms in which people of different origins and conviction can talk and be able to respect and understand each other.