Scientific Atheism in East Germany (1963-1990) How to Turn a Hare into a Lion

• Main Author: Guigo-Patzelt, Eva
• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Routledge 2025; Taylor & Francis
• Edition: 1
• Series: Routledge Studies in Religion
• Subjects: Archive; Atheism; Communism; East Germany; Europe; European history; Freethinkers Association; GDR; Germany; Higher education; History; History and Archaeology; History of religion; Institution; Interdisciplinary studies; Jena; Natural science; Olaf Klohr; Philosophy and Religion; Politics; Politics and government; Propaganda; QRAM2 Religion and politics; Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects; Regional / International studies; Religion; Religion and beliefs; Religion: general; Religious; Religious issues and debates; Scientific Atheism; Secularism; Socialism; Society; Society and Social Sciences; Sociology of religion; Soviet; State; University; Atheism; Archive; Socialism; Communism; Scientific Atheism; Institution; Soviet; Research; History; East Germany; Jena; Freethinkers Association; GDR; Higher education; University; Sociology of religion; State; Religious; Politics; Propaganda; Society; Natural science; Secularism; Olaf Klohr
• ISBN: 1032700963; 9781032744650; 9781032700960; 1032744650; 1040264573; 1003469329; 9781040264577; 9781003469322; 9781040264553; 1040264557
• DOI: 10.4324/9781003469322

This book offers an in-depth, archive-based analysis of "scientific atheism", focused on the development of the field in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Scientific atheism was established as a Soviet import in 1963 at Jena University, with a presence in East German universities, propaganda and politics for nearly 30 years. The chapters explore the sociological work done by scientific atheists such as Olof Klohr, how they defined religion and atheism, and their role as actors of atheisation in various fields. As well as reflecting on the specific religious and political context in East Germany, the author makes comparison with other communist-ruled countries. Drawing on extensive and unique documentation, this book will be of interest to scholars of atheism and secularism, religion and politics, religious history, German history and East European studies.