Editing East Germany (section)

=== Religion ===
As of 2009, more Germans are non-believers in former Eastern Germany than former Western Germany.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Only the Old Embrace God in Former East Germany |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/report-shows-highest-percentage-of-atheists-in-former-east-germany-a-828526.html |access-date=2 July 2012 |magazine=[[Der Spiegel|Spiegel]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 April 2012 |title=East Germany world's most godless area |url=https://www.thelocal.de/20120420/42081 |access-date=31 December 2021 |website=[[The Local]]}}</ref> Eastern Germany is perhaps the least religious region in the world.<ref name="godless">{{ill|Kamann, Matthias|de|Matthias Kamann}}, {{ill|Facius, Gernot|de|Gernot Facius}} {{Cite news |date=2012 |title=Why Eastern Germany is the Most Godless Place On Earth |url=http://www.worldcrunch.com/why-eastern-germany-most-godless-place-planet/culture-society/why-eastern-germany-is-the-most-godless-place-on-earth/c3s5177/#.UHNiqk3Ex_0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826093254/http://www.worldcrunch.com/why-eastern-germany-most-godless-place-planet/culture-society/why-eastern-germany-is-the-most-godless-place-on-earth/c3s5177/#.UHNiqk3Ex_0 |archive-date=26 August 2012 |access-date=24 May 2009 |work=[[Die Welt]]}}</ref><ref name="atheistic">{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=East Germany the 'most atheistic' of any region |url=http://www.dialoginternational.com/dialog_international/2012/05/east-germany-the-most-atheistic-of-any-region.html |access-date=24 May 2009 |publisher=Dialog International}}</ref> An explanation for this, popular in other regions, is the aggressive [[state atheist]] policies of the SED. However, the enforcement of atheism existed only for the first few years. After that, the state allowed churches to have a relatively high level of autonomy.<ref name="nogod">{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=Eastern Germany: the most godless place on Earth |url=http://www.worldcrunch.com/why-eastern-germany-most-godless-place-planet/culture-society/why-eastern-germany-is-the-most-godless-place-on-earth/c3s5177/#.UHNiqk3Ex_0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826093254/http://www.worldcrunch.com/why-eastern-germany-most-godless-place-planet/culture-society/why-eastern-germany-is-the-most-godless-place-on-earth/c3s5177/#.UHNiqk3Ex_0 |archive-date=26 August 2012 |access-date=24 May 2009 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Atheism is embraced by Germans of all ages, though irreligion is particularly common among younger Germans.<ref name="onlyold">{{Cite news |date=2012 |title=Only the Old embrace God in former East-Germany |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/report-shows-highest-percentage-of-atheists-in-former-east-germany-a-828526.html |access-date=24 May 2009 |work=[[Der Spiegel|Spiegel Online]]}}</ref>