News
Berlin Court Upholds Prayer Restriction at a Secondary School
Berlin’s Administrative Court has upheld a ban on the demonstrative performance of religious rituals at a Berlin secondary school. Although the court found that Muslim pupils are particularly disadvantaged, it held the restriction justified to preserve peace at the school. The ruling is not yet final.
Germany · Berlin |
Judicial finding
On 15 October 2026, Berlin’s Administrative Court dismissed the action brought by the Society for Civil Rights (GFF) against a rule in the school regulations of a Berlin secondary school. The rule prohibits the demonstrative performance of religious rituals at the school in order to protect peace within the school. [1]
Judicial finding
The court held that, despite its particular impact on Muslim pupils, the rule was justified in the specific case (case no. VG 3 K 710/25). [1]
Court Recognises Disadvantage to Muslim Pupils
Reported by the source
The GFF brought the case as an association under Berlin’s State Anti-Discrimination Act (LADG). In its view, as summarised by the court, the rule disadvantages Muslim pupils who regard Islamic prayer as a religious duty: they have no way at all to practise their religion on school premises. [1][4]
Judicial finding
The court also found that the generally worded school rule disadvantages Muslim pupils in a particular way because of their religion. Obligatory Islamic prayer is outwardly visible because of its physical movements and is performed five times a day at fixed times, some of which fall within school hours. [1]
Judicial finding
However, the judges held this unequal treatment to be justified. They pointed to serious conflicts with a religious background that had existed at the school for some time. According to the circumstances cited by the court, these included attempts to impose particular religious behaviour on fellow pupils. [1]
Judicial finding
Nor did the court regard providing a prayer room as an equally suitable, less restrictive measure under the school’s specific conditions. The school had shown that it had neither the rooms nor the supervisory staff for it. [1]
Editorial note
Details of the court’s reasoning are set out in the Berlin Administrative Court’s press release of 15 October 2026. [1]
Religious Freedom and School Peace in Tension
DinAtlas interpretation
The decision touches on the fundamental question of when public schools may restrict individual religious practice. [1]
Legal text
Article 4 of Germany’s Basic Law protects freedom of faith and religion. At the same time, schools are responsible for ensuring orderly teaching and respectful coexistence between different religious and philosophical convictions. [2][3]
DinAtlas interpretation
At the heart of the dispute is therefore not the importance of peace at school as such, but whether the specific restriction of religious practice is necessary and proportionate. [1]
DinAtlas interpretation
The ruling concerns the particular circumstances at this school. It does not establish a general ban on prayer in German schools. [1]
Appeal Possible
Reported by the source
An application for permission to appeal may be made to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg, so the ruling is not yet final. [1]
DinAtlas interpretation
The legal dispute over the relationship between religious freedom, protection against discrimination and life together at school therefore remains open for now. [1]
Related pages
Sources4
Each paragraph shows what kind of statement it is and which source it rests on.
Berliner Gymnasium darf demonstrative Ausübung religiöser Riten verbieten (Nr. 44/2026)
Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Art. 4
Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Art. 7
Berliner Landesantidiskriminierungsgesetz (LADG), Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für Berlin Nr. 29
https://www.berlin.de/sen/lads/ladg-gesetzes-und-verordnungsblatt.pdf