system
Context: Since the Protestant Reformation, the most prominent Christian denomination in Thuringia has been Lutheranism. During the GDR period, church membership was discouraged and has continued shrinking since the reunification in 1990. Today over two thirds of the population is non-religious. The Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany has had the largest number of members in the state, adhered to by 24.0% of the population in 2009. Members of the Catholic Church formed 7.8% of the population, while 68.2% of Thuringians were non-religious or adhere to other faiths. The highest Protestant concentrations are in the small villages of southern and western Thuringia, whereas the bigger cities are even more non-religious (up to 88% in Gera). Catholic regions are the Eichsfeld in the northwest and parts of the Rhön Mountains around Geisa in the southwest. Protestant church membership is shrinking rapidly, whereas the Catholic Church is somewhat more stable because of Catholic migration from Poland, Southern Europe and West Germany. Other religions play no significant role in Thuringia. There are only a few thousand Muslims (largely migrants) and about 750 Jews (mostly migrants from Russia) living in Thuringia. Furthermore, there are some Orthodox communities of Eastern European migrants and some traditional Protestant Free churches in Thuringia without any societal influence.
human
what is the biggest church in Germany?
gpt
The Protestant Evangelical Church
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what percent of the local people are in that church?
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24.0% of the population in 2009
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what other group has a large percentage of people in it?
gpt
the Catholic Church
human
are most people a part of one of these groups?
gpt
no
human
what other ethnic groups are there in this area?
gpt
Muslims, Jews
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where are they originally from?
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migrants from Russia
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how many are there?
gpt
about 750 Jews
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when did church-going really start decreasing in the area?
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During the GDR period
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why did it decrease?
gpt
church membership was discouraged
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is catholicism decreasing as quickly?
gpt
no
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why not?
gpt
Catholic migration from Poland
human
and from what other areas?
gpt
Southern Europe and West Germany