New publication on the Protestant Church between co-determination and self-determination

Since the end of the war, the development of the right of co-determination in the Federal Republic of Germany has repeatedly been marked by strong conflicts. Statements on the debate on co-determination were also repeatedly made by the Protestant side during the period under review, particularly in the run-up to the various legislative initiatives. This took place both through official statements and from various Protestant working groups and numerous individuals. The relationship between Protestantism and the co-determination debate is of particular significance, since the church was not only indirectly affected by the co-determination issue as a social-ethical authority, but also directly affected by the related state regulations as one of the largest employers in the country. For this reason, René Smolarski, who is currently working on the project "Protestantism in the Ethical Debates of the Federal Republic of Germany 1949-1989" at the University of Erfurt, uses selected Protestant statements to demonstrate the ambivalence of the church's position on this question.