- Bremen clause
The Bremen clause ( _de. Bremer Klausel) is Article 141 of the
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany , which states:cquote|"Artikel 7 Abs. 3 Satz 1 findet keine Anwendung in einem Lande, in dem am 1. Januar 1949 eine andere landesrechtliche Regelung bestand." The first sentence of paragraph (3) of Article 7 shall not apply in any Land in which Land law otherwise provided on January 1, 1949.The sentence there cited says:cquote|"Der Religionsunterricht ist in den öffentlichen Schulen mit Ausnahme der bekenntnisfreien Schulen ordentliches Lehrfach."Religious instruction shall form part of the regular curriculum in state schools, with the exception of non-denominational schools.It limits the range of application of the constitutional (Basic Law) rule over
religious education , making it possible to have other types of instruction in some areas ofGermany . A well-known example is the "instruction in Biblical history" inBremen . It is not religious education in the sense of the Basic Law, because its content is not accountable to areligious community ; therefore it is not a "common affair " (res mixta ).
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.