Jugendweihe

Jugendweihe (Youth consecration) or Jugendfeier (Youth ceremony) is a secular coming of age ceremony practised by German 14-year-olds. It originated among the secular societies in the 19th century as an alternative to Confirmation by the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. It was especially widespread in East Germany, where state atheism was encouraged under the GDR.

There are different groups organising Jugendweihes in Germany, but the most important ones are the Humanistische Verband Deutschlands ("Humanist Association of Germany"), Jugendweihe Deutschland e. V., and die Arbeiterwohlfahrt ("the Worker Welfare").

Nowadays the term Jugendfeier is becoming more popular since the Humanistischer Verband started to use it instead of Jugendweihe about three decades ago to mark that participants will not be consecrated but should experience an unforgettable step into adulthood.

Before the ceremony the youngsters can attend specially arranged events and courses, in which they work on topics like history and multiculturalism, culture and creativity, civil rights and duties, nature and technology, professions and getting a job, as well as lifestyles and human relations.

The term Jugendweihe first appeared in 1852, to mark a new form of initiation developed by the secular movements, who developed a course of moral instruction for their children, founded on cultural history, as an alternative to Christian teachings. The concluding Jugendweihe was above all a ceremony to mark the child's leaving school, and so was held at the age of 14. Since the 1890s the form of the ceremony has remained largely unchanged. The teacher makes a speech about the humanist worldview, the young person makes a pledge, and is given 'pages of remembrance' (Erinnerungsblätter) and a commemorative book. The ceremony is broken up by songs and recitals. This freethinking tradition was absorbed into the labour movement.

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