Organismes confessionnels de bienfaisance

Traditionally, a large part of the social action in Germany is carried out by ecclesiastical organisations, the Catholic Caritas and the Lutherian Diakonisches Werk being the most important ones. The Jewish community also has its own organisations of social action such as the Central office of Jewish charity in Germany (Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland, ZWST).
Therefore, a lot of German social establishments such as hospitals, child care centres, infant schools, rest homes, establishments for the disabled are under the authority of the Church or of an ecclesiastical organisation and benefit at the same time from State support. Whereas generally this State-Church relation is not questioned, it becomes “debatable” when members of a particular religious community get fewer places in social establishments than others and this in spite of the fact that they benefit from State support. Besides, a lot of jobs in the social field are exclusively open to the members of the two biggest Churches, which can cause de facto discrimination for people who do not belong to these Churches when applying for a job in this field