Urban Space, Functional Differentiation, and Conditions of Religious Place-Making in 19th-Century German and British Cities

Abstract

The article discusses the urbanization process of the 19th century against the background of the theory of functional differentiation. It is assumed that functional differentiation is an essential prerequisite for today’s forms of urban religion. For this purpose, the urbanization process of the 19th century is understood as an arena in which major social upheavals and changes were negotiated. This also applies to the changing social status of religion. The challenges this posed for the major Christian denominations in Western Europe are described here on the basis of three fundamental problems of reference: (1) the issue of material presence in the urban space; (2) the pursuit of symbolic significance, and (3) the question of social inclusion. Using contemporary source material, the spatial and material aspects of these challenges in particular will be discussed.