Angela Merkel’s memoirs tell of her faith and doubts

Freiheit (Freedom) is the title of Angela Merkel’s memoir. In 720 pages translated into other languages like English, Spanish, French, one of the most influential politicians in the last century tells much about her personal life and her political career in Germany. At some points, she also speaks about her faith.

The book was presented in November 2024 in a well-known theatre near her home in Berlin were she lives. The launch has been used to give interviews in many countries, just as the country she led for 16 years faces a crucial general election in two weeks.

The first woman to be chancellor of Germany, now 70, faces much criticism from former colleagues at the Christian Democratic Union (including its leader and candidate Merz) for key decisions she took like welcoming millions of refugees, trying to maintain the relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin or the way she navigated the Covid-19 crisis.

But analysts also underline that her calm way of shaping Europe’s politics and her ability to negotiate between people with opposite interests helped the political stability of a continent now immersed in strong ideological fights.

Freiheit is a way to look back at her life and “present things from her perspective to a broader public”.

Among other many issues, she also speaks about faith. At one point, Merkel describes how her father Horst, a Protestant pastor, secretly invited other Chrisitan leaders home to discuss politics in a time in which the Stasi secret service investigated such gatherings in the former GDR.

“I believe there is a God, even if I often cannot comprehend or sense Him”, she writes in the book. And adds: “I know that I am not perfect and make mistakes, and so my life has been made easier by faith — as has the task of taking responsibility for my fellow man and for creation”.

According to a review published by website Christian Network Europe, Merkel mentions Jeremiah 29:7 as a Bible verse that inspired her in her work, and the fact that welcoming refugees during her mandate from countries at war was an ethical decision grounded on her Christian ethics related to compassion and support for the weakest.

In bioethical issues, Angela Merkel often swam in the middle-ground of political debates. In the memories she explains her own struggles with the right to abortion (first asking for pro-life safeguardings, later shifting to more pro-choice stances) and LGBT rights (she was not in favour of equating same-sex unions to marriage).

Towards the end of the book, Merkel writes: “True freedom is not only freedom from something (from dictatorship and injustice) but shows itself in responsibility for something: for one’s neighbour, for the community, for our common good”.

Although not a regular church attender, Angela Merkel often called Christians in Europe to be more outspoken about their faith and values. “I would like to see more people who have the courage to say ‘I am a Christian believer’”, she said in 2015.

[analysis]

[title]Join us to make EF sustainable[/title]

[photo][/photo]

[text]At Evangelical Focus, we have a sustainability challenge ahead. We invite you to join those across Europe and beyond who are committed with our mission. Together, we will ensure the continuity of Evangelical Focus and Protestante Digital (Spanish) in 2025.

Learn all about our #OneMoreYearEF campaign here (English).

[/text][/analysis]