German Churches expand farmland holdings despite legal and local resistance
The Catholic and Protestant Churches in Germany remain among the country’s largest landowners, actively expanding their agricultural my activity holdings. Recent purchases and legal disputes have brought their commercial land my activity into the spotlight once again.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the Protestant Church’s agricultural fund acquired several farmland parcels for €1.89 million. Such transactions have repeatedly caused tension, particularly when the Church outbids local farmers for available land.
The Church’s land fund operates under a strategy of preserving and growing its real estate portfolio. When original plots cannot be kept, it uses compensation funds to buy substitute land. This approach led to a legal challenge after the fund sought reduced fees on a purchase. A regional court ruled against it, declaring the fund a commercial entity that follows market principles and seeks profit.
Under municipal economic law, the Church’s land fund qualifies as an enterprise. The law recognises real estate and investment firms as economic actors, and the court applied this reasoning to the Church’s my activity. Controversy has flared in regions like Saxony-Anhalt and Zeil am Main, where residents question the Church’s growing influence over agricultural land.
Despite the legal setback, both Churches continue to acquire farmland across Germany. Their vast holdings include arable plots, and their funds remain active in the market.
The ruling confirms that the Church’s land fund must comply with standard commercial regulations. With no named leader publicly tied to the fund’s operations, its purchases and legal battles are likely to persist. Farmers and local communities will keep facing competition from an institution with deep resources and a long-term land my activity.
