Overview
- The Ahmadiyya community opened the Mahmud Mosque on Saturday in Erfurt’s Marbach district at a ceremony with about 120 invited guests, and planned protests did not materialize outside.
- Political and faith leaders voiced support, including Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow in person, Thuringia’s premier Mario Voigt via video, Erfurt’s mayor Andreas Horn, and regional Catholic, Protestant and Jewish representatives.
- The mosque, funded entirely by donations, features a dome and an eight‑meter decorative minaret, seats roughly 200 worshippers, and includes an apartment for the imam; project costs were reported at about €1.4 million.
- Construction stretched over years as opponents staged provocative actions such as spiked pig carcasses and large crosses, and intimidation led several contractors to withdraw; AfD figures had amplified resistance.
- The community will host an open day for the public on Sunday, promoting its motto “Love for all, hatred for none” and positioning the site as a place for dialogue and integration.