Introduction

I welcome you all to the Academy for Political Education and to our con-

ference, ‘Political Religions: Research Concept, Results, Open Questions.’ I

am very pleased that this conference has come into being; what with the

current budget problems, it was not entirely easy to gain financing. I would

like to thank above all Heinrich Oberreuter and the Academy for Political

Education for their help in financing the accommodation and the honorar-

iums. Beyond this, the Volkswagen Foundation has provided a large con-

tribution and the Institute for Philosophy in Munich has also offered a substantial one.