E/CN.4/1998/6/Add.2 page 8 Catholic churches are estimated to comprise 28.5 million and 27.5 million members respectively, in other words about 35 per cent of the population for each Church. 26. In this connection, a distinction should be made between the religious situation in the Länder of the former Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and in those of the former GDR. The reunification of Germany has had its repercussions on the state of religions and beliefs because of the limited concern with religion in the Länder of the former GDR. 27. The two major Churches are reported to have experienced not only a sharp decrease in religious worship, but also a decline in membership in recent years. 28. However, the Catholic and Protestant churches continue to be the dominant Churches in Germany, historically linked to the State, and subjected to a positive separation under the Weimar Constitution and the subsequent Constitution ensuring cooperation with the public authorities in common affairs, in accordance with their status as legal persons in public law (cf. Part I.B and C). 29. On the question of religious minorities, the Muslim community, whose ethnic origins are diverse (North Africa, Middle East, Asia) but mostly Turkish, is estimated to number 2.5 to 3 million. It should be noted that this figure includes some 100,000 native Germans. Muslims manifestly represent the largest religious minority in Germany. 30. There has reportedly been a Jewish community, which had about Bundesamt, Statistisches Jahrbuch form the former Soviet Union (see substantial increase in the size of the 50,000 members in 1994 (Statistisches 1995), owing to the arrival of many Jews paragraph 36 below). 31. The Orthodox community, which is of very varied ethnic origin (Armenians, Bulgars, Copts, Greeks, Romanians, Serbo-Croats), is estimated at approximately 1 million members. 32. The estimated membership of the other groups and communities in the field of religion and belief is given below: Jehovah's Witnesses Mormons Baha'is Hare Krishna Unification Church 180 39 6 5 000 000 000 000 850 members members members members members The Church of Scientology states that it has 30,000 members. 33. Lastly, the number of people belonging to no religion is estimated at 16 million.