Colors of worship

Religious rituals can be vivid and ethereal. The exhibition "In Good Faith. Religious Diversity in the Ruhr Region" in Bochum presents photographs by Brigitte Kraemer that capture moments of devotion in one of Germany's most multicultural areas. Here is a glimpse inside a Syrian Orthodox mass in the city of Herne.

Numerous synagogues were built in the Ruhr region around the turn of the 20th century, but they were later destroyed by the Nazis. The Holocaust nearly obliterated Jewish life in the area. More and more eastern European Jews have immigrated to the Ruhr region over the last several decades and membership in local synagogues has risen to pre-war levels.

An estimated 1.5 million Muslims live in the Rhine and Ruhr regions of central-western Germany. Half a century ago, when some of the first Muslims immigrated to Germany, they established improvised prayer rooms in courtyards and multi-residential buildings. Since then a number of new mosques, like this one in Gelsenkirchen, have been constructed.

Perhaps this imam at the Mescid-i-Aksaa Mosque in Gelsenkirchen is preparing a khutbah, or sermon, for the Friday prayer service. Mosques are not only a place of prayer, but also serve an important social function as a gathering place for like-minded individuals and a center of inter-religious dialogue.

Field processions like these have a more than 1,500-year tradition in the Catholic Church. Traditionally priests would offer intercessory prayers for a good harvest, but now also pray for employment, peace, an end to hunger, and similar social issues that affect many people all over the world. The priests pictured here are from the St. Antonius Catholic Church in Essen.

There are around 150 different churches and religious organizations in the Ruhr region. Immigrants from all over the world have made their home in the area and brought their diverse religious traditions with them. Pictured here is the Hindu Sri Varasithi Vinayagar Temple in Hattingen.

The Hindu Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel was built in the city of Hamm in 2002 and is Europe's largest Dravida temple. Thousands of people come from all over Europe for the annual temple festival, pictured here. There are an estimated 100,000 Hindus in Germany and 40 Hindu temples.

The Singh Sabha reform movement was started by Sikhs in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India in 1873. The Sikhs call their places of worship "gurdwaras," which means "gateway to the guru." This gurdwara in Moers is a place for religious and social gatherings.

In Germany, there are an estimated 130,000 Buddhists from Asian countries and 120,000 Buddhists with German and European roots. Together they represent a wide variety of approaches to the faith. This Buddhist monk is striking a bell at the EKŌ Temple in Dusseldorf. EKŌ means "gentle shine" or "giving light."

Photographer Brigitte Kraemer explored religious diversity in the Ruhr region in western-central Germany. As a photojournalist, she has worked for publications including Stern, Der Spiegel and Zeit-Magazin. Her exhibition "In Good Faith. Religious Diversity in the Ruhr Region" is on show at the LWL-Industriemuseum in Bochum through June 30, 2013.