Research on Conversion to Islam in Germany Between 1995 and 2022

In recent years, various parts of German society have become increasingly interested in the phenomenon of conversion to Islam. Despite this newfound attention, few scientific studies have addressed the phenomenon. In this literature review we bring together various strands of research on conversion to Islam in Germany in the period from 1995 to 2022, evaluate existing publications, and point out possible avenues for future research. We discuss the literature based on six topics: 1. methods and methodology 2. the status of conversion narratives 3. the conceptualization of conversion 4. Islam as the “Other” in conversion research 5. conversion and radicalization and 6. conversion and German-Muslim identity. While we have identified Monika  Wohlrab-Sahr’s (1999) approach as the starting point of a research tradition, many of the reviewed publications lack mutual references. The aim of this chapter is therefore to enable stronger mutual references and thus advance research on conversion to Islam in Germany.