Racism on the Bavarian countryside?

Growing up on the Bavarian countryside, I experienced that a lot of people tend to be quite conservative there. I'm not trying to establish another stereotype by colouring all (rural) Bavarians with the same brush, and I definitely got to know a lot of open-minded people in my town. However, some of them also tended to have more conservative values than I did. Unfortunately, this can sometimes turn into racism as well. 

Let me share this story with you: the catholic priest of the town I lived in, who had worked in the parish for decades, retired. The vacancy had to be filled, and a new priest was found soon. Of course, it might not be that easy to get used to a new pastor when the old one had been around for years and was really appreciated. Still, some of the reactions were highly inappropriate: different people rejected the new priest before he had even arrived. They said he should go back where he came from, since that's where he belonged and other things along that line.

The new priest was African. (He spoke German perfectly though.)

I think what this can teach us is that

1. we shouldn't judge anyone based on their country of origin / skin colour / ... 

2. gossiping about someone you don't even know doesn't improve any situation whatsoever. Respecting someone also means giving them a fair chance and meeting them on a neutral ground. Getting to know someone better, you might not get along with them after all, but this defintely shouldn't be based on any ethnic reason. 

All in all, being a little more open-minded doesn't hurt and it can make a big difference and create a much better atmosphere all people involved can benefit from in the end.


(Source of picture: https://de.best-wallpaper.net/Germany-Bavaria-landscape-mountains-alps-forest-grass-houses-lake_wallpapers.html)