Die Bundesländer Deutschlands
Schlossplatz und das Neue Schloss, Stuttgart
Baden-Württemberg
Hauptstadt: Stuttgart.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
Baden-Württemberg is one of Germany's most prosperous states with
automakers DaimlerChrysler AG and Porsche centered around Stuttgart,
precision engineering in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest), oil refining around
Karlsruhe, and industry in Mannheim and Heidelberg.
Das Schloss Neuschwanstein
Bayern (Bavaria)
Hauptstadt: München (Munich).
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
Bayern is the largest German Bundesland. The ”Freistaat Bayern (Free State
of Bavaria)" is also Germany's oldest political entity with a history going
back to at least the 6th century. Germany's tallest peak, the Zugspitze, is
located in the Bavarian Alps. Bayern is also home to the world famous
castle Neuschwanstein.
Regensburg
Neuschwanstein
Bayern
München
Das Haus von
Albrecht Dürer,
Nürnberg
Reichstag (Parliament)
Berlin
Hauptstadt: Berlin.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1990.
Berlin is one of three city-states in Germany and for decades was a symbol
of its division. However, since the reunification, Berlin is now a dynamic
capital city. Berlin has once again become Germany's main cultural,
artistic, and political center and has grown to become the largest city in
Germany, a thriving metropolis.
Schloss Sanssouci, Potsdam
Brandenburg
Hauptstadt: Potsdam.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1990.
Brandenburg, one of Germany's most thinly populated states (2.5 million),
surrounds Berlin. Because of its small population, there have been proposals to
merge Berlin and Brandenburg into one state, with Potsdam as the capital, but a
1996 referendum rejected that idea. Brandenburg is also known for its wellpreserved natural environment and its ambitious natural protection policies
which began in the 1990s.
Town
Musicians of
Bremen
Bremen
Hauptstadt: Bremen.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
Bremen is one of Germany's three city-states and the second oldest city
republic still in existence. In 1358 Bremen became a member of the
Hanseatic League (Hanse) and therefore found its beginnings. It is in truth,
two cities, Bremen and Bremerhaven, that form this state. Bremen is also the
smallest of the Bundesländer.
Hamburg
Hauptstadt: Hamburg.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
Hamburg is one of Germany's three city-states, the second largest city, and
the country's biggest sea port, used for all types of transportation and
trading. Hamburg is also a major tourist destination for both domestic and
overseas visitors.
Frankfurt am Main
Hessen
Hauptstadt: Wiesbaden.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
Hessen is home to the Rhein-Main region of business and industry. The state's
largest city, Frankfurt am Main, has often been called Germany's "secret capital"
because of its banking, transportation industry, and general economic power.
The state of Hessen was created in 1945/46 by combining parts of two historic
political entities, Hessen-Darmstadt and Hessen-Nassau.
Mecklenburg Lake District
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Hauptstadt: Schwerin
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1990.
The Baltic Sea coastline and its islands (such as Rügen) and the Mecklenburg
Lake District are very popular with tourists, making Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
one of Germany’s leading tourist destinations. Also found here are the
Universities of Rostock (est. 1419) and Greifswald (est. 1456), which are among
the oldest in Europe.
Herrenhäuser Gärten, Hannover
Niedersachsen
Hauptstadt: Hannover
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
The northwestern portion of Niedersachsen is a part of Friesland (Frisia) and
lies on the coast of the North Sea, including the East Frisian Islands.
Agriculture and mining have always been very important economic factors
in Niedersachsen, as well as manufacturing, specifically the auto maker
Volkswagen.
Historisches
Rathaus,
Münster
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Hauptstadt: Düsseldorf
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
In terms of population, with 18 + million inhabitants, and economic output,
contributing to about 22% of Germany’s GDP, Nordrhein-Westfalen is the largest
Bundesland in Germany. It is the leading industrial region and also a major base
for culture and media. The former Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr area) that was once the
center of German industry is now a cultural scene as well.
Mainz
Cathedral
Rheinland-Pfalz
Hauptstadt: Mainz
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
Rheinland-Pfalz is Germany's leading producer of wine, in terms of grape
cultivation as well as wine export. 65% to 70% of the whole production
output of wine grapes in Germany have their origin within this Bundesland.
Saarschleife (Bend in the Saar River)
Saarland
Hauptstadt: Saarbrücken.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1957.
Saarland is Germany's smallest (not including the city-states) and newest
Bundesland. Named for the Saar River, Saarland was part of France until
1957. It was the only state to join the Bundesrepublik between its formation
in 1949 and the German reunification in 1990.
Brühlsche Terrasse,
Dresden
Sachsen
Hauptstadt: Dresden.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1990.
Sachsen has the most vibrant economy among the former DDR (East
Germany) states, with its growth around 4.0% in 2006, making it the fastest
growing region in Germany. Nonetheless, unemployment remains high,
and investment is scarce.
Magdeburg
Sachsen-Anhalt
Hauptstadt: Magdeburg.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1990.
Sachsen-Anhalt is famous for its fertile soil, namely in the Magdeburger Börde
area, which is claimed to be the best soil in all of Germany and therefore, the
food industry has an important role here. The industrial sector, specifically the
chemical industry, is also important, as well as the numerous wind-farms
throughout the state that help to produce wind-turbine energy.
Kiel Rathaus
Schleswig-Holstein
Hauptstadt: Kiel.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1949.
The two parts of Germany's northernmost state were first united in 1386, but
since the 19th century they have changed hands between Denmark,
Austria, and Germany. Der Nord-Ostsee-Kanal (Kiel Canal) is an important
link for shipping between the Baltic and North Seas.
Goethe and
Schiller statue,
Weimar
Thüringen
Hauptstadt: Erfurt.
Beitritt zum Bund (joined fed.): 1990.
Until 1945, Thuringia's capital was Weimar, a city closely identified with
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and of course, the Weimar Republik after
WWI. Because Thüringen lies in the geographical center of Germany and
because of the large areas of forest, Thüringen is often known as the “grüne
Herz Deutschlands” (the green heart of Germany).