Bavaria
3764
225996552
2008-07-16T11:08:44Z
62.156.166.97
/* Famous people */
{{citations missing|date=June 2007}}
{{alternateuses}}
{{Redirect|Bayern|the Munich-based football (soccer) club|FC Bayern Munich}}
{{Infobox German Bundesland
|Name = Free State of Bavaria
|German_name = <span lang="de">Freistaat Bayern</span>
|state_coa = Coat of arms of Bavaria.svg
|coa_size = 110
|map = Deutschland Lage von Bayern.svg
|flag = Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg
|flag_title = Lozengy variant
|capital = Munich
|area = 70549.44
|area_source =
|population = 12522000
|pop_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statistik-portal.de/Statistik-Portal/de_zs01_by.asp |title=State population |work=Portal of the Federal Statistics Office Germany |accessdate=2007-04-25}}</ref>
|pop_date = 2007-10-31
|GDP = 404
|GDP_year = 2005
|GDP_percent = 18
|Website = [http://www.bayern.de/ bayern.de]
|leader_title =
|leader = <span lang="de">[[Günther Beckstein]]</span>
|leader_party = CSU
|ruling_party1 = CSU
|ruling_party2 =
|votes = 6
|NUTS = DE2
|iso region = DE-BY
}}
'''Bavaria''' ([[German language|German]]: ''{{Audio|Freistaat Bayern.ogg|Freistaat '''Bayern'''}}'', with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, lies in the southeast of Germany and is the geographically largest <span lang="de">''[[States of Germany|state]] (Bundesland)''</span> of [[Germany]]. Its capital is [[Munich]]. About 6.4 million of its population are Bavarian, 4.1 million Franconian and 1.8 million Swabian.
== History ==
{{main|History of Bavaria}}
The Bavarians emerged in a region north of the [[Alps]], originally inhabited by the [[Celts]], which had been part of the Roman provinces of Rhaetia and Noricum. The Bavarians spoke [[Old High German]] but, unlike other Germanic groups, did not migrate from elsewhere. Rather, they seem to have coalesced out of other groups left behind by Roman withdrawal late in the 5th century AD. These peoples may have included <span lang="la">[[Marcomanni]]</span>, [[Thuringians]], [[Goths]], [[Rugians]], <span lang="la">[[Heruli]]</span>, and some remaining [[Ancient Rome|Romans]]. The name "Bavarian" ("Baiuvari") means "Men of Baia" which may indicate [[Bohemia]], the homeland of the <span lang="la">Marcomanni</span>. They first appear in written sources circa 520. [[Saint Boniface]] completed the people's conversion to Christianity in the early 8th century. Bavaria was, for the most part, unaffected by the [[Protestant Reformation]], and even today, most of it is strongly [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]].
From about 550 to 788, the house of [[Agilolfing]] ruled the [[duchy of Bavaria]], ending with [[Tassilo III]] who was deposed by [[Charlemagne]].
Three early dukes are named in [[Frankish]] sources: [[Garibald I]] may have been appointed to the office by the [[Merovingian]] kings and married the [[Lombard]] princess Walderada when the church forbade her to King Chlothar I in 555. Their daughter, Theodelinde, became Queen of the Lombards in northern Italy and Garibald was forced to flee to her when he fell out with his Frankish overlords. Garibald's successor, Tassilo I, tried unsuccessfully to hold the eastern frontier against the expansion of [[Slavic peoples|Slavs]] and [[Eurasian Avars|Avars]] around 600. Tassilo's son [[Garibald II of Bavaria|Garibald II]] seems to have achieved a balance of power between 610 and 616.
After Garibald II little is known of the Bavarians until [[Theodo of Bavaria#Ordinals|Duke Theodo I]], whose reign may have begun as early as 680. From 696 onwards he invited churchmen from the west to organize churches and strengthen Christianity in his duchy (it is unclear what Bavarian religious life consisted of before this time). His son, [[Theodbert of Bavaria|Theudebert]], led a decisive Bavarian campaign to intervene in a succession dispute in the [[Lombards|Lombard Kingdom]] in 714, and married his sister Guntrud to the Lombard King Liutprand. At Theodo's death the duchy was divided among his sons, but reunited under his grandson Hucbert.
At Hucbert's death (735) the duchy passed to a distant relative named [[Odilo of Bavaria|Odilo]], from neighboring Alemannia (modern Southwest Germany and northern Switzerland). Odilo issued a law code for Bavaria, completed the process of church organization in partnership with St. Boniface (739), and tried to intervene in Frankish succession disputes by fighting for the claims of the [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingian]] [[Grifo]]. He was defeated near [[Augsburg]] in 743 but continued to rule until his death in 748.
[[Tassilo III of Bavaria|Tassilo III]] (b. 741 - d. after 794) succeeded his father at the age of eight after an unsuccessful attempt by Grifo to rule Bavaria. He initially ruled under Frankish oversight but began to function independently from 763 onwards. He was particularly noted for founding new monasteries and for expanding eastwards, fighting Slavs in the eastern Alps and along the Danube and colonizing these lands. After 781, however, his cousin [[Charlemagne]] began to pressure Tassilo to submit and finally deposed him in 788. The deposition was not entirely legitimate; Dissenters attempted a coup against Charlemagne at Tassilo's old capital of [[Regensburg]] in 792, led by his own son [[Pepin the Hunchback|Pippin the Hunchback]], and the king had to drag Tassilo out of imprisonment to formally renounce his rights and titles at the Assembly of Frankfurt in 794. This is the last appearance of Tassilo in the sources and he probably died a monk. As all of his family were also forced into monasteries, this was the end of the Agilolfing dynasty.
For the next 400 years numerous families held the duchy, rarely for more than three generations. With the revolt of duke [[Henry II, Duke of Bavaria|Henry the Quarrelsome]] in 976, Bavaria lost large territories in the south and south east. The last, and one of the most important, of these dukes was [[Henry the Lion]] of the house of <span lang="de">[[Welf]]</span>, founder of [[Munich]]. When Henry the Lion was deposed as duke of [[Saxony]] and Bavaria by his cousin, [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor]], in 1180, Bavaria was awarded as [[fief]] to the <span lang="de">[[Wittelsbach]]</span> family, which ruled from 1180 to 1918. The [[Electoral Palatinate]] was also acquired by the <span lang="de">[[House of Wittelsbach]]</span> in 1214.
The first of several divisions of the duchy of Bavaria occurred in 1255. With the extinction of the <span lang="de">[[House of Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen]]</span> in 1268 also [[Swabia]]n territories were acquired by the <span lang="de">Wittelsbach</span> dukes. [[Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Louis the Bavarian]] acquired <span lang="de">[[Brandenburg]]</span>, [[Tyrol]], [[Holland]] and [[County of Hainaut|Hainaut]] for his House but released the [[Upper Palatinate]] for the Palatinate branch of the <span lang="de">Wittelsbach</span> in 1329. In 1506 with the [[Landshut War of Succession]] the other parts of Bavaria were reunited and Munich became the sole capital.
In 1623 the Bavarian duke replaced his relative, the [[Electoral Palatinate|Count Palatine of the Rhine]] in the early days of the [[Thirty Years' War]] and acquired the powerful [[prince-elector]]al dignity in the [[Holy Roman Empire]], determining its Emperor thence forward, as well as special legal status under the empire's laws. Also the Upper Palatinate was reunited with Bavaria. The ambitions of the Bavarian prince electors led to several wars with Austria during the early 18th century. From 1777 onwards Bavaria and the Electoral Palatinate were governed in personal union again.
When [[Napoleon]] abolished the Holy Roman Empire, Bavaria became a [[Kingdom of Bavaria|kingdom]] in 1806, and its area reduplicated. <span lang="de">[[Tyrol]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Salzburg (state)|Salzburg]]</span> were temporarily reunited with Bavaria but finally ceded to Austria. In return the [[Rhenish Palatinate]] and [[Franconia]] were annexed to Bavaria in 1815. Between 1799 and 1817 the leading minister count [[Maximilian Joseph von Montgelas|Montgelas]] followed a strict policy of modernisation and laid the foundations of administrative structures that survived even the monarchy and are (in their core) valid until today. In 1818 a modern constitution (by the standards of the time) was passed, that established a bicameral Parliament with a House of Lords (<span lang="de">''Kammer der Reichsräte''</span>) and a House of Commons (<span lang="de">''Kammer der Abgeordneten''</span>). The constitution was valid until the collapse of the monarchy at the end of [[World War I]].
After the rise of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] to prominence Bavaria managed to preserve its independence by playing off the rivalries of Prussia and [[Austrian Empire|Austria]], but defeat in the 1866 [[Austro-Prussian War]] compelled Bavaria to accept incorporation into the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]]-dominated [[German Empire]] in 1871. In the early 20th century [[Wassily Kandinsky]], [[Paul Klee]], <span lang="dk">[[Henrik Ibsen]]</span>, and other notable artists were drawn to Bavaria, notably to the <span lang="de">[[Schwabing]]</span> district of Munich, later devastated by [[World War II]].
[[Image:Wieskirche 2002.jpg|thumb|280px|Wieskirche]]
On November 13 [[Ludwig III of Bavaria|Ludwig III]] signed a document, the [[Anif declaration]], releasing both civil and military officers from their oaths; the newly-formed republican government of [[Socialist]] premier [[Kurt Eisner]] interpreted this as an abdication. <span lang="de">[[Eisner]]</span> was assassinated in 1919 leading to a violently suppressed communist revolt. Extremist activity by the National Socialists also increased, notably the 1923 [[Beer Hall Putsch]], and Munich and [[Nuremberg]] became [[Nazism|Nazi]] strongholds under the [[Third Reich]]. As a manufacturing center, Munich was heavily bombed during [[World War II]] and occupied by [[United States Army|U.S. troops]]. The Rhenish Palatinate was detached from Bavaria and made part of the new state [[Rhineland-Palatinate]].
Since [[World War II]], Bavaria has been rehabilitated into a prosperous industrial hub. A massive reconstruction effort restored much of Munich's historic core, and the city played host to the [[1972 Summer Olympics]]. More recently, former state minister-president <span lang="de">[[Edmund Stoiber]]</span> was the CDU/CSU candidate for chancellor in the [[German federal election, 2002|2002 federal election]] which he lost, and native son [[Cardinal Bishop|Cardinal]] <span lang="de">Joseph Ratzinger</span> was elected [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in 2005.
== Geography ==
[[Image:Bavarian Alps 2002.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The Bavarian Alps]]
Bavaria shares international borders with [[Austria]] and the [[Czech Republic]] as well as with [[Switzerland]] (across [[Lake Constance]]). Neighbouring states within Germany are <span lang="de">[[Baden-Württemberg]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Hesse]]</span>, [[Thuringia]] and [[Saxony]]. Two major rivers flow through the state, the [[Danube]] (<span lang="de">''Donau''</span>) and the <span lang="de">[[Main]]</span>, while the upper [[Rhine]] forms part of the southwest border of the state. The [[Bavarian Alps]] define the border with [[Austria]], and within the range is the highest peak in [[Germany]], the <span lang="de">[[Zugspitze]]</span>.
The major cities in Bavaria are [[Munich]] (<span lang="de">''München''</span>), [[Nuremberg]] (<span lang="de">''Nürnberg''</span>), <span lang="de">[[Augsburg]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Würzburg]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Regensburg]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Ingolstadt]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Fürth]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Erlangen]]</span>.
{{seealso|List of places in Bavaria}}
== Politics ==
{{main|Politics of Bavaria}}
Bavaria has a multi-party system where the two main parties are the conservative [[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]] (CSU), which has dominated politics since 1957, and won every election since then, and the center-left [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD). A minor green party, [[Alliance '90/The Greens]] is represented in the parliament as well, although Germany's liberal party, the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] has no representation. Together, SPD and the Greens form the opposition.
Bavaria has a [[unicameral]] <span lang="de">''[[Landtag of Bavaria|Landtag]]''</span>, or state parliament, elected by universal suffrage. Until December 1999, there was also a <span lang="de">''Senat''</span>, or [[Senate]], whose members were chosen by social and economic groups in Bavaria, but following a referendum in 1998, this institution was abolished. The head of government is the [[Minister-President]].
In 1995 Bavaria introduced [[direct democracy]] on the local level in a [[referendum]]. This was initiated bottom-up by an association called <span lang="de">''Mehr Demokratie''</span> (More Democracy). This is a grass-roots organization which campaigns for the right to citizen-initiated referendums. In 1997 the Bavarian Supreme Court aggravated the regulations considerably (e.g. by introducing a turn-out quorum). Nevertheless, Bavaria has the most advanced regulations on local direct democracy in [[Germany]]. This has led to a spirited citizens’ participation in communal and municipal affairs – 835 referenda took place from 1995 through 2005.
In the 2003 elections the CSU won more than two thirds of the seats in <span lang="de">[[Landtag]]</span> - something no party had ever achieved in post-war German history.
== Economy ==
Bavaria has long had one of the largest and healthiest economies of any region in Germany, or Europe for that matter. Its [[GDP]] in 2007 exceeded 434 billion Euros<ref>http://www.statistik.baden-wuerttemberg.de/Statistik-Portal/de_jb27_jahrtab65.asp</ref> This makes Bavaria itself one of the largest economies in Europe and the 17th largest in the world. The per capita GDP is even more impressive: 34,700 Euros, which is about 52,050 US$ at the 2008 exchange rate. Some large companies headquarted in Bavaria include [[BMW]], [[Audi]], [[Siemens AG|Siemens]], [[Allianz]], [[Infineon]], the [[EADS|European Aerospace and Defence Company]], [[Puma AG]] and [[Adidas]] AG.
== Culture ==
[[Image:Germany bavaria alps-church.jpg|thumb|266px|Bavarian church with [[Alps]] in the background]]
[[Image:Karwendel-Ahornboden.jpg|right|thumb|266px|Though only a relatively small part belongs to the [[Alps]], the perception of Bavaria as an alpine region endures.]]
Due to their long independence (until 1871), Bavarians have always maintained a strong national identity. Some features of the Bavarian culture and mentality are remarkably distinct from the rest of Germany. A prevalent perception among other Germans is that Bavarians see Bavaria as the most important part of Germany. A German play on words lambasts the Bavarian sense of superiority. Its name in German, <span lang="de">''"Freistaat Bayern"''</span> means simply "the free state of Bavaria." However, many Germans sarcastically refer to Bavaria as <span lang="de">''"Frei statt Bayern"''</span> which literally means "Free instead of Bavaria," implying that Bavarians view themselves as a separate country, or at least culturally superior to the rest of Germany. Noteworthy differences (especially in rural areas, less significant in the major cities) can be found with respect to:
=== Religion ===
The predominant faith is [[Catholicism]], particularly in the southern parts of Bavaria and Lower Franconia. As per the most recent available <span lang="de">''Kirchliche Statistik Eckdaten''</span> from the <span lang="de">''Deutsche Bischofskonferenz''</span>, Bavaria is one of two <span lang="de">Bundesländer</span> with a population that is in majority Catholic (in several additional <span lang="de">Bundesländer</span>, a relative majority of the population is Catholic). As per this source, in 2005 57.8 % of the Bavarian population was Catholic.
Meanwhile, [[Lutheranism]] has a significant presence in large parts of Franconia. Religion remains important to many in the region, as expressed by the typical Bavarian and Austrian and Swabian greeting: <span lang="de">"''[[Grüß Gott]]!''"</span> (''Greet God!''). The current pope, [[Pope Benedict XVI|Benedict XVI]] (<span lang="de">Joseph Alois Ratzinger</span>), was born in <span lang="de">[[Marktl am Inn]]</span> in [[Upper Bavaria]] and was [[Archbishop of Munich and Freising]].
=== Attitude towards traditions ===
Bavarians commonly emphasize pride in their traditions. Traditional costumes collectively known as <span lang="de">[[Tracht]]</span> are worn on special occasions and include <span lang="de">[[Lederhosen]]</span> for males and <span lang="de">[[Dirndl]]</span> for females. Century-old folk music is practiced and dialect songs and poems are taught in nursery schools. The <span lang="de">[[Maypole_tradition_in_Bavaria|Maibaum]]</span>, or Maypole (which in the Middle Ages served as the community's yellow pages, as figurettes on the pole represent the trades of the village), and the bagpipes in the Upper Palatinate region bear witness to the [[Paganism in the Eastern Alps|ancient Celtic and Germanic]] remnants of cultural heritage of the region.
=== Food and drink ===
Bavarians tend to place a great value on food and drink. Bavarians also consume many items of food and drink which are unusual elsewhere in Germany; for example <span lang="de">[[Weißwurst]]</span> (white sausage). Beer in particular has always been regarded as a basic nutrient (<span lang="de">Grundnahrungsmittel</span>, or "the base foodstuff"). At folk festivals, beer is traditionally served by the litre (the so-called <span lang="de">[[Maß]]</span>). Bavarians are particularly proud of the traditional <span lang="de">[[Reinheitsgebot]]</span>, or purity law, initially established by the Duke of Bavaria in 1516. According to this law, only three ingredients were allowed in beer: water, barley, and hops. In 1906 the <span lang="de">Reinheitsgebot</span> made its way to German law, and remained a law in Germany until the [[European Union|EU]] struck it down recently as incompatible with the European common market. Bavarians are also known as some of the world's most beer-loving people with an average annual consumption of 170 liters per person. One other beer ingesting custom is the <span lang="de">[[Oktoberfest]]</span>. This Bavarian beer guzzling event lasts for two weeks -- the '''last''' day being the first Sunday in October. Tourists come from around the world to attend it.
[[Image:ChapelBavaria.JPG|thumb|left|A village [[chapel]] in [[Franconia]]]]
=== Language and dialects ===
[[Image:Oberdeutsch-1945.png|thumb|[[High German languages]]
----
{{legend|#008000|1: [[East Franconian German|East Franconian]]}}
{{legend|#00FF00|2: [[South Franconian German|South Franconian]]}}
{{legend|#E10000|3: [[Swabian German]]}}
{{legend|#FF5151|4: [[Low Alemannic German|Low Alemannic]]}}
{{legend|#FF8080|5: [[Alsatian language|Alsatian]]}}
{{legend|#FF0000|6: [[High Alemannic German|High]] and [[Highest Alemannic German|Highest]] Alemannic}}
{{legend|#AEAEFF|7: [[Northern Austro-Bavarian]]}}
{{legend|#0000FF|8: [[Central Austro-Bavarian]]}}
{{legend|#0000CC|9: [[Southern Austro-Bavarian]]}}
]]
Three [[High German languages|German dialects]] are spoken in Bavaria: [[Austro-Bavarian]] in Old Bavaria (South East and East), [[Swabian German]] (an [[Alemannic German]] dialect) in the Bavarian part of [[Swabia]] (South West) and [[East Franconian German]] in [[Franconia]] (North).
Bavarians are very proud of their marked [[dialect]]s, and most of them speak with their Bavarian, [[Franconian languages|Franconian]] or [[Swabian German|Swabian]] accent. As with traditions in general, cultivation of dialect and regional accent is considered a strengthening of regional identity.
=== Ethnography ===
Bavarians consider themselves as [[egalitarian]] and folksy. Their sociability can be experienced at the annual <span lang="de">[[Oktoberfest]]</span>, the world's largest beer festival welcoming around 6 million visitors every year, or in the famous beer gardens. Genuine traditional Bavarian [[beer garden]]s work on a BYO basis, i.e. patrons bring their own food and only buy beer from the brewery that runs the beer garden. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
In the [[United States]], particularly among [[German American]]s, Bavarian culture is viewed somewhat nostalgically, with several "Bavarian villages", most notably [[Leavenworth, Washington]]. Since 1962, the town has been styled with a Bavarian theme; it is also home to "one of the world's largest collections of [[nutcracker]]s" and an <span lang="de">[[Oktoberfest]]</span> celebration it claims is among the most attended in the world outside of [[Munich]].<ref>[http://www.leavenworth.org/ Leavenworth, Washington The Bavarian Village<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== Administrative divisions ==
=== <span lang="de">Regierungsbezirke</span> (administrative regions)===
[[Image:Bavarian Admin Districts.jpg|thumb|Administrative Regions of Bavaria]]
Bavaria is divided into 7 administrative regions called <span lang="de">''Regierungsbezirke''</span> (singular <span lang="de">''Regierungsbezirk''</span>).
# [[Upper Franconia]] ({{lang-de|Oberfranken}})
# [[Middle Franconia]] ({{lang|de|''Mittelfranken''}})
# [[Lower Franconia]] ({{lang|de|''Unterfranken''}})
# [[Swabia (administrative region)|Swabia]] ({{lang|de|''Schwaben''}})
# [[Upper Palatinate]] ({{lang|de|''Oberpfalz''}})
# [[Upper Bavaria]] ({{lang|de|''Oberbayern''}})
# [[Lower Bavaria]] ({{lang|de|''Niederbayern''}})
These administrative regions consist of 71 administrative districts (called <span lang="de">''Landkreise''</span>, singular <span lang="de">''Landkreis''</span>) and 25 independent cities (<span lang="de">''kreisfreie Städte''</span>, singular <span lang="de">''kreisfreie Stadt''</span>).
=== <span lang="de">Landkreise/kreisfreie Städte</span> (rural districts/urban districts) ===
[[Image:Karte-Bayern-Landkreise.png|thumb|Administrative districts of Bavaria]]
Rural districts:
{|
|-
| width="34%" valign="top" |
# <span lang="de">[[Aichach-Friedberg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Altötting (district)|Altötting]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Amberg-Sulzbach]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Ansbach (district)|Ansbach]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Aschaffenburg (district)|Aschaffenburg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Augsburg (district)|Augsburg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Bad Kissingen (district)|Bad Kissingen]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Bamberg (district)|Bamberg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Bayreuth (district)|Bayreuth]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Berchtesgadener Land]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Cham (district)|Cham]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Coburg (district)|Coburg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Dachau (district)|Dachau]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Deggendorf (district)|Deggendorf]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Dillingen (district)|Dillingen]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Dingolfing-Landau]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Donau-Ries]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Ebersberg (district)|Ebersberg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Eichstätt (district)|Eichstätt]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Erding (district)|Erding]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Erlangen-Höchstadt]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Forchheim (district)|Forchheim]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Freising (district)|Freising]]</span>
| width="33%" valign="top" |
<ol start=25>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Freyung-Grafenau]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Fürstenfeldbruck (district)|Fürstenfeldbruck]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Fürth (district)|Fürth]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district)|Garmisch-Partenkirchen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Günzburg (district)|Günzburg]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Haßberge]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Hof (district)|Hof]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Kelheim (district)|Kelheim]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Kitzingen (district)|Kitzingen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Kronach (district)|Kronach]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Kulmbach (district)|Kulmbach]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Landsberg (district)|Landsberg]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Landshut (district)|Landshut]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Lichtenfels (district)|Lichtenfels]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Lindau (district)|Lindau]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Main-Spessart]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Miesbach (district)|Miesbach]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Miltenberg (district)|Miltenberg]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Mühldorf (district)|Mühldorf]]</span>
<li> [[Munich (district)|Munich-County]] (<span lang="de">''Landkreis München''</span>)
<li> <span lang="de">[[Neuburg-Schrobenhausen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Neumarkt (district)|Neumarkt]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Neustadt (Waldnaab) (district)|Neustadt (Waldnaab)]]</span>
</ol>
| width="33%" valign="top" |
<ol start=49>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Neu-Ulm (district)|Neu-Ulm]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Nürnberger Land]]
<li> <span lang="de">[[Oberallgäu]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Ostallgäu]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Passau (district)|Passau]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Pfaffenhofen (district)|Pfaffenhofen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Regen (district)|Regen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Regensburg (district)|Regensburg]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Rhön-Grabfeld]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Rosenheim (district)|Rosenheim]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Roth (district)|Roth]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Rottal-Inn]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Schwandorf (district)|Schwandorf]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Schweinfurt (district)|Schweinfurt]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Starnberg (district)|Starnberg]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Straubing-Bogen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Tirschenreuth (district)|Tirschenreuth]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Traunstein (district)|Traunstein]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Unterallgäu]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Weilheim-Schongau]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Wunsiedel (district)|Wunsiedel]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Würzburg (district)|Würzburg]]</span>
</ol>
|}
Urban districts:
{|
|-
| width="33%" valign="top" |
# <span lang="de">[[Amberg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Ansbach]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Aschaffenburg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Augsburg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Bamberg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Bayreuth]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Coburg, Germany|Coburg]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Erlangen]]</span>
# <span lang="de">[[Fürth]]</span>
| width="33%" valign="top" |
<ol start=10>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Hof, Germany|Hof]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Ingolstadt]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Kaufbeuren]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Kempten im Allgäu|Kempten]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Landshut]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Memmingen]]</span>
<li> [[Munich]] (<span lang="de">''München''</span>)
<li> [[Nuremberg]] (<span lang="de">''Nürnberg''</span>)
<li> <span lang="de">[[Passau]]</span></ol>
| width="33%" valign="top" |
<ol start=19>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Regensburg]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Rosenheim]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Schwabach]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Schweinfurt]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Straubing]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Weiden in der Oberpfalz|Weiden]]</span>
<li> <span lang="de">[[Würzburg]]</span>
</ol>
|}
=== <span lang="de">Gemeinden</span> (municipalities) ===
The 71 administrative districts are on the lowest level divided into 2031 [[municipality|municipalities]] (called <span lang="de">''Gemeinden''</span>, singular <span lang="de">''Gemeinde''</span>). Together with the 25 independent cities (which are in effect municipalities independent of <span lang="de">''Landkreis''</span> administrations), there are a total of 2056 municipalities in Bavaria.
In 44 of the 71 administrative districts, there are a total of 215 [[unincorporated area]]s (as of January 1, 2005, called <span lang="de">''gemeindefreie Gebiete''</span>, singular <span lang="de">''gemeindefreies Gebiet''</span>), not belonging to any municipality, all uninhabited, mostly forested areas, but also four lakes (<span lang="de">[[Chiemsee]]</span>-without islands, <span lang="de">[[Starnberger See]]</span>-without island <span lang="de">[[Roseninsel]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Ammersee]]</span>, which are the three largest lakes of Bavaria, and <span lang="de">[[Waginger See]]</span>).
== Historical buildings ==
<center><gallery>
Image:Aschaffenburg Schloss Johannisburg.jpg|Johannisburg Castle in <span lang="de">[[Aschaffenburg]]</span>
Image:Wuerzburger_Residenz_vom_Hofgarten.jpg|[[Würzburg Residence]]
Image:BambergDom.jpg|Cathedral in [[Bamberg]]
Image:Vierzehnheiligen I.JPG|[[Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen]]
Image:Residenz Ansicht Hofgarten, München.jpg| Residenz in [[Munich]]
Image:Coburg-Veste1.jpg|Castle of [[Coburg]]
Image:Bayreuth_Festspielhaus_2006-07-16.jpg|<span lang="de">Festspielhaus</span> of [[Richard Wagner]] in <span lang="de">[[Bayreuth]]</span>
Image:Nuremberg sebald castle f lorenz f s.jpg|Imperial Castle in <span lang="de">[[Nürnberg]]</span>
Image:Kastell Biriciana (Weißenburg in Bayern).jpg|<span lang="de">Kastell Biriciana, [[Weißenburg in Bayern|Weißenburg]]</span> close to the <span lang="de">[[Limes]]</span>
Image:Neuburg an der Donau view.jpg|Castle of <span lang="de">[[Neuburg an der Donau]]</span>
Image:Regensburg-steinerne-bruecke-hytrion-enhanced_1-1024x768.jpg|Cathedral of [[Regensburg]]
Image:Walhalla_aussen.jpg|[[Walhalla temple]] in Donaustauf near Regensburg
Image:Befreiungshalle-kelheim-aussen.jpg|<span lang="de">Befreiungshalle</span> in <span lang="de">[[Kelheim]]</span>
Image:Passau inn cathedral.JPG|Cathedral and <span lang="de">Oberhaus</span> fortification in [[Passau]]
Image:LandshutTrausnitz01.jpg|Trausnitz castle, <span lang="de">[[Landshut]]</span>
Image:Burghausen.jpg|[[Burghausen, Altötting|Burghausen Castle]]
Image:A_rathausplatz.jpg|Townhall in [[Augsburg]]
Image:Munich_skyline.jpg|<span lang="de">Frauenkirche</span> in [[Munich]]
Image:Freisinger Dom aussen 01.jpg|Cathedral in [[Freising]]
Image:Herrenchiem.JPG|[[Herrenchiemsee|Herrenchiemsee Palace]]
Image:Linderhof-1.jpg|[[Linderhof|Linderhof Palace]]
Image:Schloss Hohenschwangau.jpg|[[Schloss Hohenschwangau|Hohenschwangau Castle]]
Image:Castle_Neuschwanstein.jpg|[[Neuschwanstein|Neuschwanstein Castle]]
Image:wieskirche_boenisch_okt_2003.jpg|<span lang="de">[[Wieskirche]], Steingaden</span>
Image:Bartholomae-2005.jpg|[[St. Bartholomew's Church, Berchtesgaden|Church St. Bartholomew]] at <span lang="de">[[Königssee]]</span>
Image:Image-Schloss Nymphenburg Munich CC edit3.jpg|[[Nymphenburg Palace]] in [[Munich]]
</gallery></center>
== Miscellaneous ==
=== Famous people ===
There are many famous people who were born or lived in present-day Bavaria:
*'''Popes''' [[Pope Benedict XVI]] -- as of April 2005 he is the current [[Pope]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. His baptismal name is <span lang="de">'''Joseph Ratzinger'''</span>, [[Pope Damasus II]] and [[Pope Victor II]]
*'''Painters''' such as [[Hans Holbein the Elder]], <span lang="de">[[Albrecht Dürer]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Albrecht Altdorfer]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Lucas Cranach]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Carl Spitzweg]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Franz von Lenbach]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Franz Stuck|Franz von Stuck]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Franz Marc]]</span>, [[Paul Klee]], <span lang="de">[[Erwin Eisch]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Gabriele Munter]]</span>.
*'''Musicians''' such as [[Orlande de Lassus|Orlando di Lasso]], <span lang="de">[[Christoph Willibald Gluck]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Richard Wagner]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Richard Strauss]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Carl Orff]]</span>, <span lang="de">[[Johann Pachelbel]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Theobald Boehm]]</span>, the inventor of the modern [[flute]], and [[countertenor]] <span lang="de">[[Klaus Nomi]]</span>.
*Modern musicians like <span lang="de">[[Klaus Doldinger]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Barbara Dennerlein]]</span>.
*'''Writers''', '''poets''' and '''playwrights''' like <span lang="de">[[Hans Sachs]], [[Jean Paul]], [[Frank Wedekind]], [[Christian Morgenstern]], [[Oskar Maria Graf]], [[Bertolt Brecht]], [[Lion Feuchtwanger]], [[Thomas Mann]]</span> and his sons <span lang="de">[[Klaus Mann|Klaus]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Golo Mann]]</span>.
*'''Scientists''' such as <span lang="de">[[Max Planck]], [[Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen]]</span>, and <span lang="de">[[Werner Heisenberg]]</span>, as well as <span lang="de">[[Adam Ries]], [[Joseph von Fraunhofer]], [[Georg Ohm]], [[Johannes Stark]], [[Carl von Linde]], [[Rudolf Moessbauer]], [[Helmut Hirt]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Robert Huber]]</span>.
*Well-known '''inventors''' such as <span lang="de">[[Martin Behaim]], [[Levi Strauss]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Rudolf Diesel]]</span>.
*'''Physicians''' like <span lang="de">[[Max Joseph von Pettenkofer]], [[Sebastian Kneipp]]</span> and the [[Neurology|neurologist]] <span lang="de">[[Alois Alzheimer]]</span>, who first described [[Alzheimer's Disease]].
*'''Footballers''' like <span lang="de">[[Franz Beckenbauer]], [[Sepp Maier]], [[Gerd Müller]], [[Paul Breitner]], [[Klaus Augenthaler]], [[Lothar Matthäus]], [[Bastian Schweinsteiger]], [[Philipp Lahm]], [[Thomas Hitzlsperger]], [[Christian Lell]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Andreas Ottl]]</span>.
*'''Actors''' like <span lang="de">[[Werner Stocker (actor)|Werner Stocker]]</span> and <span lang="de">Andreas Miltenberger</span> (''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' and ''[[Hannibal (film)|Hannibal]]'').
*'''Film directors''' <span lang="de">[[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]], [[Joseph Vilsmaier]]</span> and <span lang="de">[[Werner Herzog]]</span>.
* '''Mystic and prophet''' <span lang="de">[[Matthias Stormberger]]</span> (he apparently foresaw [[World War I]], [[World War II]] and the rise of [[Adolf Hitler]], in 1830.){{Fact|date=November 2007}}
*'''Mysterious people''': <span lang="de">[[Kaspar Hauser]]</span> (the famous foundling), [[The Smith of Kochel]] (legend).
*'''Sportsman''' like <span lang="de">[[Bernhard Langer]]</span> (golf)
*'''Legendary outlaws''' such as <span lang="de">[[Matthias Klostermayr]]</span>, better known as Bavarian Hiasl (German: Bayerische Hiasl, bavarian: Boarische Hiasl), Bavaria's Robin Hood (1736 - 1771).
*'''Dictator:''' [[Adolf Hitler]] lived in [[Munich]] for a while in the 1920s before his uprise in the 1930s
=== Company names ===
The motorcycle and automobile makers [[BMW]] (<span lang="de">''Bayerische Motoren-Werke''</span>, or Bavarian Motor Works) and <span lang="de">[[Audi]], [[Grundig]]</span> (consumer electronics), <span lang="de">[[Siemens AG|Siemens]]</span> (electricity, telephones, informatics, medical instruments), <span lang="de">[[Adidas]]</span> and [[Puma AG|Puma]], <span lang="de">HypoVereinsbank</span> (UniCredit Group), <span lang="de">Infineon</span> have (or had) a Bavarian industrial base.
The iconic, opening scenes of the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein film musical ''The Sound of Music'' were shot in the Bavarian Alps.
Bavaria has also given its name to a major [[Netherlands|Dutch]] brewery, ''[[Bavaria Brewery (Netherlands)|Bavaria Brewery]]''.
=== The meaning of the coat of arms ===
[[Image:Bavarian Herald.jpg|right|thumb|Bavarian herald <span lang="de">Joerg Rugenn</span> wearing a tabard of the arms around 1510]]
Modern coat of arms was designed by <span lang="de">[[Eduard Ege]]</span> in 1946, following heraldic traditions.
* The Golden Lion: At the dexter chief, sable, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued gules. This represents the administrative region of Upper Palatinate.
* The "Franconian Rake": At the sinister chief, per fess dancetty, gules and argent. This represents the administrative regions of Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia.
* The Blue Panther: At the dexter base, argent, a panther rampant azure, armed Or and langued gules. This represents the regions of Lower and Upper Bavaria.
* The Three Lions: At the sinister base, Or, three lions passant guardant sable, armed and langued gules. This represents Swabia.
* The White-And-Blue Heart-Shaped Shield: The heart-shaped shield of white and blue fusils askance was originally the coat of arms of the Counts of Bogen, adopted in 1247 by the <span lang="de">Wittelsbachs</span> House. The white-and-blue fusils are indisputably the emblem of Bavaria and the heart-shaped shield today symbolizes Bavaria as a whole. Along with the People's Crown, it is officially used as the Minor Coat of Arms.
* The People's Crown: The four coat fields with the heart-shaped shield in the centre are crowned with a golden band with precious stones decorated with five ornamental leaves. This crown appeared for the first time in the coat of arms in 1923 to symbolize sovereignty of the people after the dropping out of the royal crown.
{|
| Arms of the Bavarian electorate 1753: || [[Image:Bayern1753.jpg|90px]]
|-
| Arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria 1807: || [[Image:Bayern1807.jpg|90px]]
|-
| Arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria 1835: || [[Image:Bayern1835.jpg|90px]]
|}
=== Bavarian citizenship ===
The fact that unlike all other German <span lang="de">Länder</span>, Bavaria's constitution provides for Bavarian [[citizenship]] is often mentioned as an indicator for Bavarian distinctiveness. Some Bavarians are keen to emphasize that - in accordance with the generous indication of the constitution — they regard everyone
*born in Bavaria,
*born to a Bavarian parent,
*adopted by a Bavarian as a child,
*married to a Bavarian, or
*naturalized in Bavaria,
as a fellow-Bavarian; some of those falling under this untechnical definition express pride in being Bavarian. However, state legislation regulating citizenship procedures has never been enacted, the constitution itself provides that all Germans enjoy the same rights as Bavarian citizens, and no office issues certificates concerning a "Bavarian" citizenship. Thus, the notion of citizenship rather bears a folkloristic, but not really political meaning.
However, many of those born in Bavaria clearly divide between born Bavarians and people that only moved to Bavaria. The nickname for all those who came to Bavaria is <span lang="de">''Zugeroaste''</span> (<span lang="de">''Zugereiste''</span> = those who have traveled here).
Many people in the northern part of Bavaria see themselves as Franconians and do therefore not like to be called Bavarians. They have a separate dialect and don't wear traditional Bavarian clothing.
=== German-Bavarian relations ===
It is a common joke in Germany that Bavaria is not part of Germany. In fact a minority seriously agrees with this notion; the <span lang="de">''[[Bavaria Party|Bayernpartei]]''</span> (Bavaria Party) advocates Bavarian independence from Germany. It is important to note that Bavaria was the only state to reject the [[West German constitution]] in 1949. However this has had no consequences on its implementation. Furthermore, many NGOs ([[non-governmental organizations]]) have a German and a dedicated Bavarian branch. For example the Red Cross: <span lang="de">BRK (Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz)</span> in Bavaria and <span lang="de">DRK (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz)</span> in the rest of Germany. The main disintegrated factor might seem to be the fact that Bavaria has its very own political party ([[Christian Social Union of Bavaria|CSU]]) representing the free state in the <span lang="de">[[Bundestag]]</span>. However, the CSU always cooperates with CDU ([[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]])<ref>[http://www.csu.de Grüß Gott auf den Internetseiten der CSU<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, forming factions and building up the government with it. Thus, the existence of a dedicated party is not necessarily a disintegrating factor and is rather seen as a sign for political diversity in Germany. Bavaria fielded a border police force, much like the Federal German <span lang="de">Grenzschutz</span>, during the Cold War.
=== Bavarian culture overseas ===
The Bavarians take great pride in their culture. Traditions are taught to the children and descendants of Bavarian citizens through literature, music and cultural events. Whether actually in Bavaria, overseas or full citizens of other nations they continue to cultivate their traditions. They hold festivals and dances to keep their traditions alive. In New York the German American Cultural Society is a larger umbrella group for others such as the Bavarian organizations, which represent a specific part of Germany. They proudly put forth a German Parade each year. Various affiliated events take place amongst its groups, one of which is the Bavarian Dancers .
== Population and area ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! | Administrative region
! colspan="2" | Population (2006)
! colspan="2" | Area (km²)
! colspan="2" | No. municipalities
|-
| [[Lower Bavaria]]
| align="right" | 1,193,820
| align="right" | 9.6%
| align="right" | 10,330
| align="right" | 14.6%
| align="right" | 258
| align="right" | 12.5%
|-
| [[Lower Franconia]]
| align="right" | 1,337,876
| align="right" | 10.7%
| align="right" | 8,531
| align="right" | 12.1%
| align="right" | 308
| align="right" | 15.0%
|-
| [[Upper Franconia]]
| align="right" | 1,094,525
| align="right" | 8.8%
| align="right" | 7,231
| align="right" | 10.2%
| align="right" | 214
| align="right" | 10.4%
|-
| [[Middle Franconia]]
| align="right" | 1,712,622
| align="right" | 13.7%
| align="right" | 7,245
| align="right" | 10.3%
| align="right" | 210
| align="right" | 10.2%
|-
| [[Upper Palatinate]]
| align="right" | 1,087,939
| align="right" | 8.7%
| align="right" | 9,691
| align="right" | 13.7%
| align="right" | 226
| align="right" | 11.0%
|-
| [[Swabia (administrative region)|Swabia]]
| align="right" | 1,786,764
| align="right" | 14.3%
| align="right" | 9,992
| align="right" | 14.2%
| align="right" | 340
| align="right" | 16.5%
|-
| [[Upper Bavaria]]
| align="right" | 4,279,112
| align="right" | 34.3%
| align="right" | 17,530
| align="right" | 24.8%
| align="right" | 500
| align="right" | 24.3%
|-
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! '''Total'''
! align="right" | 12,492,658
! align="right" | 100.0%
! align="right" | 70,549
! align="right" | 100.0%
! align="right" | 2,056
! align="right" | 100.0%
|}
== See also ==
* [[List of rulers of Bavaria]]
* [[List of Premiers of Bavaria]]
* [[Former countries in Europe after 1815]]
* Extensive pictures of Bavaria in addition to those shown below are linked from in [[:Category:Bavaria]], where they are organized (predominantly) by locale.
== External links ==
{{Commonscat}}
* [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Churches_in_Bavaria Churches in Bavaria]
* http://www.bayern.de official website
* [http://www.bayregio.de platform with additional information about many cities in Bavaria]
* http://www.bavariandancers.com Tradition and Culture
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Template group
|list =
{{Swabian League}}
{{Bavarian Circle}}
{{Electors of the Holy Roman Empire after 1356}}
{{States of the Confederation of the Rhine}}
{{States of the German Confederation}}
{{States of the German Empire}}
{{Germany states}}
}}
[[Category:Bavaria| ]]
[[Category:States of Germany]]
[[Category:States of the Weimar Republic]]
[[af:Beiere]]
[[als:Bayern]]
[[ar:بافاريا]]
[[an:Babiera]]
[[ast:Estáu Llibre de Baviera]]
[[zh-min-nan:Bayern]]
[[be-x-old:Баварыя]]
[[bar:Baian]]
[[bs:Bavarska]]
[[br:Bavaria]]
[[bg:Бавария]]
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[[cy:Bafaria]]
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[[fy:Beieren]]
[[ga:An Bhaváir]]
[[gl:Baviera]]
[[ko:바이에른 주]]
[[hy:Բավարիա]]
[[hsb:Bayerska]]
[[hr:Bavarska]]
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[[id:Bayern]]
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[[ka:ბავარია]]
[[kw:Bayern]]
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[[la:Bavaria]]
[[lv:Bavārija]]
[[lb:Bayern]]
[[lt:Bavarija]]
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[[nah:Bavaria]]
[[nl:Beieren]]
[[nds-nl:Bayern]]
[[ja:バイエルン州]]
[[no:Bayern]]
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[[oc:Bavièra]]
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[[pl:Bawaria]]
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[[ksh:Bajore (Bundesland)]]
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[[rm:Baviera]]
[[qu:Bayern]]
[[ru:Бавария]]
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[[scn:Baviera]]
[[simple:Bavaria]]
[[sk:Bavorsko]]
[[sl:Bavarska]]
[[sr:Баварска]]
[[sh:Bavarska]]
[[fi:Baijeri]]
[[sv:Bayern]]
[[ta:பவேரியா]]
[[vi:Bayern]]
[[tr:Bavyera]]
[[uk:Баварія]]
[[vec:Baviera]]
[[vo:Bayän]]
[[yi:בייערן]]
[[zh:巴伐利亚]]