Federal Republic
Germany is a federal democracy. The Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › and the 16 Länder (states) each have their own areas of responsibility. Responsibility for internal security, schools, universities, culture, and municipal administration lies with the states. At the same time, state administrations implement both their own laws and also those of the Federal Government. State governments are directly involved in the federal legislative process through their representatives on the Bundesrat The Bundesrat The Bundesrat represents the federal states and alongside the Bundestag is a form of Second Chamber. It is obliged to deliberate on each federal law. As the chamber of the federal states, the Bundesrat has the same function as those Second Chambers in other federal states that are mostly referred… Read more › .
Federalism in Germany is more than just a system of government. Deeply rooted in tradition, it reflects the country’s decentralised cultural and economic structure. Over and above their political function, the states also embody distinct regional identities. Their key role was enshrined in the Basic Law The Basic Law The Basic Law determines that Germany is a constitutional state: All state authorities are subject to judicial control. Section 1 of the Basic Law is of particular relevance. It stipulates that respect for human dignity is the most important aspect of the constitution: “Human dignity shall be… Read more › in 1949.
Germany’s 16 federal states
Since reunification in 1990, Germany has consisted of 16 federal states Federal states Germany is a federal state. Both the central federal government and the 16 federal states have independent areas of jurisdiction. The government in Berlin is responsible for foreign policy, European policy, defense, justice, employment, social affairs, tax and health. The federal states are… Read more › ; five new states were established when the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic: Brandenburg Brandenburg Brandenburg surrounds the capital city of Berlin and benefits from the latter’s “gin and martini belt”. However, with its numerous lakes and forests it also has several trump cards of its own. With the Hohenzollern castles, and in particular Sanssouci Castle, which is included in the UNESCO World… Read more › , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony Saxony Meissen may well be a small town but, thanks to its porcelain, is as well known as the state capital Dresden and Leipzig, the trade-fair city. The Free State is one of the most dynamic economic regions in East Germany, in particular in IT; precision watch-making and car-making are typical of this… Read more › , Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia Thuringia The mountains in the Thuringian Forest provide a backdrop for one of Germany’s most beautiful trails, the 168-kilometer long Rennsteig. It is just as much a trademark of the state as its long thin sausages, the historic Wartburg and the Weimar poets Goethe and Schiller. However, Thuringia not only… Read more › . North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia No state in Germany has more inhabitants than North Rhine-Westphalia, and there is a correspondingly large number of cities: Cologne, with its Gothic cathedral, Bonn, the Federal Republic’s first capital city, Düsseldorf, the fashion-conscious state capital, Aachen, under the rule of Charlemagne… Read more › is the state with the biggest population at around 18 million, while Bavaria Bavaria The “beer state” of Bavaria also produces fine wine in the Franconia region. The Oktoberfest, Neuschwanstein Castle and the magnificent Alpine scenery attract more foreign tourists than does any other federal state. Yet the slogan “Laptop and Lederhose” demonstrates that there is more to Bavaria… Read more › is the largest in terms of surface area at around 70,540 square kilometres. The territory of three federal states is limited to a single metropolitan region: these are the “city states” of Berlin Berlin Once a year, during the Berlinale film festival, the world of the silver screen focuses its attention on Berlin. And the city’s inhabitants are used to global interest. After all, the people of Berlin have lived in a capital city since 1458. However, there is also a shady side to the city’s history… Read more › , Bremen Bremen The Hanseatic city of Bremen arose through classic maritime trading, in particular with coffee. In the smallest of the federal states (divided into the city of Bremen, and Bremerhaven, some 60 kilometers to the north) the port accounts for every fifth job. The largest private employer, however, is… Read more › /Bremerhaven and Hamburg Hamburg In the city and state of Hamburg it is the port that is the power-house of the economy, though with Airbus, Otto Versand and Beiersdorf also located here, this is not immediately apparent. The tanker terminals, mean that almost all the major oil-refining companies are represented in the port. For… Read more › .
Eine Reise durch die Bundesländer
Baden-Württemberg
The third-largest state is located in south-west Germany, bordering France and Switzerland. The state capital is Stuttgart. With a population of over eleven million, Baden-Württemberg is well-known for its holiday regions such as the Black Forest and its cultural centres such as Heidelberg (photo). It is also an economic powerhouse. Baden-Württemberg is Germany's number one export state and home to both large, internationally famous corporations and smaller global market leaders – so-called “hidden champions”.
Bavaria
In the south-east of Germany lies the largest federal state with its panorama of the Alps to the south. Germany’s highest mountain is also to be found in Bavaria: the Zugspitze. The state capital of Munich (photo) hosts the world’s biggest funfair and beer festival every year: the Oktoberfest. With a population of over 13 million, Bavaria is also home to Bayern Munich, Germany’s most successful football club. It is one of the Germany’s most powerful regions economically.
Berlin
As a “city state”, the capital of Germany is also a federal state in its own right – like Hamburg and Bremen. A divided city until the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, it now has a population of nearly four million. Berlin’s landmarks are known worldwide, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building (photo) – the seat of the Bundestag – and Checkpoint Charlie on what was once the border between East and West Germany. The capital offers rich cultural diversity, including the Museum Island in the heart of the city – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Brandenburg
This federal state surrounds the vibrant capital of Berlin. A sparsely populated region with forests and some 3,000 lakes, it attracts numerous city dwellers at the weekend. Around 2.5 million people live in Brandenburg, more than a million fewer than in Berlin. The state capital of Potsdam with the world-famous Sanssouci Palace (photo) borders directly on Germany’s capital city.
Bremen
This “city state” is the smallest federal state and is made up of two cities: Bremen and Bremerhaven, located around 60 kilometres to the north and directly on the North Sea coast. It has a population of some 700,000. The Bremen Town Musicians (photo) are an emblem of the city: it has a statue commemorating the adventures of the donkey, dog, cat and cockerel – the characters in the folk tale of the same name.
Hamburg
The Hanseatic city of Hamburg is the second largest in Germany and also one of the three “city states”. With a population of nearly two million, it is Germany’s largest seaport – a gateway to the world. A longstanding tradition of trade and commerce is still very much in evidence in this cosmopolitan northern metropolis. The Elbphilharmonie concert hall (photo) has recently become established as a new landmark, offering concerts, fascinating architecture and spectacular views of the city and harbour.
Hesse
After the Second World War, Hesse’s financial and commercial hub Frankfurt am Main was under discussion to become the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, but Bonn was chosen instead. With its skyline, stock exchange and Germany’s biggest airport, Frankfurt (photo) still defines the image of Hesse to this day, though the state capital is nearby Wiesbaden. Hesse has a population of more than six million, and it is also one of the most densely forested regions in Germany.
Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
Located in the north-east of Germany and with a population of 1.6 million, the most sparsely populated federal state is a scenic paradise: with more than 2,000 lakes and 350 kilometres of Baltic coastline, it is one of the country’s most popular travel destinations. Germany’s biggest island, Usedom, is also located in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. The capital is Schwerin, and the imposing Schwerin Castle (photo) with its thousand-year history is the seat of the state parliament since 1990.
Lower Saxony
The second largest federal state in terms of surface area extends from the North Sea islands of East Frisia such as Borkum and Norderney to the Harz, a low mountain range. With a population of some eight million, the state has an economy that is dominated by tourism and agriculture. The automotive industry is also a key factor, while important trade fairs are held in the state capital of Hanover (photo).
North Rhine-Westphalia
Germany’s most populous federal state unites areas as diverse as the Ruhr region, once well-known for coal mining, and the Rhineland with the city of Cologne (photo) and the state capital Düsseldorf in the centre. North Rhine-Westphalia is in transition, too: in this state with a population of 18 million, research and culture are now taking the place of coal mining. Up until reunification in 1990, the city of Bonn near Cologne was the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Rhineland-Palatinate
The federal state in the south-west is Germany’s leading wine-growing region: six of the 13 German wine-growing areas are located in Rhineland-Palatinate, including the largest of them, namely Rheinhessen (photo). Historically, the Romans left their mark on the region more than 2,000 years ago: nowhere else in Germany are there more Roman monuments. Rhineland-Palatinate has a population of some four million and its capital is Mainz.
Saarland
It was not until 1957 that Saarland became the tenth federal state of the Federal Republic of Germany, having initially been a semi-autonomous state with close ties to France after the Second World War. The lives of its almost one million inhabitants today are very much defined by the fact that is situated in the greater European region of SaarLorLux, which extends across parts of Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium. Saarbrücken (photo) is the state capital of Germany’s smallest territorial state.
Saxony
Located on the border to Poland and the Czech Republic, the Free State of Saxony is able to look back on more than 1,000 years of history. With a population of four million, the state is a key business hub in eastern Germany but it also attracts numerous visitors every year to the state capital Dresden (photo) – known as “Florence on the River Elbe” – as well as the economic and cultural metropolis of Leipzig and the Ore Mountains.
Saxony-Anhalt
The federal state at the centre of Germany has one of the highest densities of World Heritage Sites with a total of six. These include the Bauhaus in Dessau, the memorials to Martin Luther in Eisleben and Wittenberg and the historic centre of Quedlinburg (photo). With a population of around two million, this state is also an important centre for the chemical industry and European chip production. The state capital is Magdeburg.
Schleswig-Holstein
As the “land between the seas”, Schleswig-Holstein lies between the North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east, bordering Denmark to the north. Germany’s northernmost federal state has a population of almost three million and its capital is Kiel. With islands such as Sylt (photo), the state is among the most popular holiday regions. Stretching from the Netherlands to Germany and Denmark, the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site is considered a landmark.
Thuringia
This state is geographically located at the heart of Germany and it was where Goethe, Bach and Luther lived: the composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived in Weimar for many years (photo) and the reformer Martin Luther translated the New Testament of the Bible into German at Wartburg Castle. The state has a population of over two million and its capital is Erfurt.
