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Bavaria

Bavaria (/bəˈvɛəriə/ bə-VAIR-ee-ə; German: Bayern [ˈbaɪɐn] ⓘ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (German: Freistaat Bayern [ˈfʁaɪʃtaːt ˈbaɪɐn] ⓘ; Bavarian: Freistoot Bayern), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of 70,550.19 km2 (27,239.58 sq mi), Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total land area of Germany. With over 13 million inhabitants, it is the second largest German state in terms of population only to North Rhine-Westphalia, but due to its large size its population density is below the German average. Major cities include Munich (its capital and largest city, which is also the third largest city in Germany), Nuremberg, and Augsburg.

The history of Bavaria includes its earliest settlement by Iron Age Celtic tribes, followed by the conquests of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC, when the territory was incorporated into the provinces of Raetia and Noricum. It became the Duchy of Bavaria (a stem duchy) in the 6th century AD following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. It was later incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, became an independent kingdom after 1806, joined the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871 while retaining its title of kingdom, and finally became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.

Bavaria has a distinct culture, largely because of the state's Catholic heritage and conservative traditions, which includes a language, cuisine, architecture, festivals and elements of Alpine symbolism. The state also has the second largest economy among the German states by GDP figures, giving it the status of a wealthy German region.

Contemporary Bavaria also includes parts of the historical regions of Franconia and Swabia, in addition to Altbayern. (Full article...)

Selected article

Weißwurst
Weißwurst

Weißwurst [ˈvaɪsvʊɐ̯st] ⓘ, literally white sausage; Bavarian: Weißwuascht) is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. It is usually flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger and cardamom, although there are some variations. Then the mixture is stuffed into pork casings and separated into individual sausages measuring about ten to twelve centimeters in length and three to four centimeters in thickness.

As they are not smoked or otherwise preserved they are very perishable. Weißwürste were traditionally manufactured early in the morning and prepared and eaten as a snack between breakfast and lunch. There is a saying that the sausages should not be allowed to hear the noon chime of the church bells. Even today, most Bavarians never eat Weißwürste after lunchtime (though it is perfectly acceptable to have a lunch consisting of Weißwürste at, say, half past one). (Full article...)

Selected biography

Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer (German pronunciation: [ˈalbʀɛçt ˈdyʀɐ]) (May 21, 1471 – April 6, 1528) was a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. His still-famous works include the Apocalypse woodcuts, Knight, Death, and the Devil (1513), Saint Jerome in his Study (1514) and Melencolia I (1514), which has been the subject of extensive analysis and interpretation. His watercolours mark him as one of the first European landscape artists, while his ambitious woodcuts revolutionized the potential of that medium. Dürer's introduction of classical motifs into Northern art, through his knowledge of Italian artists and German humanists, have secured his reputation as one of the most important figures of the Northern Renaissance. This is reinforced by his theoretical treatise which involve principles of mathematics, perspective and ideal proportions.

Quotes

  • Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.

Christian Morgenstern (poet)

  • So certainly, if we can tell evil stories to make people sick, we can also tell good stories that make them well.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (film director)

  • Hopefully it won't be worse than it is already.

Karl Valentin

Selected image

Königsee
Königsee
Credit: Fanndian
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast of the German State of Bavaria (Bayern), near the German-Austrian Border. Lying near the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden in the municipality of Schönau am Königsee, just south of the Austrian city Salzburg in the German Alps, the Königssee is the deepest lake in Germany.

Did you know?

  • ...that there is a Bavarian citizenship (as opposed to a German citizenship)? Actually, the Bavarian constitution (Bavaria has a separate constitution that exists alongside the German constitution) explicitly provides for it in articles 6 and 7. Specifically, you become a Bavarian citizen by birth, by marriage or by being naturalized.

Subcategories

  • Bavaria
  • Geography of Bavaria
  • History of Bavaria
  • Heritage sites in Bavaria
  • Politics of Bavaria
  • Economy of Bavaria
  • Culture of Bavaria
  • Sport in Bavaria
  • Buildings and structures in Bavaria

Topics

Cities of Bavaria: Munich • Nuremberg • Augsburg • Würzburg • Regensburg • Ingolstadt • Fürth • Erlangen • Bayreuth • Bamberg • Aschaffenburg

Regions of Bavaria: Lower Bavaria • Lower Franconia • Upper Franconia • Middle Franconia • Upper Palatinate • Swabia • Upper Bavaria

Politics of Bavaria: List of Ministers-President of Bavaria • Bavarian state election, 2008 • Landtag of Bavaria

Economy of Bavaria: BMW • Siemens • Audi • Allianz • Adidas • MAN

History of Bavaria: List of Ministers-President of Bavaria • Agilolfings • Kingdom of Bavaria • House of Wittelsbach • Bavarian Council Republic

Symbols: Coat of arms of Bavaria • Flag of Bavaria • Bayernhymne • Bavaria statue • Coat of arms of Munich • Münchner Kindl

Original languages: Austro-Bavarian (boarisch) • Swabian • Low Alemannic • East Franconian

Culture: Paganism in the Eastern Alps • Lederhosen • Dirndl • Maibaum • Oktoberfest • Hofbräuhaus am Platzl • Academy of Fine Arts, Munich • Der Blaue Reiter • Bavarian National Museum • Pinakothek der Moderne • Neue Pinakothek • Alte Pinakothek

The Zugspitze massif from the northeast

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