The 16 Länder
The Federal Republic of Germany consists of 16 federal states. The powers of the state are divided between government as a whole, the Federal Government and the federal states. The latter have independent, if limited government authority. Historically, they were preceded by more than twice as many kingdoms, principalities and small manorial towns. To this day, Germans, be they from Bavaria, Saxony, Frisia or Hesse, bring this history to life with their many dialects and traditions.
Find out more about the individual states - none of them is like the other.
An inventive spirit and vigour, hard work and thrift – that’s the Baden-Württembergers’ recipe for success.
Baden-Württemberg
The Bavarians’ pronounced sense of belonging to their state is rooted in their history, which goes back more than a thousand years.
Bavaria
Berlin – the divided city. That was the status quo after the 1948 blockade and the construction of the Wall in 1961.
Berlin
In days gone by Brandenburg was the heart of Prussia; now it is a region fit for the future in a united Europe, with Berlin at its centre.
Brandenburg
The "Free Hanseatic City of Bremen", encompassing Bremen and Bremerhaven, has been shaped by seafaring, trade and port activities.
Bremen
Hamburg is Germany’s gateway to the world, the country’s largest maritime port and most important focal point for foreign trade.
Hamburg
Located right in the heart of the country, Hesse has one of the healthiest economies of all the German federal states.
Hesse
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, once known as the "state of castles and cottages", the landscape has a clear influence on the local people.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
When West and East Germany were still divided, Lower Saxony was the federal state with the longest stretch (550 km) of the border separating the two states.
Lower Saxony
Rhineland Palatinate lies at the centre of Europe, right at the heart of that continent striving for ever-closer integration.
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland is a pioneer among the German federal states when it comes to progress towards a united Europe.
Saarland
Saxony’s international historical reputation never stemmed primarily from military might, but was rooted instead in the peaceful development of trade, the economy, intellectual prowess and splendour.
The Free State of Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt, the federal state on the banks of the Elbe and Saale rivers, lies at the very heart of German history.
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein, lying between the North Sea and the Baltic, constitutes a link between the European Union, Scandinavia and the other states surrounding the Baltic Sea.
Schleswig Holstein
