Saxony

Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany. It borders Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and its largest city is Leipzig. With an area of 18,413 square kilometres, Saxony is the tenth largest of Germany’s sixteen states and the seventh most populous, home to more than 4 million people.

The name Saxony has been used for over a thousand years. It refers to many historical areas and governments, including the medieval Duchy of Saxony, the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Saxony. The first Free State of Saxony was created in 1918 as part of the Weimar Republic. After World War II, the area was under Soviet control and became part of East Germany. Following German reunification in 1990, Saxony was re-established as one of the new states of modern Germany.

Today, Saxony is also home to the Sorbs, a West Slavic ethnic group with around 80,000 members living in the region. The history and culture of Saxony offer a rich tapestry of traditions and changes through many centuries.

History

Main article: History of Saxony

Saxony has a long history. It started as a duchy, then became an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, and later a kingdom. In 1918, after Germany lost World War I, its monarchy ended and it became a republic under its current name. During communist rule from 1949 to 1989, Saxony was split into smaller parts, but it was restored on October 3, 1990 when East and West Germany reunited.

In ancient times, the area of Saxony had large temples built thousands of years ago. Important archaeological finds have been made near Dresden and Leipzig. The Germanic people began living in this area around the first century BC.

Later, the area was controlled by different groups, including the Sorbs. It became part of the Holy Roman Empire and was influenced by many rulers over the centuries. Saxony played a role in European history, including periods when its rulers were also kings of Poland.

During the 19th century, Saxony became a kingdom and joined the German Confederation. It experienced political changes and conflicts, including wars with Prussia. In the 20th century, Saxony was part of many big changes in Germany, from the Weimar Republic to World War II and then to life in East Germany before reuniting with the rest of Germany in 1990.

Geography

Saxony has many interesting landscapes. The highest mountain is Fichtelberg, which stands tall in the Western Ore Mountains.

The land is crossed by several rivers. The most important is the Elbe. The Neisse river marks the border with Poland. Other rivers include the Mulde and the White Elster.

Some of the biggest cities in Saxony are Leipzig, Dresden, Chemnitz, Zwickau, Plauen, Görlitz, Freiberg, Freital, and Bautzen. Leipzig and Halle, which lies in Saxony-Anhalt, form a large urban area with shared transportation and airport services.

Politics

Saxony is a parliamentary democracy. The Minister President of Saxony leads the government. Michael Kretschmer has been the Minister President since December 13, 2017.

In the 2024 European Parliament election, AfD received the most votes in Saxony, with 31.8% of the ballots. Other states where AfD became the strongest party include Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Brandenburg. These states, like Saxony, were part of East Germany. Compared to the last election in 2019, AfD increased their support in Saxony.

The CDU/CSU got 21.8% of the votes, making them the second strongest group. BSW came third with 12.6% of the votes. The Left lost many votes compared to 2019.

Saxony has 16 constituencies for the Bundestag.

Saxony is divided into 10 districts, including Bautzen, Erzgebirgskreis, Görlitz, Leipzig, Meissen, Mittelsachsen, Nordsachsen, Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, Vogtlandkreis, and Zwickau. Three cities have special status as urban districts: Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig.

Government office	Picture	Name	Party		State Secretary	Party
Minister President		Michael Kretschmer		CDU
First Deputy of the Minister President		Wolfram Günther		B'90/Die Grünen
Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate protection, Environment und Agriculture (SMEKUL)					Gerd Lippold Gisela Reetz		B'90/Die Grünen
Second Deputy of the Minister President		Martin Dulig		SPD
Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport (SMWA)					Hartmut Mangold Ines Fröhlich		SPD
Saxon State Ministry of the Interior (SMI)		Roland Wöller		CDU	Thomas Rechentin Head of office		CDU
Saxon State Ministry of Finance (SMF)		Hartmut Vorjohann		CDU	Dirk Diedrichs Head of office		non-party
Saxon State Ministry of Justice and for Democracy, European Affairs and Equality (SMJ)		Katja Meier		B'90/Die Grünen	Mathias Weilandt Gesine Märtens		B'90/Die Grünen
Saxon State Ministry of Education (SMK)		Christian Piwarz		CDU	Herbert Wolff		CDU
Saxon State Ministry of Science (SMWK)		Sebastian Gemkow		CDU	Andrea Franke		CDU
Saxon State Ministry of Culture and Tourism (SMWK)		Barbara Klepsch		CDU
Saxon State Ministry of Social Affairs (SMS)		Petra Köpping		SPD	Uwe Gaul (until July 5, 2021) Sebastian Vogel (since July 6, 2021) Dagmar Neukirch		SPD
Saxon State Ministry of Regional Development (SMR)		Thomas Schmidt		CDU	Frank Pfeil		non-party
Head of the Saxon State Chancellery and State Minister of Federal matters and Media		Oliver Schenk		CDU	Thomas Popp Digital Administration and Administrative modernization (Member of the state government) Conrad Clemens Authorized representative of the free state Saxony to the federal government of Germany		CDU

Demographics

Saxony is one of the more crowded parts of Germany, even though some areas are quieter than others. Over the years, the number of people living there has gone down, especially after a big change in 1989. But recently, more people have been moving in, and families are getting bigger, so the population is staying steady again. Big cities like Leipzig and Dresden are growing.

Many people in Saxony do not follow a particular religion. The biggest group is Protestant, followed by a smaller number of Roman Catholics. There are also smaller communities of other faiths, including Buddhist and Sikh groups, each with their own places of worship. The state also homes the Sorb people, a smaller group with their own language and traditions, who live mainly in the eastern part of Saxony.

Economy

The Gross domestic product of Saxony was 124.6 billion euros in 2018, making up 3.7% of Germany's total economy. People in Saxony had a high standard of living, with earnings close to the average across Europe. The state is known for its strong technology industries.

Saxony has a busy economy, especially in making cars, machines, and technology. Cities like Dresden and Leipzig attract many visitors each year, and the area has a long history of making important products like watches and tools. The state also trades a lot with other countries, especially China and the United States.

Saxony is a popular place for tourists to visit. Beautiful cities such as Dresden and Leipzig draw many people, along with scenic areas near the border with the Czech Republic, like the Lusatian Mountains, Ore Mountains, Saxon Switzerland, and Vogtland. Historic towns such as Görlitz, Bautzen, Freiberg, Pirna, Meissen, and Stolpen offer a glimpse into the past, complete with many castles and palaces. New attractions are also growing, especially in the Lusatian Lake District.

• Dresden is one of the most visited cities in Germany and Europe.

• The Dresden Frauenkirche. It now serves as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies.

• Leipziger Neuseenland is a large lake district south of Leipzig, one of Germany's most vibrant cities.

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  The Bastei bridge in Saxon Switzerland

• The Rakotz bridge at Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau

• The historical city of Görlitz

• The Elbe valley with Meissen in the background

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  Saxony is home to numerous castles, such as Schloss Moritzburg north of Dresden.

• Oberwiesenthal, Ore Mountains

Education

Saxony has many places for learning, including four large universities, six special universities for applied sciences, and six schools for art.

One of the oldest universities in Germany is the Dresden University of Technology, started in 1828. It is part of a group called TU9 that includes top technology schools. Another famous school is Leipzig University, founded in 1409, which is one of the oldest universities in the world.

Other important schools in Saxony include the Chemnitz University of Technology and the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, the oldest mining school in the world. Saxony also has research centers like the Max Planck Institutes and part of the German National Library in Leipzig.

Culture

Saxony is part of Central Germany and has helped shape German culture throughout history.

Languages

The most common local ways of speaking in Saxony are part of the "Thuringian and Upper Saxon dialects". Upper Sorbian (a West Slavic language) is spoken by the Sorbian minority in parts of Upper Lusatia.

Motherland of the Reformation

Saxony is often called the home of the Reformation. It became mostly Lutheran Protestant during this time, starting in the early 1500s.

The area known as Electoral Saxony was where the Reformation began. Martin Luther helped organize the Lutheran church there. Even though some important sites linked to Luther are in Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony is seen as the main successor to Luther’s work.

Sports

In 2020, Saxony had over 4,400 sports clubs with more than 600,000 members. The most popular sport is football. RB Leipzig plays in the top German league, the Bundesliga, and also in Europe’s Champions League. Leipzig has a long history with football, with one of its teams being the first national champion in Germany. Handball is also popular, with SC DHfK Leipzig in the Bundesliga. Other popular local sports include table tennis, cycling, mountaineering, and volleyball.

Rock climbing

Saxony was one of the first places in the world where modern rock climbing began as a hobby. Falkenstein near Bad Schandau is where German rock climbing started in 1864.

Winter sports

The Ore Mountains in southern Saxony are a traditional center for winter sports, with training facilities for Germany’s Winter Olympics team. The town of Oberwiesenthal is Germany’s highest town, though its mountains are not as tall as those in Southern Germany’s alpine areas.

Art

Dresden and Leipzig are Saxony’s two major cultural centers. Dresden, a political center, is famous for its art collections, including the Dresden State Art Collections with the Green Vault and Zwinger. Leipzig, a trading city, is known for its links to classical music, with composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Mendelssohn, and Wagner. Leipzig is also famous for its modern art, especially the Neue Leipziger Schule (New Leipzig School) with artists such as Neo Rauch.

Porcelain

Saxony was the first place in Europe to make white porcelain. The Meissen Porcelain factory has been making porcelain since 1710 and is one of the world’s oldest and most famous luxury brands.

Cuisine

Main article: Saxon cuisine

Saxon food is hearty and includes many special sauces that go with the main dish. Potato dumplings (Klöße/Knödel) are often served instead of potatoes, pasta, or rice. Fresh fish is also common. The area around Dresden has Germany’s easternmost wine region (see: Saxony (wine region)).

Anthem

Saxony has its own anthem called ‘Gott segne Sachsenland’ (God save Saxony), which uses the melody of God save the King.

Transport

Air

Saxony has two big airports that connect it to other places in Germany and Europe.

These airports are Leipzig/Halle Airport and Dresden Airport. They offer flights to many destinations across Germany and Europe.