Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state in Germany. It borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony. The state covers an area of 20,451 square kilometres and has a population of about 2.14 million people. Its capital city is Magdeburg.

Saxony-Anhalt was formed in July 1945 after World War II. It was created by the Soviet army administration from parts of the old Prussian Province of Saxony and the Free State of Anhalt. Later, it became part of the German Democratic Republic, but was dissolved in 1952. After German reunification in 1990, Saxony-Anhalt was re-established as a state in modern Germany.

One special feature of Saxony-Anhalt is that it has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany. Some of these sites include the Bauhaus sites in Dessau, the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, and the Nebra sky disc. These places show the rich history and culture of the region.

Geography

Saxony-Anhalt is one of the 16 constituent states of Germany. It lies in the western part of eastern Germany. It is the 8th largest state by size and the 11th largest by population.

The state borders four other German states: Brandenburg to the north-east, Saxony to the south-east, Thuringia to the south-west, and Lower Saxony to the north-west.

In the north, the land is mostly flat, part of the North German Plain. Important old towns here include Salzwedel, Gardelegen, Stendal, and Tangermünde. The southern part features the Harz mountains, home to the Harz National Park. The highest peak is Brocken, standing at 1,141 meters tall. Towns in this area include Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Thale, Eisleben, and Quedlinburg. The region also includes areas known for growing wine along the Saale and Unstrut rivers, with towns such as Zeitz, Naumburg (Saale), Weißenfels, and Freyburg (Unstrut).

Administrative subdivisions

Aerial view to the city centre of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt's capital city

Further information: Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Saxony-Anhalt

The capital and largest city of Saxony-Anhalt is Magdeburg. The second-largest city in the state is Halle (Saale).

Saxony-Anhalt's second most populous city, Halle (Saale), is the seat of the state's largest university

The districts are:

The independent cities are:

Wittenberg was once one of the most important cities in Germany, especially for its close connection with Martin Luther

Dessau-Roßlau
Halle (Saale)
Magdeburg

Largest towns

The largest towns in Saxony-Anhalt as of 30 June 2022:

Magdeburg - [Capital city](/wiki/Capital_city) of Saxony-Anhalt - The [Magdeburg Cathedral](/wiki/Magdeburg_Cathedral) is the city's landmark.

Halle is the second-largest city in Saxony-Anhalt.

Dessau market square

Inside the old town of Wittenberg, a [UNESCO World Heritage Site](/wiki/World_Heritage_Site)

Halberstadt with its churches

[Merseburg](/wiki/Merseburg) with its castle and cathedral

Castle in Wernigerode

Rank	City	Population
1	Magdeburg	241,517
2	Halle	226,586
3	Dessau-Roßlau	75,938
4	Lutherstadt Wittenberg	45,010
5	Weißenfels	38,228
6	Halberstadt	36,676
7	Stendal	37,406
8	Bitterfeld-Wolfen	36,552
9	Merseburg	33,302
10	Wernigerode	32,477

History

Main article: History of Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt has a shorter history as a state compared to other parts of Germany. It was created in 1945 from parts of old Prussian lands and three different historic areas: around Magdeburg, the independent area of Anhalt, and a southern part that used to belong to Saxony but was taken over by Prussia in the 1800s. You can still see this history in the state's coat of arms.

In 1945, the US Army took control of the western and northern parts of what would become Saxony-Anhalt. They put new leaders in charge who were not linked to the Nazi party. Later, the Soviet Army took over this area, and in July 1945 they combined several regions to form Saxony-Anhalt. The city of Halle an der Saale became its capital. Over time, Saxony-Anhalt became part of East Germany and then was reunited with West Germany in 1990.

Demographics

Since Germany reunited, Saxony-Anhalt has seen its population slowly decrease. This happens because many people move away and because more people pass away than are born. Even though the number of babies being born has stayed about the same since 1994, not enough babies are born to replace the older people.

Saxony-Anhalt has a long history linked to the Lutheran faith. However, during Communist times, people were not encouraged to follow any religion, so many stopped. Today, most people in Saxony-Anhalt do not follow any religion. Only a small part of the population belongs to Christian groups, and an even smaller number follow other religions. The rest of the people do not belong to any religion at all.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1990	2,873,957	—
1995	2,738,928	−4.7%
2000	2,615,375	−4.5%
2005	2,469,716	−5.6%
2011	2,287,040	−7.4%
2022	2,146,443	−6.1%
Source:

Politics

Main article: Politics of Saxony-Anhalt

In 2021, Reiner Haseloff from the CDU party kept his job as leader after working together with the SPD and FDP parties. Before this election, the group included the CDU, SPD, and Greens parties.

Main article: List of minister-presidents of Saxony-Anhalt

Main article: Ministry of Finance (Saxony-Anhalt)

Main article: Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt

Economy

The economy of Saxony-Anhalt is an important part of Germany. In 2018, the total value of goods and services made in the state was 62.7 billion euros. This was about 1.9% of all of Germany's economy and ranked 13th among the 16 German states.

After the changes in Germany in 1990, Saxony-Anhalt faced hard times but has since improved. Today, it has a strong mix of industries, including chemical production, farming, and wind energy. The state is also known for its tasty foods, like special cakes from Salzwedel and chocolate from Halle. Saxony-Anhalt even has more World Heritage Sites than any other German state, drawing visitors to places like Quedlinburg and Wittenberg.

Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Unemployment rate in %	20.2	19.7	19.6	20.5	20.3	20.2	18.3	15.9	13.9	13.6	12.5	11.6	11.5	11.2	10.7	10.2	9.6	8.4

Transport

Saxony-Anhalt has special bicycle routes that connect to other countries and parts of Germany. Some of these routes include the Eurovelo network and the German Cycling Network.

The main airport in the region is Leipzig/Halle Airport. It offers flights to many places in Germany and Europe and is an important center for cargo flights.

Education

Saxony-Anhalt has several universities where students can study. Some of these universities include:

Anthem

The anthem of Saxony-Anhalt is called "Lied für Sachsen-Anhalt", which means "Song for Saxony-Anhalt". The motto of the state is "Land of the Early Risers".