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Baden-Württemberg

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Coordinates:48°32′16″N9°2′28″E/ 48.53778°N 9.04111°E/48.53778; 9.04111
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This article is about the German state. For the warship, seeBaden-Württemberg-class frigate.

Baden-Württemberg
State
Flag of Baden-Württemberg
Flag
Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg
Coat of arms
Official logo of Baden-Württemberg
Anthem: "Badnerlied"(unofficial)
Map
Coordinates:48°32′16″N9°2′28″E/ 48.53778°N 9.04111°E/48.53778; 9.04111
CountryGermany
Founded25 April 1952[1]
CapitalStuttgart
Government
• BodyLandtag of Baden-Württemberg
•Minister-PresidentWinfried Kretschmann(Greens)
• Governing partiesGreens/CDU
•Bundesrat votes6 (of 69)
•Bundestag seats102 (of 736)
Area
[2]
• Total35,751.46 km2(13,803.72 sq mi)
Population
(2020-09-30)[3]
• Total11,111,496 ·3rd
• Density311/km2(810/sq mi)
GDP
[4]
• Total€572.837 billion (2022)
• Per capita€50,982 (2022)
Time zoneUTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2(CEST)
ISO 3166 codeDE-BW
NUTS RegionDE1
HDI(2021)0.956[5]
very high·3rd
Websitebaden-wuerttemberg.de
A campaign sticker developed byScholz & Friends,translated, "We can [do] anything. Except [speak]Standard German."That is an allusion to Baden-Württemberg being one of the principal centres for innovation in Germany and having its own distinctivedialects.

Baden-Württemberg(/ˌbɑːdənˈvɜːrtəmbɜːrɡ/BAH-dənVURT-əm-burg,[6]German:[ˌbaːdn̩ˈvʏʁtəmbɛʁk]ⓘ), commonly shortened toBWorBaWü,is aGerman state(Land) inSouthwest Germany,east of theRhine,which forms the southern part of Germany's western border withFrance.With more than 11.07 million inhabitants as of 2019across a total area of nearly 35,752 km2(13,804 sq mi), it is the third-largest German state by botharea(behindBavariaandLower Saxony) andpopulation(behindNorth Rhine-Westphaliaand Bavaria).[7]As afederated state,Baden-Württemberg is a partly-sovereignparliamentary republic.Thelargest city in Baden-Württembergis the state capital ofStuttgart,followed byMannheimandKarlsruhe.Other major cities areFreiburg im Breisgau,Heidelberg,Heilbronn,Pforzheim,Reutlingen,Tübingen,andUlm.

What is now Baden-Württemberg was formerly the historical territories ofBaden,PrussianHohenzollern,andWürttemberg.Baden-Württemberg became a state ofWest Germanyin April 1952 through the merger ofSouth Baden,Württemberg-Baden,andWürttemberg-Hohenzollern.These three states had been artificially created by theAlliesafterWorld War IIout of the existing traditional states by their separation over different occupation zones.

Baden-Württemberg is especially known for its strong economy with various industries likecar manufacturing,electrical engineering,mechanical engineering,theservice sector,and more.[8][9][10]It has thethird-highestgross regional product(GRP) in Germany. Part of theFour Motors for Europeand located in theBlue Banana,some of thelargest German companiesare headquartered in Baden-Württemberg, includingMercedes-Benz Group,Schwarz Group,Porsche,BoschandSAP.

ThesobriquetLändle,adiminutiveof the wordLandin the localSwabian,AlemannicandFranconiandialects, is sometimes used as a synonym for Baden-Württemberg.[11][12][13]

History[edit]

Main article:History of Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is formed from the historical territories ofWürttemberg,Badenand PrussianHohenzollern.[14]Baden spans along the flat right bank of the riverRhinefrom north-west to the south (Lake Constance) of the present state, whereas Württemberg and Hohenzollern lay more inland and hillier, including areas such as theSwabian Juramountain range. TheBlack Forestformed part of the border between Baden and Württemberg.

In 100 AD, theRoman Empireinvaded and occupied Württemberg, constructing alimes[a]along its northern borders. Over the course of the third century AD, theAlemanniforced the Romans to retreat west beyond theRhineandDanuberivers. In 496 AD theAlemanniwere defeated by aFrankishinvasion led byClovis I.

The Holy Roman Empire was later established. The majority of people in this region continued to be Roman Catholics, even after theProtestant Reformationinfluenced populations in northern Germany.

In the late 18th and early 19th century,Künzelsau,the capital of theHohenlohe district,became the centre of emigration to the UK of pork butchers and bacon factors. The pioneers noticed a niche for speciality pork products in the rapidly growing English cities, especially those in the industrial centre and North. Many married local women and sent word home that a good living could be made in England; others followed.[15]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous people emigrated from this primarily rural area to theUnited Statesfor economic reasons.

20th century to present[edit]

At the beginning of the 20th century, the territory of modern-day Baden-Württemberg consisted of theGrand Duchy of Baden,[b]theKingdom of Württemberg[c]and theprovince of Hohenzollern[d]of theKingdom of Prussia.Since 1871, these had been part of theGerman Empire.In the aftermath of World War I and as part of theGerman revolution of 1918,the monarchs of Baden,[e]Württemberg[f]and Prussia[g]were deposed, and these states became democratic republics: theRepublic of Baden,theFree People's State of Württembergand theFree State of Prussia.

FollowingAdolf Hitlerbecomingchancellor of Germanyin 1933, the democratic institutions of Baden, Württemberg and Prussia were abolished as part of theGleichschaltung.

After World War II, theAlliesestablished three states in the territory of modern-day Baden-Württemberg: (South)Baden,[h]Württemberg-Baden[i]andWürttemberg-Hohenzollern.[j]BadenandWürttemberg-Hohenzollernwere occupied byFrance,whileWürttemberg-Badenwas occupied by theUnited States.The new artificial borders were a consequence of France requesting its own occupation zone in Germany after World War II, and the Americans' wish to keep theA8 motorway,which spans east-west across northern Baden and northern Württemberg, wholly within their occupation zone.

In 1949, each state became a founding member of theFederal Republic of Germany(West Germany), with Article 118 of theGerman constitutionproviding an accession procedure. On 9 December 1951,a referendumwas held in Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern and (South) Baden over a possible merger, or the restoration of the former pre-war states.[7]There was strong support for the merger in Württemberg and Hohenzollern, but opposition in Baden. While a majority in the historic area of Baden (52%) voted to restore the former pre-war states, the majority of voters overall (69%) voted in favor of a merger.[7]Baden-Württemberg officially became astateon 25 April 1952.[7]

There were still opponents to the merger of Baden and Württemberg, however. In 1956 theFederal Constitutional Courtdecided that the population of Baden should have their say in a separate referendum. The second referendum was delayed, however, and the Federal Constitutional Court decided in 1969 that another referendum should be held by 30 June 1970. The referendum in the historic area of Baden was finally held on 7 June 1970, with 81.9% of the voters voting in favour of the merger of Baden and Württemberg.[16]

Geography[edit]

Baden-Württemberg shares borders with the German states ofRhineland Palatinate,Hesse,andBavaria,and also shares borders withFrance(Alsace,within the region ofGrand Est), andSwitzerland(cantons ofBasel-Landschaft,Basel-Stadt,Aargau,Zürich,SchaffhausenandThurgau).[7]

Most of the major cities of Baden-Württemberg straddle the banks of theNeckar River,which has its source inVillingen-Schwenningenand runs downstream (from southwest to the centre, then northwest) through the state pastTübingen,Stuttgart,Heilbronn,Heidelberg,andMannheim.

TheRhine(German:Rhein) forms the western border as well as large portions of the southern border. TheBlack Forest(Schwarzwald), the central mountain range of the state, rises east of theUpper Rhine valley.The high plateau of theSwabian Alb,between the Neckar, the Black Forest, and the Danube, is an essential Europeanwatershed.Baden-Württemberg sharesLake Constance(Bodensee, also known regionally as theSwabianSea) with Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria, the international borders within its waters not being clearly defined. It shares the foothills of theAlps(known as theAllgäu) with Bavaria and the AustrianVorarlberg,but Baden-Württemberg itself has no mainland border with Austria.

TheDanubeis conventionally taken to be formed by the confluence of the two streamsBrigachandBregjust east ofDonaueschingen. The source of theDonaubach,which flows into the Danube, in Donaueschingen is often referred to as the "source of the Danube" (Donauquelle). Hydrologically, the source of the Danube is the source of the Breg as the larger of the two formative streams, which rises nearFurtwangen.

The forests in this region are home to common pests such asMelolontha Hippocastrani,that cause damage to the foliage and soil.

Mountains[edit]

Hills[edit]

Climate[edit]

Baden-Württemberg is – along with Bavaria – the southernmost part of Germany.

The climate across the states varies. This is mostly due to a high amount of mountains and highlands inside of the state. Most parts in the western parts (Baden) lower than 500–800 metres (1,600–2,600 ft) enjoy an almost year round mildoceanic climate(cfb in Köppen classification). The climate in the eastern parts of the state is more continental.[17]For instance, winters in the city of Ulm are colder than in Berlin.[18][19] While winters in the warmest areas often lack snow, theBlack Forest,Swabian Albandthe Alpstend to get snow frequently, especially in areas of high elevation. Summers here have more rain than in the valleys, but winters tend to have more sun.

Due to the differences of the landscapes, average annual temperatures reach from only 5 °C (41 °F) in the microclimates of Black Forest andAllgäuup to 13 °C (55 °F) in the Upper Rhine Valley.

Climate data for Karlsruhe (1991-2020), 115 Meters, 377.3 ft
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.1
(41.2) 		7.2
(45.0) 		12.1
(53.8) 		17.2
(63.0) 		21.0
(69.8) 		24.5
(76.1) 		26.6
(79.9) 		26.4
(79.5) 		21.6
(70.9) 		15.5
(59.9) 		9.2
(48.6) 		5.6
(42.1) 		16.0
(60.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.6
(36.7) 		3.7
(38.7) 		7.3
(45.1) 		11.4
(52.5) 		15.3
(59.5) 		18.8
(65.8) 		20.8
(69.4) 		20.6
(69.1) 		16.3
(61.3) 		11.4
(52.5) 		6.4
(43.5) 		3.4
(38.1) 		11.5
(52.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.0
(32.0) 		0.2
(32.4) 		2.6
(36.7) 		5.5
(41.9) 		9.7
(49.5) 		13.1
(55.6) 		15.0
(59.0) 		14.7
(58.5) 		11.0
(51.8) 		7.3
(45.1) 		3.5
(38.3) 		1.2
(34.2) 		7.0
(44.6)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 40.0
(1.57) 		36.9
(1.45) 		40.1
(1.58) 		38.9
(1.53) 		63.7
(2.51) 		61.7
(2.43) 		66.7
(2.63) 		76.5
(3.01) 		48.7
(1.92) 		49.5
(1.95) 		52.6
(2.07) 		52.2
(2.06) 		627.5
(24.71)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) 14.9 13.3 13.3 10.9 13.7 12.9 14.0 12.5 11.5 13.6 14.7 16.9 162.2
Mean monthlysunshine hours 52.4 77.8 130.4 184.1 209.3 217.2 223.3 209.8 162.2 103.4 55.5 43.4 1,668.8
Source:weather-online[20]

Government[edit]

Administration[edit]

See also:List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population
Stuttgartcenter with theSchlossplatz
Karlsruhe
Heidelbergwith theNeckarriver and the vastHeidelberg Schloss(upper picture part)
Freiburgwith theFreiburg Minster
Mannheim
Ulmwith the famousUlm minsterand the world's highest church tower
Tübingen
Baden-Baden

Baden-Württemberg is divided into thirty-five districts (Landkreise) and nine independent cities (Stadtkreise), both grouped into the four Administrative Districts (Regierungsbezirke) ofFreiburg,Karlsruhe,Stuttgart,andTübingen.

Map of Baden-Württemberg and its administrative divisions (Landkreise and Stadtkreise)
The 35 districts:

  1. Alb-Donau-Kreis
  2. Biberach
  3. Bodenseekreis
  4. Böblingen
  5. Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
  6. Calw
  7. Konstanz(Constance)
  8. Emmendingen
  9. Enzkreis
  10. Esslingen
  11. Freudenstadt
  12. Göppingen
  13. Heidenheim
  14. Heilbronn
  15. Hohenlohe
  16. Karlsruhe
  17. Lörrach
  18. Ludwigsburg
  1. Main-Tauber
  2. Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis
  3. Ortenaukreis
  4. Ostalbkreis
  5. Rastatt
  6. Ravensburg
  7. Rems-Murr-Kreis
  8. Reutlingen
  9. Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
  10. Rottweil
  11. Schwäbisch Hall
  12. Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis
  13. Sigmaringen
  14. Tübingen
  15. Tuttlingen
  16. Waldshut
  17. Zollernalbkreis

Baden-Württemberg contains nine additional independent cities not belonging to any district:

Code City
(Stadtkreise)		 Area
(km2)		 Population Region
(Regierungs-
bezirk)
1997 2007 2017
A Baden-Baden 140.18 52,672 54,853 54,718 Karlsruhe
B Freiburg im Breisgau 153.06 200,519 219,430 229,636 Freiburg
C Heidelberg 108.83 139,941 145,311 160,601 Karlsruhe
D Heilbronn 99.88 120,987 121,627 125,113 Stuttgart
E Karlsruhe 173.46 276,571 288,917 311,919 Karlsruhe
F Mannheim 144.96 310,475 309,795 307,997 Karlsruhe
G Pforzheim 98.02 118,079 119,423 124,289 Karlsruhe
H Stuttgart 207.35 585,274 597,176 632,743 Stuttgart
I Ulm 118.69 115,628 121,434 125,596 Tübingen

Other state institutions[edit]

The Baden-Württemberg General Auditing Office acts as an independent body to monitor public offices' correct use of public funds.[21]

Politics[edit]

Main article:Politics of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg state parliament inStuttgart

The stateparliament of Baden-Württembergis theLandtag,located in Stuttgart. The state government is currently formed by aGreens-CDUcoalition as thethird cabinetofMinister-PresidentWinfried Kretschmann(Greens).

The politics of Baden-Württemberg have traditionally been dominated by the conservativeChristian Democratic Union of Germany(CDU), which had led all but one government since 1952 until 2011. In theLandtagelections held on 27 March 2011,voters replaced the Christian Democrats and centre-rightFree Democrats(FDP) coalition with an alliance of theGreensandSocial Democrats(SPD), which secured a four-seat majority in the state parliament. The alliance elected the Greens-ledfirst Kretschmann cabinetunderWinfried Kretschmannbecause the Greens had surprisingly won 36 seats, one more than the Social Democrats' 35 seats. In the2016 election,the Greens and their popular Winfried Kretschmann were reelected by the voters and, with their nationwide best result, turned out first place for the first time in any election in German history. However, because of heavy losses for the Social Democrats, the Greens formed a coalition government with the Christian Democrats, thesecond Kretschmann cabinet.After the most recent election in 2021, the Greens-CDU coalition was upheld.

Most recent election results[edit]

Main article:2021 Baden-Württemberg state election
Party Votes % Swing Seats +/–
1st 2nd Total
Alliance 90/The Greens(GRÜNE) 1,586,192 32.6 Increase2.3 58 0 58 Increase11
Christian Democratic Union of Germany(CDU) 1,168,975 24.1 Decrease2.9 12 30 42 Steady0
Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD) 535,489 11.0 Decrease1.7 0 19 19 Steady0
Free Democratic Party(FDP) 508,429 10.5 Increase2.2 0 18 18 Increase6
Alternative for Germany(AfD) 473,485 9.7 Decrease5.4 0 17 17 Decrease6
The Left(LINKE) 173,317 3.6 Increase0.7 0 0 0 Steady0
Free Voters(FW) 146,259 3.0 Increase2.9 0 0 0 Steady0
Die PARTEI 59,463 1.2 Increase0.9 0 0 0 Steady0
Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany 48,497 1.0 New 0 0 0 New
Climate List Baden-Württemberg 42,685 0.9 New 0 0 0 New
Party WIR2020 41,128 0.8 New 0 0 0 New
Ecological Democratic Party 37,819 0.8 Increase0.1 0 0 0 Steady0
Volt Germany 22,782 0.5 New 0 0 0 New
Alliance C – Christians for Germany 4,081 0.1 Increase0.1 0 0 0 Steady0
Pirate Party Germany 2,878 0.1 Decrease0.3 0 0 0 Steady0
Democracy in Motion 1,005 0.0 New 0 0 0 New
Party of Humanists 976 0.0 New 0 0 0 New
Humane World 975 0.0 Increase0.0 0 0 0 Steady0
Party for Health Research 468 0.0 New 0 0 0 New
One for All – Party 178 0.0 New 0 0 0 New
German Communist Party 107 0.0 Decrease0.0 0 0 0 Steady0
Independents 4,463 0.1 Increase0.1 0 – 0 Steady0
Total 4,859,651 100.0 – 70 84 154 Increase11
Invalid/blank votes 34,849 0.7
Registered voters/turnout 7,671,039 63.8 Decrease6.6
Source:State Returning Officer

Economy[edit]

SAPheadquarters inWalldorf

Although Baden-Württemberg has relatively few natural resources compared to other regions of Germany,[7]the state is among the most prosperous[14]and wealthiest regions in Europe with a generally low unemployment rate historically. The state's economic performance benefits from and relies on its well-developed infrastructure.[22]Apart from the city-states ofBerlin,BremenandHamburg,Baden-Württemberg offers the fourth-shortest routes to trains and buses on average among all German states.[23]

Baden-Württemberg has thehighestexports (2019)[24]and third-highest imports (2020),[25]the second-lowest unemployment rate with 4.3% (March 2021),[26]the most patents pending per capita (2020),[27]the second-highest absolute and highest relative number of companies considered "hidden champions",[28]and the highest absolute and relative research and development expenditure (2017)[29]among all states in Germany, as well as the highest measured Innovationsindex (2012),[k][30]making it the German state with thethird-highestgross regional product(GRP) as of 2019(behindNorth Rhine-WestphaliaandBavaria) with €524,325 billion (around US$636.268 billion).[31]Baden-Württemberg also has the most employees (233,296) in the automotive industry of all German states as of 2018,[32]as well as the third-highest number of motor vehicles of all German states (2020).[33]If Baden-Württemberg were a sovereign country (2020), it would have an economy comparable tothat of Swedenin terms of nominalgross domestic product(GDP).[34]

A number of well-known enterprises are headquartered in the state, for exampleMercedes-Benz Group,Porsche,Robert Bosch GmbH(automobile industry),Carl Zeiss AG(optics),SAP(Europe's most valuable brand[35]as well asthe largestnon-American software enterprise) andHeidelberger Druckmaschinen(precision mechanical engineering). Despite this, Baden-Württemberg's economy is dominated bysmall and medium-sizedenterprises, likemost companies in German-speaking countries are.Although poor in workable natural resources (formerly lead, zinc, iron, silver, copper, and salts) and still very rural in some areas, the region is heavily industrialised overall. In 2003, there were almost 8,800 manufacturing enterprises with more than 20 employees, but only 384 with more than 500. There are 3,779 companies in Baden-Württemberg corporate family which come to 1000-5000 employees in total.

The latter category accounts for 43% of the 1.2 million persons employed in the industry. TheMittelstandor mid-sized company model is the backbone of the Baden-Württemberg economy.[36]Medium-sized businesses and a tradition of branching into different industrial sectors have ensured specialisation over a wide range. A fifth of the "old" Federal Republic's industrial gross value added is generated by Baden-Württemberg. Turnover for manufacturing in 2003 exceeded 240,000 million, 43% of which came from exports. The region depends to some extent on global economic developments, though the great adaptability of the region's economy has generally helped it through crises. Half of the employees in the manufacturing industry are in mechanical and electrical engineering and automobile construction. This is also where the largest enterprises are to be found. The importance of the precision mechanics industry also extends beyond the region's borders, as does that of the optical, clock making, toy, metallurgy and electronics industries. The textile industry, which formerly dominated much of the region, has disappeared from Baden-Württemberg.Research and development(R&D) is funded jointly by the state and industry. In 2001, more than a fifth of the 100,000 or so persons working in R&D in Germany were located in Baden-Württemberg, most of them in theStuttgartarea.[37]Baden-Württemberg is also the region with the highest GDP of theFour Motors for Europe.

A study performed in 2007 by the neo-liberal thinktankInitiative for New Social Market Economyand the trade newspaperWirtschaftswocheawarded Baden-Württemberg for being the "economically most successful and most dynamic state" among the 16 states.

The unemployment rate stood at 3% in October 2018 and was the second lowest in Germany behind only Bavaria and one of the lowest in theEuropean Union.[38]

Year[39] 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Unemployment rate in % 5.4 4.9 5.4 6.2 6.2 7.0 6.3 4.9 4.1 5.1 4.9 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.5

Tourism[edit]

TheBlack Forestas seen from theBelchen

Baden-Württemberg is a popular holiday destination. Main sights include the capital and biggest city,Stuttgart,modern and historical at the same time, with its urban architecture and atmosphere (and famously, its inner-city parks and historicWilhelmazoo), its castles (such asCastle Solitude), its museums as well as a rich cultural programme (theatre, opera) andmineral springbaths in Bad Cannstatt (also the site of a RomanCastra); it is the only major city in Germany with vineyards in an urban territory.

The residential (court) towns ofLudwigsburgandKarlsruhe,the spas and casino of luxuriousBaden-Baden,the medieval architecture ofUlm(Ulm Münsteris the tallest church in the world), the vibrant, young, but traditional university towns ofHeidelbergandTübingenwith their old castles looking out above the river Neckar, are popular smaller towns. Sites of former monasteries such as the ones onReichenau Islandand atMaulbronn(bothWorld Heritage Sites) as well asBebenhausen Abbeyare to be found. Baden-Württemberg also boasts rich oldFree Imperial Citiessuch asBiberach,Esslingen am Neckar,Heilbronn,Ravensburg,Reutlingen,Künzelsau,Schwäbisch HallandAalenas well as the southernmost and sunniest city of Germany,Freiburg,close to Alsace and Switzerland, being an ideal base for exploring the heights of the nearbyBlack Forest(e.g., forskiingin winter or for hiking in summer) with its traditional villages and the surrounding wine country of the Rhine Valley of South Baden.[14]

The countryside of the lush Upper Neckar valley (whereRottweilis famous for itsFastnachtcarnival) and the pristineDanubevalleySwabian Alb(withHohenzollern CastleandSigmaringen Castle), as well as the largely pristineSwabian Forest,theUpper Rhine Valley,andLake Constance,where all kinds of water sports are popular, with the former Imperial, today border town ofKonstanz(where theCouncil of Constancetook place), theNeolithicandBronze Agevillage atUnteruhldingen,the flower island ofMainau,and the hometown of theZeppelin,Friedrichshafena.o., are especially popular for outdoor activities in the summer months.[14]

In spring and autumn (April/May and September/October), beer festivals (fun fairs) take place at theCannstatter Wasenin Stuttgart. TheCannstatter Volksfest,in the autumn, is the second-largest such festival in the world after the MunichOktoberfest.In late November and early DecemberChristmas marketsare a tourist magnet in all major towns, the largest being in Stuttgart during the three weeks before Christmas.

TheBertha Benz Memorial Routeis a 194 km signposted scenic route fromMannheimviaHeidelbergandWieslochtoPforzheimand back, which follows the route of the world's first long-distancejourneyby automobile whichBertha Benzundertook in August 1888.

Baden-Württemberg also containsEuropa-ParkinRust.The largesttheme parkin Germany, and the second most popular theme park in Europe, afterDisneyland Paris.[40]

Companies owned by Baden-Württemberg[edit]

Company Industry Percentage owned Source
EnBW Energy industry 45% [41]
Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus Beverage industry 100%
TheUniversity Library Freiburgwas reopened in 2015.
The University of Karlsruhe. Since 2009, it has been known as theKarlsruhe Institute of Technology.
TheMannheim Palacehouses theUniversity of Mannheim,which repeatedly receives top marks inbusiness administrationand is sometimes referred to as the "Harvardof Germany ".[42][43][44]

Education[edit]

Baden-Württemberg is home to some of the oldest, most renowned, and prestigious universities in Germany, such as the universities ofHeidelberg(founded in 1386, the oldest university within the territory of modern Germany),Freiburg(founded in 1457), andTübingen(founded in 1477). It also contains three of the eleven Germanexcellence universities(Heidelberg, Tübingen,KonstanzandKarlsruheand formerly, Freiburg ).[45]

Other university towns areMannheimandUlm.Furthermore, two universities are located in the state capitalStuttgart,theUniversity of Hohenheim,and theUniversity of Stuttgart.Ludwigsburg is home to the renowned national film schoolFilmakademie Baden-Württemberg(Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg). The privateInternational University in Germanywas situated inBruchsal,but closed in 2009. Another private university is located in Friedrichshafen,Zeppelin University.

Furthermore, there are more than a dozenFachhochschulen,i.e., universities of applied sciences, as well asPädagogische Hochschulen,i.e., teacher training colleges, and other institutions of tertiary education in Baden-Württemberg.[l]Pforzheim Universityis one of the oldest Fachhochschulen in Germany which is renowned and highly ranked for its Engineering and MBA programs.

The state has the highest density of universities of any state in Germany.[46]

Transport[edit]

Railway[edit]

ICEhigh-speed,IntercityandGo-Aheadregional train inStuttgart's central station
DB Regioregional train on theBlack Forest Railway
SWEGlocal train on theMünstertal branch line

Railwaysform a major part of the transport infrastructure in Baden-Württemberg. As of 2017, the mainstandard gaugerailway network managed byDB Netzconsists of about 3,350 kilometres (2,080 mi) of railway lines connecting all major settlements of the state,[47]with about 6,500 trains operating every day. As part ofhigh-speed rail in Germany,theMannheim–StuttgartandStuttgart–Ulmhigh-speed lines were built, and theKarlsruhe–Basel high-speed line,paralleling the traditionalMannheim–Karlsruhe–Basel railway,is currently under construction. In and around Stuttgart, the oldterminal stationis currently being replaced with an underground through station as part of the controversialStuttgart 21project.

Local branch lines of around 860 kilometres (530 mi), managed by the state-ownedSWEGandHohenzollerische Landesbahn(HzL), Karlsruhe-ownedAlbtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft(AVG), privateWürttembergische Eisenbahn(WEG) and other smaller rail infrastructure operators, complete the state's railway infrastructure.[48]

Passenger trainservices in Baden-Württemberg are operated partly by various subsidiaries ofDeutsche Bahn,the national railway operator, such asDB Fernverkehrwith its high-speedICE,as well asIC trains;andDB Regio,operating some regional train services in the state. Cross-border train services are also provided byFrench Railways'TGVtrains, as well as bySwiss Federal RailwaysandAustrian Federal Railways(including itsNightjetnight trains).

Since the 1990s, thearound 120 individual regional train servicesin Baden-Württemberg have been managed by the state-ownedNahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg(NVBW),[m]which has started to commercially tender out these train operations.[49][50]DB Regio, SWEG, HzL, AVG and WEG have been joined in operating regional trains byAbellio,Agilis,Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn,Go-Ahead,SBB,Schwäbische Alb-BahnandVIAS,which entered the market.[51]

Starting in the 1970s, regional rail around major cities has been transformed into high-frequentS-Bahnnetworks, currently the following systems exist (partly) in Baden-Württemberg:Stuttgart S-Bahn,Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn,Breisgau S-BahnandBasel S-Bahn.In and around the cities of Karlsruhe and Heilbronn, theKarlsruhe Stadtbahnsystem combines elements of traditional S-Bahns with tram operations within the urban cores (tram-trains).

Historically, the railway system in Baden-Württemberg was developed at first by the state's predecessors' state railways: theGrand Duchy of Baden State Railwayopened its first railway line betweenMannheimandHeidelbergon 12 September 1840; uniquely in Germany, it used abroad gaugeof1,600 mm(5 ft 3 in) in its early years. In Württemberg, theRoyal State Railwaysopened their first line on 22 October 1845 between two present-day suburbs of Stuttgart.[52]In 1900, theHohenzollerische Landesbahn(HzL) was founded to expand the rail system in the Prussian province, which had previously only been served by short sections of Württemberg lines passing through "foreign" territory. After the construction of the main lines, various private or local government initiatives constructed branch or local railway lines, some of which survive today as AVG, SWEG,RNVor WEG lines. In 1920, the Baden and Württemberg state railways merged with other state railways to formDeutsche Reichsbahn,which was replaced byDeutsche Bundesbahnafter World War II. A lot of smaller railway lines, both DB and remaining local or private lines, closed in the decades after World War II, or were at least run-down with minimal service for passengers. Since the 1990s, some of these lines have been revived and revitalised marking good examples for increased ridership through attractive trains and timetables, with some examples being theKraichgau Railway(taken over by AVG) and theSchönbuch Railway(reopened by WEG).[53]

A popular TV programme portraying railways around Germany and the world,Eisenbahn-Romantik,originates in Baden-Württemberg and is produced by its public broadcasterSWR.

Urban public transport[edit]

See also:List of Baden-Württemberg transport associations
Underground open-air light rail station in Stuttgart
Tram in front ofKarlsruhe's central station

Baden-Württemberg's area is covered by 19Verkehrsverbünde(transport associations), organising and managing local public transport, as well as ensuring harmonised fares between different bus and train operators.[54]For inter-Verbündejourneys, thebwtarif,created in 2018, offers seamless tickets across the state.[55]

As of 2023, tram and light rail systems exist inFreiburg,Heidelberg,[n]Heilbronn,[o]Karlsruhe,[p]Mannheim,[q]StuttgartandUlm.International tram lines also reach Baden-Württemberg:Basel's tram 8 servesWeil am Rhein,whileStrasbourg's tram D extends toKehl.There is also atrolleybus system in Esslingen am Neckar.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18713,349,409—
19004,107,325+0.71%
19335,185,618+0.71%
19506,430,225+1.27%
19607,726,859+1.85%
19708,895,048+1.42%
19809,258,947+0.40%
19909,822,027+0.59%
200010,524,415+0.69%
201010,753,880+0.22%
201811,069,533+0.36%
Source:[56]

The population of Baden-Württemberg was 10,486,660 in 2014, of which 5,354,105 were female and 5,132,555 male. In 2006, the birth rate of 8.61 per 1000 was almost equal to the death rate of 8.60 per 1000. 14.87 percent of the population was under the age of 15, whereas the proportion of people aged 65 and older was at 18.99 per cent (2008). Thedependency ratio–the ratio of people aged under 15 and over 64 in comparison to the working-age population (aged 15–64)–was 512 per 1000 (2008). In 2018, Baden-Württembergranked 2on theHuman Development Index(HDI) among all states in Germany, afterHamburg.With an averagelife expectancyof 79.8 years for men and 84.2 years for women (2017–2019life table), Baden-Württembergranks firstin this category among all states in Germany for both sexes.[57]

Baden-Württemberg has long been a preferred destination of immigrants. As of 2013,almost 28% of its population had a migration background as defined by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany; this number clearly surpassed the German average of 21% and was higher than in any other German state with the exception of the city states of Hamburg and Bremen.[58]As of 2014,9,355,239 of the population held German citizenship, whereas 1,131,421 wereforeign nationals.[59]

Vital statistics[edit]

  • Births from January–March 2017 =Increase25,454
  • Births from January–March 2018 =Decrease25,161
  • Deaths from January–March 2017 =Negative increase31,767
  • Deaths from January–March 2018 =Positive decrease31,725
  • Natural growth from January–March 2017 =Increase-6,313
  • Natural growth from January–March 2018 =Decrease-6,564

Source:[60]

Religion[edit]

Religion in Baden-Württemberg, 2011[61]
religion percent
Roman Catholics
 
 37%
EKD Protestants
 
 33%
Muslims
 
 6%
Other religions ornone
 
 24%

Northern and most of central Württemberg has been traditionallyProtestant(particularlyLutheran) since theReformationin 1534 (with its centre at the famousTübinger Stift). The formerElectorate of the Palatinate(Northwestern Baden) with its capital Heidelberg was shaped byCalvinismbefore being integrated into Baden.Upper Swabia,and the Upper Neckar Valley up to the bishop seat ofRottenburg,and Southern Baden (the Catholic archbishop has its seat inFreiburg) have traditionally been bastions ofRoman Catholicism.Catholics have a very narrow plurality in the state, with 6% of the population adhering to Islam and 24% of the population disclaiming any religion or adhering to other faiths.

Sports[edit]

MHPArenain Stuttgart, one of the largest stadiums in Germany

Football[edit]

Football is the biggest sport in Baden-Württemberg. Clubs currently competing in theBundesligaincludeSC Freiburg,TSG 1899 Hoffenheimand the most successful club in the state,VfB Stuttgart,meanwhileKarlsruher SC,1. FC Heidenheim,SV SandhausenandWaldhof Mannheimalso compete in the top three German soccer divisions.

Handball[edit]

Handball-Bundesligamultiple championsFrisch Auf GöppingenandRhein-Neckar Löwen,as well asTVB 1898 Stuttgartare based in Baden-Württemberg. Frisch Auf Göppingen wonEHF Champions League(Europe's premier club tournament) twice, in1960and1962.Several major women's handball clubs are also based here, including 3-timeFrauen BundesligachampionsSG BBM Bietigheim.

Basketball[edit]

Compared to other German states, Baden-Württemberg has a particularly high density of professional basketball teams such asRiesen Ludwigsburg,ratiopharm Ulm,USC Heidelberg,PS Karlsruhe Lionsand others.

Ice hockey[edit]

One of the most decorated German ice hockey clubs,Adler Mannheim,is based in the city ofMannheim.OtherDELclubs, such asBietigheim SteelersandSchwenninger Wild Wingsare also based in the state.

Volleyball[edit]

Baden-Württemberg is home to the most successful club in German volleyball history, theVolleyball-BundesligaclubVfB Friedrichshafen,which wonCEV Champions Leaguein2006–07season.

Motorsport[edit]

There are also multiple motorsport facilities, the most famous one being long-timeFormula OnecircuitHockenheimring.

Dialects[edit]

Two dialect groups of German are spoken in Baden-Württemberg in various variants:AlemannicandFranconiandialects. In central and southern Württemberg, the Alemannic dialect ofSwabianis spoken (slightly differing even within the area, e.g., betweenUpper Swabia,theSwabian Alb,and the centralNeckarValley of the Stuttgart region). InSouth Baden,the local dialects areLow AlemannicandHigh Alemannic(i.e., variants of what is alsoSwiss German). In the northern part of Baden, i.e., the area aroundKarlsruhe,HeilbronnandMosbach,South Franconiandialects are predominant. In theKurpfalz,however, with the cities ofHeidelbergandMannheim,the idiom isRhine Franconian(i.e.,Palatinate German), while in the Northeast of Baden-WürttembergEast Franconianis spoken.

The same or similar Alemannic dialects are also spoken in the neighboring regions, especially inBavarian Swabia,Alsace (Alsatian), German-speaking Switzerland (Swiss German), and the AustrianVorarlberg.In contrast, the other Franconian dialects range from the Netherlands over theRhineland,Lorraine,andHesseup toFranconiain northernBavaria.

YiddishandPleißnewere spoken whileRomaniis still being used by some.[62][63][64][65]

A variant of the Alemannic German of Baden developed into theColonia Tovar dialect,spoken by descendants of immigrants from Baden who went toVenezuelain 1843.

Foreigners[edit]

As of 20 April 2022,[66]the largest groups of foreign residents by country of origin were:

Significant foreign resident populations[67]
Nationality Population (20 April 2022) Population (31 December 2023)
Turkey 255,675 267,940
Romania 164,600 182,690
Italy 183,920 178,595
Ukraine 150,105 166,925
Croatia 128,170 124,920
Syria 87,365 97,875
Poland 90,855 84,160
Kosovo 77,130 83,925
Greece 82,370 78,960
Hungary 59,205 54,190

See also[edit]

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Notes[edit]

  1. ^A fortified boundary zone
  2. ^Capital:Karlsruhe
  3. ^Capital:Stuttgart
  4. ^Capital:Sigmaringen
  5. ^The last monarch beingFrederick II, Grand Duke of Baden
  6. ^The last monarch beingWilliam II of Württemberg
  7. ^The last monarch being the German emperor,William II of Prussia
  8. ^Consisting of the southern part of Baden. Capital:Freiburg.
  9. ^Consisting of the northern parts of Baden and Württemberg. Capital:Stuttgart.
  10. ^Consisting of the southern part of Württemberg, and the former Prussian province of Hohenzollern. Capital:Tübingen.
  11. ^The Innovationsindex (innovation index) is an index developed by theFederal Statistical Office of Germanyin Baden-Württemberg that features a variety of indicators for innovation in an identification number that enables a comparative assessment of the ability of innovation of 86 regions in the 27 member countries of the European Union.
  12. ^Among others in Aalen, Biberach an der Riss, Esslingen, Karlsruhe, Ludwigsburg, Nürtingen, Pforzheim, Ravensburg-Weingarten, Reutlingen, several in Stuttgart, Schwäbisch Hall
  13. ^With some exceptions, such as the Stuttgart S-Bahn, which is managed by theVerband Region Stuttgart;services on a few minor lines managed by the localLandkreise;and formerly also services running without any state subsidies.
  14. ^Connected to the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen system, and toViernheim(Hesse) by metre-gauge interurbans
  15. ^Part of theKarlsruhe Stadtbahnsystem, with which through-running tram-trains exist
  16. ^Through-running tram-trains (Karlsruhe Stadtbahn) connect the Karlsruhe tram system with insular tram lines inBad Wildbad,Heilbronn,Linkenheim-HochstettenandWörth am Rhein(Rhineland-Palatinate).
  17. ^Cross-border network withLudwigshafenin Rhineland-Palatinate. Connected to the Heidelberg system, and toBad Dürkheim(Rhineland-Palatinate) andViernheim(Hesse) by metre-gauge interurbans.

References[edit]

  • Philip Cooke, Kevin Morgan (1998).The Associational Economy: Firms, Regions, and Innovation.Oxford University Press.p. 84.ISBN978-0-19-829659-1.
  • Climate change in Baden-Württemberg: facts – impacts – perspectives/ LUBW; Baden-Württemberg, Ministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Verkehr. [In collab. with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research; Süddeutsches Klimabüro. Transl.: InTra eG Fachübersetzergenossenschaft], Stuttgart: Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport Karlsruhe: LUBW, 2010.

External links[edit]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forBaden-Württemberg.
Wikimedia Commons has media related toBaden-Württemberg.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baden-Württemberg&oldid=1230410211"