Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a state in Germany that does not touch any oceans. It shares borders with the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony. The state is 20,451 square kilometres big and has about 2.14 million people living there. Its main city is Magdeburg.

Saxony-Anhalt started in July 1945 after World War II. It was made 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 it was broken up in 1952. After German reunification in 1990, Saxony-Anhalt became a state again in today’s Germany.

One cool thing about Saxony-Anhalt is that it has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany. Some of these places are the Bauhaus sites in Dessau, the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, and the Nebra sky disc. These spots show the interesting history and culture of the area.

Geography

Saxony-Anhalt is one of the 16 constituent states of Germany. It is 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 has the Harz mountains, home to the Harz National Park. The highest peak is Brocken, which is 1,141 meters tall. Towns in this area include Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Thale, Eisleben, and Quedlinburg. The region also grows wine along the Saale and Unstrut rivers, with towns such as Zeitz, Naumburg (Saale), Weißenfels, and Freyburg (Unstrut).

Administrative subdivisions

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).

The districts are:

• Altmarkkreis Salzwedel
• Anhalt-Bitterfeld
• Börde
• Burgenlandkreis
• Harz
• Jerichower Land
• Mansfeld-Südharz
• Saalekreis
• Salzlandkreis
• Stendal
• Wittenberg

The independent cities are:

• Dessau-Roßlau
• Halle (Saale)
• Magdeburg

Largest towns

See also: List of cities in Saxony-Anhalt by population

The largest towns in Saxony-Anhalt:

• Magdeburg - Capital city of Saxony-Anhalt. The Magdeburg Cathedral is a famous building in the city.
• Halle is the second-largest city in Saxony-Anhalt.
• Dessau
• Wittenberg has an old town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Halberstadt
• Merseburg
• Wernigerode

History

Main article: History of Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a newer state in Germany, created in 1945. It was formed from parts of old Prussian lands and three areas: around Magdeburg, the area of Anhalt, and a southern part that used to belong to Saxony.

In 1945, the US Army controlled the western and northern parts of Saxony-Anhalt and put new leaders in charge. Later, the Soviet Army took over and combined several regions to form Saxony-Anhalt, with Halle an der Saale as its capital. Saxony-Anhalt became part of East Germany and joined West Germany in 1990.

Demographics

Since Germany reunited, Saxony-Anhalt has lost some people. Many move away, and more people die than are born. The number of babies born has stayed the same since 1994, but it is not enough to replace older people.

Saxony-Anhalt has a history with the Lutheran faith. But 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 few belong to Christian groups, and even fewer follow other religions. Most people do not belong to any religion at all.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Saxony-Anhalt

In 2021, Reiner Haseloff from the CDU party stayed as leader. He worked with the SPD and FDP parties. Before this, 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

See also: 2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election

Economy

The economy of Saxony-Anhalt is an important part of Germany. In 2018, the 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.

After changes in Germany in 1990, Saxony-Anhalt faced hard times but has 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 has more World Heritage Sites than any other German state, drawing visitors to places like Quedlinburg and Wittenberg.

Transport

Saxony-Anhalt has special bicycle routes that connect to other countries and parts of Germany. 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 important for cargo flights.

Education

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

• Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
• Harz University of Applied Sciences
• Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences
• Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg
• Merseburg University of Applied Sciences
• Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg

Anthem

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