Bavaria

Bavaria,officially theFree State of Bavaria,is astatein the southeast ofGermany. With an area of 70,550.19 km(27,239.58 sq mi), it is thelargest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total land area of Germany, and with over 13.08 million inhabitants, it is thesecond most populous German state, behind onlyNorth Rhine-Westphalia; however, due to its large land area, its population density isbelow the German average. Major cities includeMunich(its capital andlargest city, which is also thethird largest city in Germany),Nuremberg, andAugsburg.
Thehistory of Bavariaincludes its earliest settlement byIron AgeCeltictribes, followed by the conquests of theRoman Empirein the 1st century BC, when the territory was incorporated into the provinces ofRaetiaandNoricum. It became theDuchy of Bavaria(astem duchy) in the 6th century AD following the collapse of theWestern Roman Empire. It was later incorporated into theHoly Roman Empire, became the independentKingdom of Bavariaafter 1806, joined the Prussian-ledGerman Empirein 1871 while retaining its title of kingdom, and finally became astateof theFederal Republic of Germanyin 1949.
Bavaria has a distinct culture, largely because of itsCatholicheritage and conservative traditions,which includes alanguage,cuisine, architecture, festivals and elements ofAlpinesymbolism.It also has the second-largest economy among theGerman states by GDP figures, giving it the status of a wealthy German region.
Contemporary Bavaria also includes parts of the historical regions ofFranconiaandSwabia, in addition toAltbayern.
Though Bavaria has been occupied by humans since the Paleolithic era,Celtic tribesof the Bronze Age, such as theBoiiwere the first documented inhabitants of theBavarian Alps. In June 2023, Archeologists discovered a bronze sword, dated to the14th century BC, in a former Celtic village; its workmanship so well-preserved "it almost shines."During the early modern era, these peoples were retrospectively romanticized as the most ancient culture of Bavaria,even though theIndo-European languageswere relative newcomers to the region. Evidence of the ancientStraubing culture,Únětice cultureandLa Tène culturemay be found in what is Bavaria today.
Archeologists know of a large CelticIron Agesettlement which was founded inFeldmoching-Hasenbergl, in the North of suburban Munich.Evidence suggests up to 500 people lived in the village from 450 BC.Local life appears to have centred around what could be a town hall or temple, and continued in different forms up to 1000 AD.InManching, Upper Bavaria, an unfortified and semi-urban society appears to have prospered between the3rd century BCuntil the early1st Century AD.The settlement featured food ovens, pottery kilns and metallurgical furnaces.By 200 BC the community there was active in trade—finds of coins, along with an icon-like golden tree suggest it was trading with distant Italo-Greek communities.
In the 1st Century BC, Bavaria was conquered by theRoman Empire.An imperial military camp was built 60 km north-west of where Munich sits today, under orders ofAugustus Caesar, between 8 and 5 BC.The camp later became the town ofAugusta Vindelicorum, which would become the capital of theRoman province of Raetia.Another fort was founded in 60 AD, west of modern-day Manching, as evidenced by a legionnaire's sandal found near remains of an ancient fort.By the late2nd Century AD, Germanic tribes, including Marcomanni people, were pushing back on Roman forces ofMarcus Aureliusand later,Commodusin theMarcomannic Wars.By 180 AD, Commodus had decided to abandon the annexed positions in Bavaria, leaving its control to Celtic and Germanic tribes.
Around the year 500 AD, some elements of that victorious Marcomanni people helped form theBavariiconfederation, which incorporatedBohemiaand Bavaria.In the 530s, theMerovingian dynastyincorporated the kingdom ofThuringiaafter their defeat by theFranks. TheBaiuvariiwere Frankicised a century later.TheLex Thuringorumdocuments an upper class nobility ofadalingi.From about 554 to 788, the house ofAgilolfingruled theDuchy of Bavaria, ending withTassilo IIIwho was deposed byCharlemagne.
Tassilo I of Bavariatried unsuccessfully to hold the eastern frontier against the expansion ofSlavic peoplesand thePannonian Avarsaround 600.Garibald IIseems to have achieved a balance of power between 610 and 616.
At Hugbert's death in 735, theduchypassed toOdilo of Bavariafrom the neighboringAlemannia. Odilo issued aLex Baiuvariorumfor Bavaria, completed the process of church organization in partnership withSaint Bonifacein 739, and tried to intervene in Frankish succession disputes by fighting for the claims of theCarolingian dynasty. He was defeated nearAugsburgin 743 but continued to rule until his death in 748.
Saint Bonifacecompleted the people's conversion to Christianity in the early 8th century.Tassilo III of Bavariasucceeded to rule Bavaria. He initially ruled under Frankish oversight but began to function independently from 763 onward. He was particularly noted for founding new monasteries and for expanding eastwards, oppressingSlavsin theeastern Alpsand along theDanubeand colonizing these lands. After 781, however, Charlemagne began to exert pressure and Tassilo III was deposed in 788. Dissenters attempted a coup againstCharlemagneatRegensburgin 792, led byPepin the Hunchback.
With the revolt ofHenry II, Duke of Bavariain 976, Bavaria lost large territories in the south and southeast.
One of the most important dukes of Bavaria wasHenry the Lionof thehouse of Welf, founder ofMunich, andde factothe second most powerful man in the empire as the ruler of two duchies. When in 1180, Henry the Lion was deposed as Duke ofSaxonyand Bavaria by his cousin,Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor(a.k.a. "Barbarossa" for his red beard), Bavaria was awarded asfiefto theWittelsbachfamily, counts palatinate of Schyren ("Scheyern" in modern German). They ruled for 738 years, from 1180 to 1918. In 1180, however,Styriawas also separated from Bavaria. TheElectorate of the Palatinateby Rhine (Kurpfalzin German) was also acquired by theHouse of Wittelsbachin 1214, which they would subsequently hold for six centuries.
The first of several divisions of the duchy of Bavaria occurred in 1255. With the extinction of theHohenstaufenin 1268,Swabianterritories were acquired by the Wittelsbach dukes.Emperor Louis the BavarianacquiredBrandenburg,Tyrol,HollandandHainautfor his House but released theUpper Palatinatefor the Palatinate branch of the Wittelsbach in 1329. That time alsoSalzburgfinally became independent from theDuchy of Bavaria.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, upper and lower Bavaria were repeatedly subdivided. Four Duchies existed after the division of 1392:Bavaria-Straubing,Bavaria-Landshut,Bavaria-IngolstadtandBavaria-Munich. In 1506 with theLandshut War of Succession, the other parts of Bavaria were reunited, and Munich became the sole capital. The country became a center of the Jesuit-inspiredCounter-Reformation.
In 1623, the Bavarian duke replaced his relative of the Palatinate branch, theElectorate of the Palatinatein the early days of theThirty Years' Warand acquired the powerfulprince-electordignity in theHoly Roman Empire, determining its Emperor thence forward, as well as special legal status under the empire's laws. During the early and mid-18th century the ambitions of the Bavarian prince electors led to several wars with Austria as well as occupations by Austria (War of the Spanish Succession,War of the Austrian Successionwith the election of a Wittelsbach emperor instead of a Habsburg).
To mark the unification of Bavaria and theElectoral Palatinate, both being principal Wittelsbach territories, ElectorMaximilian IV Josephwas crowned king of Bavaria. King Maximilian Joseph was quick to change the coat of arms. The various heraldic symbols were replaced and a classical Wittelsbach pattern introduced. The white and bluelozengessymbolized the unity of the territories within the Bavarian kingdom.
The new state also comprised theDuchy of JülichandBergas these on their part were in personal union with the Palatinate.
When theHoly Roman Empiredissolved underNapoleon's onslaught, Bavaria became akingdomin 1806 and joined theConfederation of the Rhine.
The Duchy of Jülich was ceded to France and the Electoral Palatinate was divided between France and theGrand Duchy of Baden. The Duchy of Berg was given toJoachim Murat. TheCounty of Tyroland the federal state ofSalzburgwere temporarily annexed with Bavaria but eventually ceded to Austria at theCongress of Vienna. In return, Bavaria was allowed to annex the modern-day region ofPalatinateto the west of theRhineandFranconiain 1815.
Between 1799 and 1817, the leading minister, CountMontgelas, followed a strict policy of modernization copying Napoleonic France; he laid the foundations of centralized administrative structures that survived the monarchy and, in part, have retained core validity through to the 21st century. In May 1808, a first constitution was passed byMaximilian I,being modernized in 1818. This second version established a bicameral Parliament with a House of Lords (Kammer der Reichsräte) and a House of Commons (Kammer der Abgeordneten). That constitution was followed until the collapse of the monarchy at the end ofWorld War I.
After the rise ofPrussiain the early 18th century, Bavaria preserved its independence by playing off the rivalry of Prussia andAustria. Allied to Austria, it was defeated along with Austria in the 1866Austro-Prussian Warand was not incorporated into theNorth German Confederationof 1867, but the question ofGerman unitywas still alive. WhenFrance declared war on Prussia in 1870, all the south German states (Baden, Württemberg, Hessen-Darmstadt and Bavaria) aside from Austria, joined the Prussian forces and ultimately joined the Federation, which was renamedDeutsches Reich(German Empire) in 1871.
Bavaria continued as a monarchy, and retained some special rights within the federation (such as railways and postal services and control of its army in peace times).
When Bavaria became part of the newly formedGerman Empire, this action was considered controversial byBavarian nationalistswho had wanted to retain independence from the rest of Germany, as had Austria.
As Bavaria had a heavilyCatholicmajority population, many people resented being ruled by the mostlyProtestantnortherners inPrussia. As a direct result of the Bavarian-Prussian feud, political parties formed to encourage Bavaria to break away and regain its independence.
In the early 20th century,Wassily Kandinsky,Paul Klee,Henrik Ibsen, and other artists were drawn to Bavaria, especially to theSchwabingdistrict in Munich, a center of international artistic activity at the time.
World War Iled to the abolition of monarchy all over Germany in 1918. The Bavarian monarchy was the first to fall when on 8 November 1918 Socialist politicianKurt Eisnerproclaimed theFree State(i.e. republic) of Bavaria. Eisner headed a new, republican government as minister-president.  On 12 November, KingLudwig IIIsigned theAnif declaration, releasing both civil and military officers from their oaths,which the Eisner government interpreted as an abdication.
After losing theJanuary 1919 elections, Eisner was assassinated in February 1919, ultimately leading to a Communist revolt and the short-livedBavarian Soviet Republicbeing proclaimed 6 April 1919. After violent suppression by elements of the German Army and notably theFreikorps, the Bavarian Soviet Republic fell in May 1919. TheBamberg Constitution(Bamberger Verfassung) was enacted on 12 or 14 August 1919 and came into force on 15 September 1919, placing Bavaria inside theWeimar Republic.
Extremist activity further increased, notably the 1923Beer Hall Putschled by theNazis, and Munich and Nuremberg became seen as strongholds ofNazismduring theWeimar RepublicandNazi dictatorship. However, in the crucialGerman federal election, March 1933, the Nazis received less than 50% of the votes cast in Bavaria.
As a manufacturing centre, Munich was heavily bombed duringWorld War IIand was occupied byUnited States Armed Forces, becoming a major part of the American Zone ofAllied-occupied Germany, which lasted from 1945 to 1947, and then ofBizone.
The Rhenish Palatinate was detached from Bavaria in 1946 and made part of the new stateRhineland-Palatinate. In 1949, Bavaria became part of theFederal Republic of Germany, despite theBavarian Parliamentvoting against adopting theBasic Law of Germany, mainly because it was seen as not granting sufficient powers to the individual states (Länder), but at the same time declared that it would accept it if two-thirds of the otherLänderratified it. All of the other states ratified it, so it became law.Thus, during theCold War, Bavaria was part ofWest Germany.
Bavarians have often emphasized a separate national identity and considered themselves as "Bavarians" first, "Germans" second.In the 19th-century sense, an independentKingdom of Bavariaexisted from only 1806 to 1871. A separate Bavarian identity was emphasized more strongly when Bavaria joined the Prussia-dominatedGerman Empirein 1871, while theBavarian nationalistswanted to keep Bavaria as Catholic and an independent state. Aside from the minorityBavaria Party, most Bavarians now accept Bavaria as part of Germany.
Another consideration is that Bavaria is not culturally uniform. While inhabitantsAltbayern("Old Bavaria"), the regions forming the historic Bavaria before further acquisitions in 1806–1815, speak a Bavarian dialect of German,Franconiain the north and Bavarian Swabia in the south west, have their unique culture, including different dialects of German,East FranconianandSwabian, respectively.
Uniquely among German states, Bavaria has two official flags of equal status, one with a white and blue stripe, the other with white and blue diamond-shapedlozenges. Either may be used by civilians and government offices, who are free to choose between them.Unofficial versions of the flag, especially a lozenge style with coat of arms, are sometimes used by civilians.
The modern coat of arms of Bavaria was designed by Eduard Ege in 1946, following heraldic traditions.
Bavaria shares international borders withAustria(Salzburg,Tyrol,Upper AustriaandVorarlberg) and theCzech Republic(Karlovy Vary,PlzeňandSouth Bohemian Regions), as well as withSwitzerland(acrossLake Constanceto theCanton of St. Gallen).
Neighboring states within Germany areBaden-Württemberg,Hesse,Thuringia, andSaxony. Two major rivers flow through the state: theDanube(Donau) and theMain. TheBavarian Forestand theBohemian Forestform the vast majority of the frontier with the Czech Republic and Bohemia.
Thegeographic center of the European Unionis located in the northwestern corner of Bavaria.
At lower elevations the climate is classified according toKöppen'sguide as "Cfb" or "Dfb". At higher altitudes the climate becomes "Dfc" and "ET".
The summer months have been getting hotter in recent years.For example, June 2019 was the warmest June in Bavaria since weather observations have been recordedand the winter 2019/2020 was 3 degrees Celsius warmer than the average temperature for many years all over Bavaria. On 20 December 2019 a record temperature of 20.2 °C (68.4 °F) was recorded inPiding.In general winter months are seeing more precipitation which is taking the form of rain more often than that of snow compared to the past.Extreme weatherlike the2013 European floodsor the2019 European heavy snowfallsis occurring more and more often. One effect of the continuing warming is the melting of almost all BavarianAlpine glaciers: Of the five glaciers of Bavaria only theHöllentalferneris predicted to exist over a longer time perspective. TheSüdliche Schneefernerhas almost vanished since the 1980s.
Bavaria is divided into seven administrative regions calledRegierungsbezirke(singularRegierungsbezirk). Each of these regions has a state agency called theBezirksregierung(district government).
Bezirke(regional districts) are the third communal layer in Bavaria; the others are theLandkreiseand theGemeindenorStädte. TheBezirkein Bavaria are territorially identical with theRegierungsbezirke, but they are self-governing regional corporation, having their own parliaments. In the other larger states of Germany, there are onlyRegierungsbezirkeas administrative divisions and no self-governing entities at the level of theRegierungsbezirkeas theBezirkein Bavaria.
The second communal layer is made up of 71 rural districts (calledLandkreise, singularLandkreis) that are comparable to counties, as well as the 25 independent cities (Kreisfreie Städte, singularKreisfreie Stadt), both of which share the same administrative responsibilities.
Rural districts:
Independent cities:
The 71 rural districts are on the lowest level divided into 2,031 regular municipalities (calledGemeinden, singularGemeinde). Together with the 25 independent cities (kreisfreie Städte, which are in effect municipalities independent ofLandkreisadministrations), there are a total of 2,056 municipalities in Bavaria.
In 44 of the 71 rural districts, there are a total of 215unincorporated areas(as of 1 January 2005, calledgemeindefreie Gebiete, singulargemeindefreies Gebiet), not belonging to any municipality, all uninhabited, mostly forested areas, but also four lakes (Chiemsee-without islands,Starnberger See-without islandRoseninsel,Ammersee, which are the three largest lakes of Bavaria, andWaginger See).
Source: Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung
Bavaria has a multiparty system dominated by the conservativeChristian Social Union(CSU), which has won every election since 1945 with the exception of the 1950 ballot. Other important parties are theFree Voters, which became the second largest party in the2023 Bavarian state election,The Greens, which became the second biggest political party in the2018 Bavarian state elections, and the center-leftSocial Democrats(SPD), who have dominated the city ofMunichuntil 2020. Hitherto,Wilhelm Hoegnerhas been the only SPD candidate to ever become Minister-President; notable successors in office include multi-term Federal MinisterFranz Josef Strauss, a key figure amongWest Germanconservatives during theCold Waryears, andEdmund Stoiber, who both failed with their bids forChancellorship.
The GermanGreensand the center-rightFree Votershave been represented in the state parliament since 1986 and 2008 respectively.
In the2003 electionsthe CSU won a⅔ supermajority– something no party had ever achieved in postwar Germany. However, in the subsequent2008 electionsthe CSU lost the absolute majority for the first time in 46 years.
The losses were partly attributed by some to the CSU's stance for an anti-smoking bill.(A first anti-smoking law had been proposed by the CSU and passed but was watered down after the election, after which a referendum enforced a strict antismoking bill with a large majority).
Thelast state electionswere held on 8 October 2023. The CSU could almost maintain the results from the last elections with 37%. The Greens lost 3% compared to the last election with a result of 14.4%. The SPD lost again compared to the last election and was now at 8.4%. The liberals of the FDP were not able to reach the five-percent-threshold thus they are not part of theLandtaganymore, the second time after the 2013 elections. The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) gained another 4% with now at 14.6% of the vote.
The center-right Free Voters party gained 15.8% of the votes and for the second time formed a government coalition with the CSU which led to the subsequent reelection of Markus Söder asMinister-President of Bavaria.
TheConstitution of Bavariaof the Free State of Bavaria was enacted on 8 December 1946. The new Bavarian Constitution became the basis for the Bavarian State after the Second World War.
Bavaria has aunicameralLandtag(English: State Parliament), elected by universal suffrage.Until December 1999, there was also aSenat, orSenate, whose members were chosen by social and economic groups in Bavaria, but following a referendum in 1998, this institution was abolished.
The Bavarian State Government consists of theMinister-President of Bavaria, eleven Ministers and six Secretaries of State. The Minister-President is elected for a period of five years by the State Parliament and is head of state. With the approval of the State Parliament he appoints the members of the State Government. The State Government is composed of the:
Political processes also take place in the seven regions (RegierungsbezirkeorBezirke) in Bavaria, in the 71 rural districts (Landkreise) and the 25 towns and cities forming their own districts (kreisfreie Städte), and in the 2,031 local authorities (Gemeinden).
In 1995 Bavaria introduceddirect democracyon the local level in areferendum. This was initiated bottom-up by an association calledMehr Demokratie(English: More Democracy). This is a grass-roots organization which campaigns for the right to citizen-initiated referendums. In 1997 the Bavarian Supreme Court tightened the regulations considerably (including by introducing a turn-out quorum). Nevertheless, Bavaria has the most advanced regulations on local direct democracy in Germany. This has led to a spirited citizens' participation in communal and municipal affairs—835 referendums took place from 1995 through 2005.
Unlike most German states (Länder), which simply designate themselves as "State of" (Land [...]), Bavaria uses the style of "Free State of Bavaria" (Freistaat Bayern). The difference from other states is purely terminological, as German constitutional law does not draw a distinction between "States" and "Free States". The situation is thus analogous to the United States, wheresome statesuse the style "Commonwealth" rather than "State". The term "Free State", a creation of the 19th century and intended to be a German alternative to (or translation of) the Latin-derivedrepublic,was common among the states of theWeimar Republic, after German monarchies had been abolished. Unlike most other states – many of which were new creations – Bavaria has resumed this terminology afterWorld War II. Two other states,SaxonyandThuringia, also call themselves "Free State".
In July 2017, Bavaria's parliament enacted a new revision of the "Gefährdergesetz", allowing the authorities to imprison a person for a three months term, renewable indefinitely, when they have not committed a crime but it is assumed that they might commit a crime "in the near future".Critics like the prominent journalistHeribert Prantlhave called the law "shameful" and compared it toGuantanamo Bay detention camp,assessed it to be in violation of theEuropean Convention on Human Rights,and also compared it to the legal situation in Russia, where a similar law allows for imprisonment for a maximum term of two years (i.e., not indefinitely).
Bavaria has one of the largest economies inGermanyandEuropeas a whole,having aGDPof €768.469 billion ($790.813 billion) in 2023, the second highest of the16 German states, only behindNorth Rhine-Westphaliawhich had a GDP of €839.074 billion ($863.6 billion) in 2023.Bavaria had a GDP per Capita of €53,768 ($56,456) in 2022, giving it the third highest GDP per Capita behindBremenin Second andHamburgin First.One of Bavaria's largest industries is theautomotive industry, with Bavaria having 4BMWand 2Audimanufacturing plantsand the headquarters of both companies. Bavaria has the second-most employees (207,829) in the automotive industry of all German states afterBaden-Württembergas of 2018.Other countries such asCzechia,Austria,SwitzerlandandItalyhave strong economic ties with Bavaria.
Bavaria also is home to the headquarters ofcommercial vehiclemanufacturerMANandaircraft enginemanufacturerMTU Aero Engines. Many other global companies such asAdidas,Siemens, andAllianzalso have headquarters in Bavarian cities and towns.Several American companies have set upresearch and developmentfacilities in Bavaria such asApple,Google,IBM,Intel,Texas InstrumentsandCoherent.Despite being hundreds of miles from the sea, companies such asBavaria Yachtbauproducesailing yachtsandmotorboats.
Bavaria is the most visited state in Germany, over 38.86 milliontouristsvisited Bavaria in 2023 alone, significantly higher thanNorth Rhine-Westphalia's23.58 million tourists.In 2019, tourism brought in agross valueof €28.1 billion ($28.918 billion), making up 4.9% of Bavaria's economy.Some significant tourist destinations include theBavarian National Museum,Margravial Opera House,Deutsches Museum,Christmas marketsinNuremburgandMunichand the annually heldOktoberfestevent, which made €1.2 billion ($1.236 billion) in 2018 alone.
Theunemployment ratestood at 2.9% in October 2018, the lowest in Germany and one of the lowest in theEuropean Union.
Bavaria has a population of approximately 13.1 million inhabitants (2020). Eight of the80 largest cities in Germanyare located within Bavaria with Munich being the largest (1,484,226 inhabitants, approximately 6.1 million when including the broader metropolitan area), followed byNuremberg(518,370 inhabitants, approximately 3.6 million when including the broader metropolitan area),Augsburg(296,582 inhabitants) andRegensburg(153,094 inhabitants). All other cities in Bavaria had less than 150,000 inhabitants each in 2020. Population density in Bavaria was 186/km(480/sq mi), below the national average of 233/km(600/sq mi). Foreign nationals resident in Bavaria (bothimmigrantsandrefugees/asylum seekers) were principally from other EU countries and Turkey.
Some features of the Bavarian culture and mentality are remarkably distinct from the rest of Germany. Noteworthy differences (especially in rural areas, less significant in the major cities) can be found with respect to religion, traditions, and language.
Bavarian culture (Altbayern) has a long and predominant tradition ofRoman Catholicfaith. PopeBenedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger)was born inMarktl am InninUpper Bavariaand wasCardinal-Archbishop of Munich and Freising. Otherwise, the culturallyFranconianandSwabianregions of the modern State of Bavaria are historically more diverse in religiosity, with both Catholic andProtestanttraditions. In 1925, 70.0% of the Bavarian population wasCatholic, 28.8% wasProtestant, 0.7% wasJewish, and 0.5% was placed in other religious categories.
As of 202046.9% of Bavarians adhered to Catholicism (a decline from 70.4% in 1970).17.2 percent of the population adheres to theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, which has also declined since 1970.Three percent wasOrthodox,Muslimsmake up 4.0% of the population of Bavaria. 31.9 percent of Bavarians are irreligious or adhere to other religions.
Bavarians commonly emphasize pride in their traditions. Traditional costumes collectively known asTrachtare worn on special occasions and include inAltbayernLederhosenfor males andDirndlfor females. Centuries-oldfolk musicis performed. TheMaibaum, or Maypole (which in the Middle Ages served as the community's business directory, as figures on the pole represented the trades of the village), and the bagpipes of the Upper Palatinate region bear witness to theancient Celtic and Germanicremnants of cultural heritage of the region. There are many traditional Bavarian sports disciplines, e.g. theAperschnalzen, competitivewhipcracking.
Whether in Bavaria, overseas or with citizens from other nations Bavarians continue to cultivate their traditions. They hold festivals and dances to keep their heritage alive.
Bavarians tend to place a great value on food and drink. In addition to their renowned dishes, Bavarians also consume many items of food and drink which are unusual elsewhere in Germany; for exampleWeißwurst("white sausage") or in some instances a variety of entrails. At folk festivals and in manybeer gardens, beer is traditionally served by the litre (in aMaß). Bavarians are particularly proudof the traditionalReinheitsgebot, or beer purity law, initially established by theDuke of Bavariafor the City of Munich (i.e. the court) in 1487 and the duchy in 1516. According to this law, only three ingredients were allowed in beer: water,barley, andhops. In 1906 theReinheitsgebotmade its way to all-German law, and remained a law in Germany until the EU partly struck it down in 1987 as incompatible with the European common market.German breweries, however, cling to the principle, and Bavarian breweries still comply with it in order to distinguish their beer brands.Bavarians are also known as some of the world's most prolific beer drinkers, with an average annual consumption of 170 liters per person.
Bavaria is also home to theFranconia wine region, which is situated along the riverMainin Franconia. The region has produced wine (Frankenwein) for over 1,000 years and is famous for its use of theBocksbeutelwine bottle. The production of wine forms an integral part of the regional culture, and many of its villages and cities hold their own wine festivals (Weinfeste) throughout the year.
Three German dialects are most commonly spoken in Bavaria:Austro-Bavarianin Old Bavaria (Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, and the Upper Palatinate),Swabian German(anAlemannic Germandialect) in the Bavarian part of Swabia (southwest) andEast Franconian Germanin Franconia (north). In the small townLudwigsstadtin the north, district Kronach in Upper Franconia,Thuringian dialectis spoken. During the 20th century an increasing part of the population began to speakStandard German(Hochdeutsch), mainly in the cities.
Bavarians consider themselves to beegalitarianand informal.Their sociability can be experienced at the annualOktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, which welcomes around six million visitors every year, or in the famousbeer gardens. In traditional Bavarian beer gardens, patrons may bring their own food but buy beer only from the brewery that runs the beer garden.
There are around 1,300 museums in Bavaria, including museums of art and cultural history, castles and palaces, archaeological and natural history collections, museums of technological and industrial history, and farm and open-air museums. The history of Bavarian museums dates back to manorialcabinets of curiositiesandtreasuries. The art holdings of theHouse of Wittelsbachthus formed the first and essential foundation of later state museums. As early as the mid-16th century, Duke Albrecht V (r. 1550–1579) had collected paintings as well as Greek and Roman sculptures (or copies made of them). He had the Antiquarium in the Munich Residence built specifically for his collection of antique sculptures. The electorsMaximilian I(r. 1594–1651) andMax II. Emanuel(r. 1679–1726) expanded the art collections considerably. In theAge of Enlightenmentat the end of the 18th century, there was a demand to open up art collections to the general public in the spirit of "popular education". But Museums were not founded by the state until the time of the art-lovingKing Ludwig I(r. 1825–1848). In Munich, he builtGlyptothek(opened 1830),Alte Pinakothek(opened 1836), andNeue Pinakothek(opened 1853). Also, the foundation of theGermanisches Nationalmuseumin Nuremberg (1852), the establishment of theNeue Pinakothek, which opened in 1853, and theBavarian National Museum(1867) in Munich were of central importance for the development of museums in Bavaria in the 19th century. With the end of the monarchy in 1918, many castles and formerly Wittelsbach property passed to the young Free State. In particular, the castles of kingLudwig II(r. 1864–1886)Neuschwanstein,LinderhofandHerrenchiemsee, quickly became magnets for the public. Since then, the number of Bavarian Museums has grown considerably, from 125 in 1907 to around 1,300 today.
Bavaria is home to severalfootballclubs includingFC Bayern Munich,1. FC Nürnberg,FC Augsburg,TSV 1860 Munich,FC Ingolstadt 04andSpVgg Greuther Fürth. Bayern Munich is the most successful football team in Germany having won a record 33German titlesand 6UEFA Champions Leaguetitles. They are followed by 1. FC Nürnberg who have won 9 titles. SpVgg Greuther Fürth have won 3 championships while TSV 1860 Munich have been champions once.
Bavaria is also home to four professionalbasketballteams, includingFC Bayern Munich,Brose Baskets Bamberg,s.Oliver Würzburg,Nürnberg Falcons BC, andTSV Oberhaching Tropics.
There are five Bavarian ice hockey teams playing in the German top-tier leagueDEL:EHC Red Bull München,Nürnberg Ice Tigers,Augsburger Panther,ERC Ingolstadt, andStraubing Tigers.
Notable people who have lived, or live currently, in Bavaria include: