Württemberg-Baden
Encyclopedia
Württemberg-Baden is a former state of Federal Republic of Germany
. It was created in 1945 by the U.S.
occupation forces, after the previous states of Baden
and Württemberg
had been split up between the US and French occupation zones
. Its capital was Stuttgart
. In 1952, Württemberg-Baden merged with Württemberg-Hohenzollern
and Baden
into the present state of Baden-Württemberg
.
and Munich
(today the A8
) was completely contained within the American zone. The three major subdivisions of the American zone - Greater Hesse
, Bavaria
and Württemberg-Baden were declared on 19 September 1945.
On 24 November 1946 a new constitution was enacted, and Württemberg-Baden's first parliament
was elected. With the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany
on 23 May 1949, Württemberg-Baden joined also.
A straw poll
was held on 24 September 1950 in Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern
and Baden
regarding a merger of the three states. A public referendum
was held on 16 December 1951. On both occasions, voters in Württemberg-Baden voted with a clear majority in favour of the fusion. All three states were merged and the modern German state
of Baden-Württemberg
was founded on 25 April 1952.
of Württemberg-Baden was Reinhold Maier
(DVP
, then FDP
; 1946–1952). Maier went on to become the first minister-president of Baden-Württemberg upon its formation in 1952.
Württemberg-Baden was subdivided into two administrative districts, known as Landesbezirke. The boundaries for these two districts were taken from two former state sections that comprised Württemberg-Baden. These two districts remain largely unchanged today as the Regierungsbezirk
e of Stuttgart
(Württemberg) and Karlsruhe
(Baden) within Baden-Württemberg.
which was later also adopted again by the new German states founded in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany
and the German Democratic Republic
.
The coat of arms
merges elements from the two predecessor states: the red stripe on a golden field of the coat of arms of Baden
and the three deer antlers of the coat of arms of Württemberg
.
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. It was created in 1945 by the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
occupation forces, after the previous states of Baden
Republic of Baden
The Republic of Baden was a state of Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic, formed after the abolition of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1918...
and Württemberg
Free People's State of Württemberg
The Free People's State of Württemberg was a state of Germany during the Weimar Republic in Württemberg.-1918 revolution:As Germany underwent violent revolution near the end of World War I, the Kingdom of Württemberg was transformed from a monarchy to a democratic republic without bloodshed; its...
had been split up between the US and French occupation zones
Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative purposes during 1945–49. In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe, US forces had pushed beyond the previously agreed boundaries for the...
. Its capital was Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. In 1952, Württemberg-Baden merged with Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Württemberg-Hohenzollern was a historical state of West Germany. It was created in 1945 as part of the French occupation zone. Its capital was Tübingen...
and Baden
South Baden
South Baden , formed in December 1945 from the southern half of the former Republic of Baden, was a subdivision of the French occupation zone of post-WWII Germany. The state was later renamed to Baden and became a founding state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949...
into the present state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
.
History
Württemberg-Baden consisted of the northern halves of the former states of Württemberg and Baden. The southern border of this part of the US-administered zone was set so that the Autobahn connecting KarlsruheKarlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(today the A8
Bundesautobahn 8
is an autobahn in southern Germany that runs 497 km from the Luxembourg A13 motorway at Schengen via Neunkirchen, Pirmasens, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg and Munich to the Austrian West Autobahn near Salzburg....
) was completely contained within the American zone. The three major subdivisions of the American zone - Greater Hesse
Greater Hesse
Greater Hesse was the provisional name given for a section of German territory created by the US military administration in at the end of World War II...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and Württemberg-Baden were declared on 19 September 1945.
On 24 November 1946 a new constitution was enacted, and Württemberg-Baden's first parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
was elected. With the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
on 23 May 1949, Württemberg-Baden joined also.
Straw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
was held on 24 September 1950 in Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Württemberg-Hohenzollern was a historical state of West Germany. It was created in 1945 as part of the French occupation zone. Its capital was Tübingen...
and Baden
South Baden
South Baden , formed in December 1945 from the southern half of the former Republic of Baden, was a subdivision of the French occupation zone of post-WWII Germany. The state was later renamed to Baden and became a founding state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949...
regarding a merger of the three states. A public referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held on 16 December 1951. On both occasions, voters in Württemberg-Baden voted with a clear majority in favour of the fusion. All three states were merged and the modern German state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
was founded on 25 April 1952.
Politics
The only minister-presidentMinister-President
A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
of Württemberg-Baden was Reinhold Maier
Reinhold Maier
Reinhold Maier was a German politician and the leader of the FDP from 1957–1960.Maier was born in Schorndorf. In the Weimar Republic Maier was a member of the German Democratic Party...
(DVP
Democratic People's Party (Germany)
Democratic People's Party was the name of two liberal parties in southern Germany. It is not to be confused with the Deutsche Volkspartei of 1918 which used the same abbreviation DVP....
, then FDP
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
; 1946–1952). Maier went on to become the first minister-president of Baden-Württemberg upon its formation in 1952.
Württemberg-Baden was subdivided into two administrative districts, known as Landesbezirke. The boundaries for these two districts were taken from two former state sections that comprised Württemberg-Baden. These two districts remain largely unchanged today as the Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
e of Stuttgart
Stuttgart (region)
Stuttgart is one of the four administrative districts of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located in the north-east of the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwestern part of Germany.It is sub-divided into the three regions Heilbronn-Franken, Ostwürttemberg, Stuttgart.- External links :*...
(Württemberg) and Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe (region)
Karlsruhe is one of the four administrative districts of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located in the north-west of the state. It is subdivided into the three regional associations : Mittlerer Oberrhein , Rhein-Neckar and Nordschwarzwald .- External links :*...
(Baden) within Baden-Württemberg.
Flag and Coat of Arms
The flag of Württemberg-Baden, adopted in 1947, was the black-red-gold tricolour flag of GermanyFlag of Germany
The flag of Germany is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: black, red, and gold....
which was later also adopted again by the new German states founded in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
The coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
merges elements from the two predecessor states: the red stripe on a golden field of the coat of arms of Baden
Coat of arms of Baden
The coat of arms of Baden comes from the personal arms of the Margraves and Grand Dukes of Baden, the traditional rulers of the region. Following the revolution and abolition of the Grand Duchy in 1918, the arms and griffin supporters were usurped from the Grand Dukes by the new republic to...
and the three deer antlers of the coat of arms of Württemberg
Coat of arms of Württemberg
The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg shows an impalement of the three black antlers that represent Württemberg on the dexter side; and the three black lions passant of medieval Swabia on the sinister side, both on a gold field.It was formally adopted by King William on 30 December 1817,...
.