conurbation with
Halle, known as ''Ballungsraum Leipzig/Halle''. The latter city is located just across the border of
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...
. Leipzig shares, for instance, an
S-train
The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban-suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble c ...
system (known as ''S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland'') and an airport with Halle.
File:Altes Rathaus, Nikolaikirche, von Norden Leipzig 20180814 001.jpg, Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
File:Dresden from Albertbrücke.jpg, Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
File:Altes und Neues Rathaus am Chemnitzer Marktplatz 2015.jpg, Chemnitz
File:Zwickau Hauptmarkt Panorama.jpg, Zwickau
Zwickau (; is, with around 87,500 inhabitants (2020), the fourth-largest city of Saxony after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz and it is the seat of the Zwickau District. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ...
File:Plauen i.V. Zentrum.jpg, Plauen
File:18-09-29-Görlitz-RalfR-DJI 0418.jpg, Görlitz
File:Freiberg-Petri-Obermarkt.jpg, Freiberg
Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district.
Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage c ...
File:Freital-pano.jpg, Freital
File:City Bautzen Germany 104.JPG, Bautzen
Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...
Politics
Saxony is a parliamentary democracy. A
Minister President
A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. I ...
heads the government of Saxony.
Michael Kretschmer has been Minister President since 13 December 2017.
2019 state election
AfD received its highest share of the vote in any state or federal election, while the CDU and
The Left both fell to record lows in Saxony. Under normal circumstances AfD should have received 39 seats in the Landtag; however, due to positions 31–61 being ruled invalid and removed from AfD's party list, they had no candidates to fill the final seat. Thus, it remains vacant and there are only 119 seats in the Landtag, one fewer than the standard minimum size.
The CDU formed a government coalition with the
Greens and the
SPD.
, colspan=13 align=center,
, -
! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Party
! colspan=4, Constituency
! colspan=4, Party list
! rowspan=2, Total
seats
! rowspan=2, ±
! rowspan=2, Seats %
, -
! Votes
! %
! ±
! Seats
! Votes
! %
! ±
! Seats
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
, 703,006
, 32.5
, 7.2
, 41
, 695,560
, 32.1
, 7.3
, 4
, 45
, 14
, 37.8
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Alternative for Germany (AfD)
, 613,585
, 28.4
, 22.0
, 15
, 595,671
, 27.5
, 17.7
, 23
, 38
, 24
, 31.9
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
The Left (Die Linke)
, 265,871
, 12.3
, 8.7
, 1
, 224,354
, 10.4
, 8.5
, 13
, 14
, 13
, 11.8
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)
, 192,489
, 8.9
, 2.6
, 3
, 187,015
, 8.6
, 2.9
, 9
, 12
, 4
, 10.1
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Social Democratic Party (SPD)
, 166,920
, 7.7
, 5.5
, 0
, 167,289
, 7.7
, 4.6
, 10
, 10
, 8
, 8.4
, -
! colspan=13,
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Free Democratic Party (FDP)
, 100,639
, 4.7
, 0.6
, 0
, 97,438
, 4.5
, 0.7
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Free Voters
Free Voters (german: Freie Wähler, FW or FWG) in Germany may belong to an association of people which participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it involves a locally organized group of voters ...
(FW)
, 98,353
, 4.6
, 2.6
, 0
, 72,897
, 3.4
, 1.8
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Die PARTEI
(''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazi ...
(PARTEI)
, 12,557
, 0.6
, 0.4
, 0
, 33,618
, 1.6
, 0.9
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Human Environment Animal Protection (Tierschutz)
, –
, –
, 0.0
, –
, 33,476
, 1.5
, 0.4
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
National Democratic Party (NPD)
, –
, –
, 0.0
, –
, 12,947
, 0.6
, 4.3
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=black,
, align=left,
Partei für Gesundheitsforschung
, –
, –
, New
, –
, 11,652
, 0.5
, New
, 0
, 0
, New
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Blaue #TeamPetry Thüringen
, 1,508
, 0.1
, New
, 0
, 7,806
, 0.4
, New
, 0
, 0
, New
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Pirate Party Germany
The Pirate Party Germany (german: Piratenpartei Deutschland), commonly known as Pirates (), is a political party in Germany founded in September 2006 at c-base. It states general agreement with the Swedish Piratpartiet as a party of the informa ...
(Piraten)
, –
, –
, 1.6
, –
, 6,632
, 0.3
, 0.8
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left,
Ecological Democratic Party
The Ecological Democratic Party (german: Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei, ÖDP) is a conservative and ecologist minor party in Germany. The ÖDP was founded in 1982.
The strongest level of voting support for the ÖDP is in Bavaria, where in ...
(ÖDP)
, –
, –
,
, –
, 6,000
, 0.3
, 0.3
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=#110077,
, align=left,
Party of Humanists (Humanisten)
, –
, –
, New
, –
, 4,305
, 0.2
, New
, 0
, 0
, New
, 0
, -
,
, align=left,
Dawn of German Patriots – Middle Germany (ADPM)
, –
, –
, New
, –
, 3,948
, 0.2
, New
, 0
, 0
, New
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=#005488,
, align=left,
Party of Reason
The Party of Reason (german: Partei der Vernunft, PDV) is a libertarian political party in Germany founded in 2009 by Oliver Janich.
The party's policies are based on the Austrian School of economics. It campaigns for libertarian positions, in ...
(PDV)
, –
, –
,
, –
, 2,268
, 0.1
, 0.1
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=#FF0000,
, align=left,
Communist Party of Germany (KPD)
, –
, –
,
, –
, 1,951
, 0.1
, 0.1
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
,
, align=left,
Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität
Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität (BüSo), or the Civil Rights Movement Solidarity, is a German political party founded by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, the widow of U.S. political activist Lyndon LaRouche.
The BüSo is part of the worldwide LaRouche mo ...
(BüSo)
, –
, –
, 0.4
, –
, 1,630
, 0.1
, 0.1
, 0
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Other
, 2,732
, 0.1
,
, 0
, –
, –
, –
, –
, 0
, ±0
, 0
, -
! colspan=2, Valid votes
! 2,159,850
! 98.7
!
!
! 2,166,457
! 99.0
!
!
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Blank and invalid votes
! 28,636
! 1.3
!
!
! 22,029
! 1.0
!
!
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Total
! 2,188,486
! 100.0
!
! 60
! 2,188,486
! 100.0
!
! 59
! 119
! 7
!
, -
! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout
! 3,288,643
! 66.5
! 17.4
!
! 3,288,643
! 66.5
! 17.4
!
!
!
!
, -
, colspan=13, Source
Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen
Members of the state government
Federal politics
Saxony has 16
constituencies
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
for the
Bundestag
The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Common ...
.
Administration
Saxony is divided into 10 districts:
1.
Bautzen
Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...
(BZ)
2.
Erzgebirgskreis
Erzgebirgskreis is a district ('' Kreis'') in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Erzgebirge ("Ore Mountains"), a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republic border. I ...
(ERZ)
3.
Görlitz (GR)
4.
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
(L)
5.
Meissen (MEI) (Meissen)
6.
Mittelsachsen (FG)
7.
Nordsachsen
Nordsachsen ("North Saxony") is a district ('' Kreis'') in Saxony, Germany.
History
The district was established by merging the former districts of Delitzsch and Torgau-Oschatz as part of the district reform of August 2008.
On 10 December 200 ...
(TDO)
8.
Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (german: Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge) is a district ('' Kreis'') in Saxony, Germany. It is named after the mountain ranges Saxon Switzerland and Eastern Ore Mountains.
History
The district was estab ...
(PIR)
9.
Vogtlandkreis (V)
10.
Zwickau
Zwickau (; is, with around 87,500 inhabitants (2020), the fourth-largest city of Saxony after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz and it is the seat of the Zwickau District. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ...
(Z)
In addition, three cities have the status of an
urban district (german: kreisfreie Städte):
#
Chemnitz (C)
#
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
(DD)
#
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
(L)
Between 1990 and 2008, Saxony was divided into the three regions (''Regierungsbezirke'') of
Chemnitz,
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
, and
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
. After a reform in 2008, these regions – with some alterations of their respective areas – were called ''Direktionsbezirke''. In 2012, the authorities of these regions were merged into one central authority, the '.
Demographics
Population change
Saxony is a densely populated state if compared with more rural German states such as
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
or
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
. However, the population has declined over time. The population of Saxony began declining in the 1950s due to emigration, a process which accelerated after the fall of the
Berlin Wall in 1989. After bottoming out in 2013, the population has stabilized due to increased immigration and higher fertility rates. The cities of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, and the towns of Radebeul and Markkleeberg in their vicinity, have seen their populations increase since 2000. The following tables illustrate the foreign resident populations and the population of Saxony since 1816:
Birthrate
The average number of children per woman in Saxony was 1.60 in 2018, the fourth-highest rate of all German states. Within Saxony, the highest is the
Bautzen
Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...
district with 1.77, while Leipzig is the lowest with 1.49. Dresden's fertility rate of 1.58 is the highest of all German cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants.
Sorbian population
Saxony is home to the
Sorbs
Sorbs ( hsb, Serbja, dsb, Serby, german: Sorben; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a indigenous West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Branden ...
. There are currently between 45,000 and 60,000 Sorbs living in Saxony (Upper Lusatia region).
Today's Sorb minority is the remainder of the Slavic population that settled throughout Saxony in the early Middle Ages and over time slowly assimilated into the German speaking society. Many geographic names in Saxony are of Sorbic origin (including the three largest cities
Chemnitz,
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
and
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
). The Sorbic language and culture are protected by special laws and cities and villages in eastern Saxony that are inhabited by a significant number of Sorbian inhabitants have bilingual street signs and administrative offices provide service in both, German and Sorbian. The Sorbs enjoy cultural self-administration which is exercised through the
Domowina. Former
Minister President
A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. I ...
Stanislaw Tillich
Stanislaw Tillich (; hsb, Stanisław Tilich; born 10 April 1959) is a German politician of the CDU. He served as the 3rd Minister President of Saxony from 2008 to 2017. From 1 November 2015 until 31 October 2016, he was President of the Bund ...
is of Sorbian ancestry and has been the first leader of a German state from a national minority.
Religion
As of 2011, the
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany (german: Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, abbreviated EKD) is a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed (Calvinist) and United (e.g. Prussian Union) Protestant regional churches and denominations in German ...
represented the largest
Christian denomination in the state, adhered to by 21.4% of the population. Members of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
formed a minority of 3.8%. About 0.9% of the Saxons belonged to an Evangelical
free church (''Evangelische Freikirche'', i.e. various Protestants outside the EKD), 0.3% to Orthodox churches and 1% to other religious communities, while 72.6% did not belong to any public-law religious society. The
Moravian Church
, image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
, main_classification = Proto-Prot ...
(see above) still maintains its religious centre in Herrnhut and it is there where 'The
Daily Watchwords
The ''Daily Watchwords'' (german: Herrnhuter Losungen) is an annual, globally distributed publication of the Moravian Church.
It was started on 3 May 1728, and is now published in 50 languages, making it the oldest and most widely read daily d ...
' (Losungen) are selected each year which are in use in many churches worldwide. In particular in the larger cities, there are numerous smaller religious communities. The international
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a presence in the
Freiberg Germany Temple which was the first of its kind in Germany, opened in 1985 even before its counterpart in Western Germany. It now also serves as a religious center for the church members in Poland, the Czech Republic,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
.
In Leipzig, there is a significant
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
community, which mainly caters to the population of Vietnamese origin, with one Buddhist temple built in 2008 and another one currently under construction. The
Sikh faith also maintains a presence in Saxony's three largest cities with three (though small)
Gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
.
Economy
The
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is oft ...
(GDP) of the state was 124.6 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 3.7% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 28,100 euros or 93% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 85% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the highest of the states of the former GDR. Saxony has a "very high"
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...
value of 0.930 (2018), which is at the same level as Denmark.
Within Germany Saxony is
ranked 9th.
Saxony has, after Saxony Anhalt,
the most vibrant economy of the states of the former
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
(GDR). Its economy grew by 1.9% in 2010. Nonetheless, unemployment remains above the German average. The eastern part of Germany, excluding
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, qualifies as an "Objective 1" development-region within the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
, and was eligible to receive investment subsidies up to 30% until 2013.
FutureSAX, a business plan competition and entrepreneurial support organisation, has been in operation since 2002.
Microchip-makers near Dresden have given the region the nickname "
Silicon Saxony". The publishing and porcelain industries of the region are well known, although their contributions to the regional economy are no longer significant. Today, the automobile industry, machinery production, and services mainly contribute to the economic development of the region.
Saxony reported an average unemployment of 5.5% in 2019.
The Leipzig area, which until recently was among the regions with the highest unemployment rate, could benefit greatly from investments by
Porsche and
BMW. With the
VW Phaeton factory in Dresden, and many parts suppliers, the automobile industry has again become one of the pillars of Saxon industry, as it was in the early 20th century.
Zwickau
Zwickau (; is, with around 87,500 inhabitants (2020), the fourth-largest city of Saxony after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz and it is the seat of the Zwickau District. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ...
is another major Volkswagen location.
Freiberg
Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district.
Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage c ...
, a former mining town, has emerged as a foremost location for solar technology. Dresden and some other regions of Saxony play a leading role in some areas of international biotechnology, such as electronic bioengineering. While these high-technology sectors do not yet offer a large number of jobs, they have stopped or even reversed the
brain drain that was occurring until the early 2000s in many parts of Saxony. Regional universities have strengthened their positions by partnering with local industries.
Glashütte
Glashütte [] is a town in Saxony, Germany, known as the birthplace of the German watchmaking industry and has a population of about 7,000. Historically, it was first mentioned in a document circa 1445. In January 2008, the former municipality Re ...
is the birthplace of the
German watchmaking industry and home to highly regarded watch manufacturers such as
A. Lange & Söhne and
Glashütte Original.
File:Luftbild AMD Dresden 2005.jpg, Dresden is the hub of Silicon Saxony.
File:Leipzig Ri.-Le.-Str 6.jpg, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR; ''Central German Broadcasting'') is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. Established in January 1991, its headquarters are in Leipzig, with regional studi ...
is one of Germany's public broadcasters.
File:Leipzig-Halle Airport Check-in.jpg, Leipzig/Halle Airport is the main hub of DHL and the fifth-busiest airport in Europe in terms of cargo traffic.
File:Glashütte Original.jpg, Glashütte
Glashütte [] is a town in Saxony, Germany, known as the birthplace of the German watchmaking industry and has a population of about 7,000. Historically, it was first mentioned in a document circa 1445. In January 2008, the former municipality Re ...
is the birthplace of the German watchmaking industry.
File:Leipzig VNG.jpg, VNG – Verbundnetz Gas in Leipzig is the third-largest natural-gas importer in Germany.
File:Porsche Diamond.jpg, Porsche customer center in Leipzig
File:BMW Leipzig MEDIA Download Luftaufnahme 3 max.jpg, BMW production facility in Leipzig
File:160 Jahre Waggonbau in Bautzen.jpg, Bombardier Transportation in Bautzen
International trade
Saxony is a strongly export-oriented economy. In 2018, exports amounted to 40.48 billion euros while imports stood at 24.41 billion euros. The largest export partner of Saxony is
China with an amount of 6.72 billion euros, while the second largest export market are the United States with 3.59 billion. The largest exporting sectors are the automobile industry and mechanical engineering.
In April 2022, Saxony received about 84% of its imported oil and gas from Russia while nationally Germany only imported about one third from Russia. This is mainly due to the pipeline network, which since the time of the GDR has been strongly integrated with the Soviet Union, similar to other states of Eastern Europe.
Tourism
Saxony is a renowned
tourist destination in Germany. The cities of Dresden and Leipzig are two of Germany's most visited cities.
[Zahlen Daten Fakten 2012](_blank)
(in German), German National Tourist Board Areas along the border with the Czech Republic, such as the
Lusatian Mountains
The Lusatian Mountains ( cs, Lužické hory; german: Lausitzer Gebirge; pl, Góry Łużyckie) are a mountain range of the Western Sudetes on the southeastern border of Germany with the Czech Republic. They are a continuation of the Ore Mountains ...
,
Ore Mountains,
Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sand ...
, and
Vogtland, attract significant numbers of visitors. In addition, Saxony has well-preserved historic towns such as
Görlitz,
Bautzen
Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...
,
Freiberg
Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district.
Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage c ...
,
Pirna
Pirna (; hsb, Pěrno; ) is a town in Saxony, Germany and capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 37,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as ...
,
Meissen and
Stolpen
Stolpen ( hsb, Stołpin) is a town in the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, in Saxony, Germany. It is a historical town, that grew at the foot of the ''Schloßberg'' with the castle ''Burg Stolpen''.
Burg Stolpen
Burg Stolpen is ...
as well as numerous castles and palaces. New tourist destinations are developing, notably in the
Lusatian Lake District
The Lusatian Lake District (german: Lausitzer Seenland, dsb, Łužyska jazorina, hsb, Łužiska jězorina) is a chain of artificial lakes under construction in Germany across the north-eastern part of Saxony and the southern part of Brandenburg ...
.
File:Dresden-nightpanorama-dri.jpg, Dresden is one of the most visited cities in Germany and Europe.
File:100130 150006 Dresden Frauenkirche winter blue sky-2.jpg, The Dresden Frauenkirche
The Dresden Frauenkirche (german: Dresdner Frauenkirche, , ''Church of Our Lady'') is a Evangelical Church in Germany, Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. Destroyed during the Allied Bombing of Dresden in Wo ...
. It now serves as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies.
File:Markkleeberger See Bootsanlegestelle.jpg, Leipziger Neuseenland is a large lake district south of Leipzig, one of Germany's most vibrant cities.
File:Basteibrücke morgens (Zuschnitt).jpg, The Bastei bridge in Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sand ...
File:Rakotz Bridge 26-12-2014.JPG, The Rakotz bridge at Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau
File:Goerlitz_stadtansicht.jpg, The historical city of Görlitz
File:Meissen001.jpg, The Elbe valley with Meissen in the background
File:Panorama Moritzburg (125549417).jpeg, Saxony is home to numerous castles, such as '' Schloss Moritzburg'' north of Dresden.
File:Blick vom Großen Fichtelberg.jpg, Oberwiesenthal, Ore Mountains
Education
Saxony's school system belongs to the most excelling ones in Germany. It has been ranked first in the German school assessment
Bildungsmonitor for several years.
Saxony has four large universities, six ''Fachhochschulen'' (Universities of Applied Sciences) and six
art school
An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...
s.
The
Dresden University of Technology
TU Dresden (for german: Technische Universität Dresden, abbreviated as TUD and often wrongly translated as "Dresden University of Technology") is a public research university, the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, th ...
(TU Dresden), founded in 1828, is one of Germany's oldest universities. With 36,066 students as of 2010, it is the largest
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
in Saxony and one of the ten largest universities in Germany. It is a member of
TU9, a consortium of nine leading German Institutes of Technology.
Leipzig University
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...
is one of the oldest universities in the world and the
second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany, founded in 1409. Famous alumni include
Leibniz,
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
,
Ranke,
Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his car ...
,
Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
,
Cai Yuanpei
Cai Yuanpei (; 1868–1940) was a Chinese philosopher and politician who was an influential figure in the history of Chinese modern education. He made contributions to education reform with his own education ideology. He was the president of Pek ...
,
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...
,
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
,
Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe ( ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe; generally called Tycho (14 December 154624 October 1601) was a Danish astronomer, known for his comprehensive astronomical observations, generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. He was ...
, and nine Nobel laureates are associated with this university.
With over 11,000 students, the
Chemnitz University of Technology is the third largest university in Saxony.
Established in 1765, the
Freiberg University of Mining and Technology
The Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (abbreviation: TU Bergakademie Freiberg, TUBAF) is a public university of technology with currently 3655 students in the city of Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Its focus is on exploration, mining & ...
, located in the former mining town of
Freiberg
Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district.
Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage c ...
, is the oldest university of mining and metallurgy in the world.
Saxony is home to several
Max Planck Institutes
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (german: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. ...
and research institutions of the
Fraunhofer Society
The Fraunhofer Society (german: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., lit=Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research) is a German research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany ...
.
One of the two main campuses of the
German National Library is located in Leipzig.
Culture
Saxony is part of
Central Germany as a cultural area. As such, throughout German history it played an important role in shaping
German culture
The culture of Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular. Historically, Germany has been called ''Das Land der Dichter und Denker'' (the country of poets and thinkers). German cult ...
.
Languages
The most common
patois spoken in Saxony are combined in the group of "
Thuringian
Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon sp ...
and
Upper Saxon dialects". Due to the inexact use of the term "Saxon dialects" in colloquial language, the Upper Saxon attribute has been added to distinguish it from
Old Saxon
Old Saxon, also known as Old Low German, was a Germanic language and the earliest recorded form of Low German (spoken nowadays in Northern Germany, the northeastern Netherlands, southern Denmark, the Americas and parts of Eastern Europe). It ...
and
Low Saxon. Other German dialects spoken in Saxony are the dialects of the
Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), which have been affected by Upper Saxon dialects, and the dialects of the Vogtland, which are more affected by the
East Franconian
East Franconian (german: Ostfränkisch) or Mainfränkisch, usually referred to as Franconian (') in German, is a dialect which is spoken in Franconia, the northern part of the federal state of Bavaria and other areas in Germany around Nuremberg, ...
languages.
Upper Sorbian (a
West Slavic language) is spoken in the parts of
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the ...
that are inhabited by the Sorbian minority. The Germans in Upper Lusatia speak distinct dialects of their own (Lusatian dialects).
Motherland of the Reformation
Saxony is often seen as the ''
motherland
A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
of the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
''. It was predominantly
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
from the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
until the late 20th century.
The
Electoral Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz.
In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charl ...
, a predecessor of today's Saxony, was the original birthplace of the Reformation. The Electors of Saxony, elector was Lutheran starting in 1525. The Lutheran church was organized through the late 1510s and the early 1520s. It was State religion, officially established in 1527 by John, Elector of Saxony, John the Steadfast. Although some of the sites associated with Martin Luther also lie in the current state of Saxony-Anhalt (including Wittenberg, Eisleben and Mansfeld), today's Saxony is usually viewed as the formal successor to what used to be Luther's country back in the 16th century (i.e. the Electoral Saxony).
Martin Luther personally oversaw the Lutheran church in Saxony and shaped it consistently with Theology of Martin Luther, his own views and ideas. The 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were heavily dominated by Lutheran orthodoxy. In addition, the Reformed faith made inroads with the so-called Crypto-Calvinism, crypto Calvinists, but was strongly persecuted in an overwhelmingly Lutheran state. In the 17th century, Pietism became an important influence. In the 18th century, the
Moravian Church
, image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
, main_classification = Proto-Prot ...
was set up on Count von Zinzendorf's property at Herrnhut. From 1525, the rulers were traditionally Lutheran and widely acknowledged as defender of the faith, defenders of the Protestant faith, although – beginning with Augustus II the Strong, who was required to convert to Roman Catholicism in 1697 in order to become King of Poland – its monarchs were exclusively Roman Catholic. That meant Augustus and the subsequent Electors of Saxony, who were Roman Catholic, ruled over a state with an almost entirely Protestant population.
In 1925, 90.3% of the Saxon population was Protestant, 3.6% was Roman Catholic, 0.4% was Jewish and 5.7% was placed in other religious categories.
After World War II, Saxony was incorporated into East Germany which pursued a policy of state atheism. After 45 years of Communist rule, the majority of the population has become unaffiliated. Nonetheless, even during this time Saxony remained an important place of religious dialogue and it was at
Meissen where the agreement on mutual recognition between the German Evangelical Church and the Church of England was signed in 1988.
Sports
In 2020, there were 4,447 registered sports clubs of various disciplines with over 600,000 members in Saxony. The most popular sport in Saxony is association football, football. With RB Leipzig there is one Saxon team playing in the Bundesliga as well as the European UEFA Champions League, Champions League. Leipzig is notable for a longstanding football tradition, a Leipzig team having been the first national football champion in German history. Another popular sport is handball with several Bundesliga teams from Saxony. On a local level sports such as table tennis, cycling, mountaineering and volleyball are popular.
Rock climbing
Saxony prides itself to have been one of the first places in the world where modern recreational rock climbing was developed. Falkenstein (Saxon Switzerland), Falkenstein rock in the area of Bad Schandau is considered to be the place were the German rock climbing tradition started in 1864.
Winter sports
The Ore Mountains in southern Saxony are traditionally a region of winter sports. The ski ressort of
Oberwiesenthal is the highest town of Germany, at an altitude of 900 m, though the surrounding mountains do not reach the same height as in the alpine areas of Southern Germany. Thus, climate change is posing a certain threat to the development of winter sports business. There are a number of training facilities for the German Winter Olympics' team in the region.
Art
The two major cultural centers of Saxony are
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
and
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
. The two cities have each a unique character which is reflecting the role they played throughout Saxon and German history, Dresden being a political center while Leipzig has been a major trading city. Thus, Dresden is well known for the art collections of the former Saxon kings (Dresden State Art Collections with the Green Vault and Zwinger (Dresden), Zwinger as the most well-known parts).
Leipzig on the other hand never had a royal court, so its culture is borne largely by its citizens. The city is famous for its relationship with classical music and names like Johann Sebastian Bach, Mendelssohn or Wagner are linked to it. Over the past decades the city became famous for its modern art scene, most notably the Neue Leipziger Schule (New Leipzig School) with artists such as Neo Rauch.
Porcelain
Saxony was the first place in Europe to develop and produce white porcelain, a luxury good until then imported only from China. The Meissen Porcelain manufactory has been producing porcelain since 1710. It is one of the world's leading porcelain manufacturers and one of the oldest and most internationally known German luxury brands.
[Florian Langenscheidt, Bernd Venohr (Hrsg.): ''Lexikon der deutschen Weltmarktführer. Die Königsklasse deutscher Unternehmen in Wort und Bild''. Deutsche Standards Editionen, Köln 2010, .]
Cuisine
Saxon cuisine encompasses regional cooking traditions of Saxony. In general the cuisine is very hearty and features many peculiarities of Mid-Germany such as a great variety of sauces which accompany the main dish and the fashion to serve potato dumplings (Klöße/Knödel) as a side dish instead of potatoes, pasta or rice. Also much freshwater fish is used in Saxon cuisine. The area around Dresden is home to the easternmost wine region in Germany (see: Saxony (wine region)).
Anthem
Saxony (as other German states) has its own anthem, dating back to the monarchy of the 19th century. 'Gott segne Sachsenland' (God save Saxony) is based on the melody of God save the King.
See also
* Saxony (wine region)
* States of Germany
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Official governmental portal*
{{Authority control
Saxony,
States of the Weimar Republic
NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union
States and territories established in 1990
States of Germany