Misplaced Pages

#873126

90-614: The Jahna is a river of Saxony , Germany . It is a left tributary of the Elbe , which it joins in Riesa . This article related to a river in Saxony is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Saxony Saxony , officially the Free State of Saxony , is a landlocked state of Germany , bordering the states of Brandenburg , Saxony-Anhalt , Thuringia , and Bavaria , as well as

180-714: A Louis the Pious 's general assembly at Frankfurt . In May 826, at a meeting at Ingelheim , Cedrag of the Obotrites and Tunglo "one of the magnates" of the Sorbs were accused of malpractices; they were ordered to appear in October, and Tunglo surrendered his son as hostage to be allowed to return home. The Franks had, sometime before the 830s, established the Sorbian March , comprising eastern Thuringia, in easternmost East Francia . In 839,

270-532: A Bohemian exclave until 1809. Eastern parts were also ruled by Poland between 1002 and 1032, by the Duchy of Jawor , the southwesternmost duchy of fragmented Piast -ruled Poland, from 1319 to 1346, and by Hungary from 1469 to 1490, and Pechern (Upper Sorbian: Pěchč ) was part of the Duchy of Żagań , one of the Lower Silesian duchies formed in the course of the medieval fragmentation of Poland, remaining under

360-726: A Slav-speaker, had considerable success in Christianizing the Sorbs. Although by 994 some Slavic people managed to get independence, only Sorbs remained under Saxon control. Cosmas of Prague in his 12th century Chronica Boemorum , speaking about mythical history of Czechs, mentions certain tutor Duringo of Sribia genere and as scelestus Zribin . The chronicle, dealing with real historical events, mentions land of Serbia ( Zribiam 1040, 1087, 1088, 1095, 1109, and Sribiae 1113), mainly in regard of being crossed by Saxons to attack Bohemia, or local castles being attacked by Bohemia, from there moved regional princes to Poland and back, or as

450-796: A coalition of Austria, France and Russia against Prussia. Frederick II of Prussia chose to attack preemptively and invaded Saxony in August 1756, precipitating the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War ). The Prussians quickly defeated Saxony and incorporated the Saxon army into the Prussian Army . At the end of the Seven Years' War, Saxony recovered its independence in the 1763 Treaty of Hubertusburg . In 1806, French Emperor Napoleon abolished

540-614: A constitution for the Kingdom of Saxony that served as the basis for its government until 1918. During the 1848–49 constitutionalist revolutions in Germany , Saxony became a hotbed of revolutionaries, with anarchists such as Mikhail Bakunin and democrats including Richard Wagner and Gottfried Semper taking part in the May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. (Scenes of Richard Wagner's participation in

630-605: A federalistic and pro-Austrian policy throughout the early 1860s until the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War . During that war, Prussian troops overran Saxony without resistance and then invaded Austrian Bohemia . After the war, Saxony was forced to pay an indemnity and to join the North German Confederation in 1867. Under the terms of the North German Confederation, Prussia took over control of

720-454: A land where were banished people from Bohemia. Since then the Sorbian tribes mostly disappeared from the political scene. From the 11th to the 15th century, agriculture east of Elbe River developed and colonization by Frankish, Flemish and Saxon settlers intensified. The Slavs were allowed to live mainly in the periphery of the cities, and the military-administrative as well as religious authority

810-658: 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 (see above) still maintains its religious centre in Herrnhut and it is there where 'The Daily Watchwords ' (Losungen) are selected each year which are in use in many churches worldwide. In particular in

900-654: A similar fashion as did the Bulgars with the Bulgarians . Dvornik additionally argued that they helped the Croats fighting the Avars. Recent scholars also consider that they arrived as a small military elite which managed to organize other already settled and more numerous Slavs, but that the Serbs did not fight the Avars as there's no evidence and mention of it in historical sources. In 782,

990-523: Is a significant Buddhist 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 . The Gross domestic product (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

SECTION 10

#1732851154874

1080-544: Is exercised through the Domowina . Former Minister President Stanislaw Tillich is of Sorbian ancestry and has been the first leader of a German state from a national minority. As of 2011, 72.6% of people are not affiliated with any religion. The Protestant Church in Germany represents the largest Christian denomination in the state, adhered to by 21.4% of the population. Members of the Roman Catholic Church formed

1170-517: Is generally considered that their ethnonym *Sŕbъ (plur. *Sŕby ) originates from Proto-Slavic language with a appellative meaning of a "family kinship" and "alliance", while other argue a derivation from Iranian-Sarmatian language. According to the old theorization by Joachim Herrmann , the Serbian tribe characterized by Rüssen-type of Leipzig group pottery arrived from the Middle Danube in

1260-435: Is located just across the border of Saxony-Anhalt . Leipzig shares, for instance, an S-train system (known as S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland ) and an airport with Halle. Saxony is a parliamentary democracy. A Minister President heads the government of Saxony. Michael Kretschmer has been Minister President since 13 December 2017. Gisela Reetz Ines Fröhlich Gesine Märtens Conrad Clemens Authorized representative of

1350-628: Is related to Fredegar's as the revolt against the Avars after the Siege of Constantinople (626) coincides with the period of Heraclius, when Byzantine Empire was also in crisis and likely used the Slavs against the Avars in the Western frontier of the Empire. Serbs and Heraclius could have come into contact at the time, and Heraclius knew about those faraway lands, because Heraclius made a treaty in 629 with king Dagobert I of

1440-511: 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. Saxony is home to the Sorbs . 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

1530-485: Is unclear whether by then, or later in the year, Sorbs killed their dux Zistibor. In 869, Sorbs (as a tribe, not confederation ) and Siusli (another Sorbic tribe ) "joined with the Bohemians and the other peoples of the region and crossed the old Thuringian border: they laid many places waste and killed some who rashly came together to attack them". In August of the same year, many Sorbs and Bohemian mercenaries recruited by

1620-655: Is unrelated to present-day Saxony but the name moved southwards due to certain historical events (see below). The territory of the Free State of Saxony became part of the Holy Roman Empire by the 10th century, when the dukes of Saxony were also kings (or emperors) of the Holy Roman Empire, comprising the Ottonian , or Saxon, dynasty. The Margravate of Meissen was founded in 985 as a frontier march , that soon extended to

1710-647: The Landesdirektion Sachsen  [ de ] . Saxony is a densely populated state if compared with more rural German states such as Bavaria or Lower Saxony . 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

1800-463: The Bundestag . Saxony is divided into 10 districts:   1. Bautzen (BZ)   2. Erzgebirgskreis (ERZ)   3. Görlitz (GR)   4. Leipzig (L)   5. Meissen (MEI) (Meissen)   6. Mittelsachsen (FG)   7. Nordsachsen (TDO)   8. Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge (PIR)   9. Vogtlandkreis (V) 10. Zwickau (Z) In addition, three cities have

1890-527: The Cottbus Bezirk . The Free State of Saxony was reconstituted with slightly altered borders in 1990, following German reunification . Besides the formerly Silesian area of Saxony, which was mostly included in the territory of the new Saxony, the free state gained further areas north of Leipzig that had belonged to Saxony-Anhalt until 1952. The highest mountain in Saxony is the Fichtelberg (1,215 m) in

SECTION 20

#1732851154874

1980-564: The Duchy of Magdeburg , the Altmark and some smaller territories to become the Prussian Province of Saxony , a predecessor of the modern state of Saxony-Anhalt . Lower Lusatia and part of the former Saxe-Wittenberg territory became part of the Province of Brandenburg and the northeastern part of Upper Lusatia became part of the Province of Silesia . The rump Kingdom of Saxony had roughly

2070-574: The Electorate of Saxony of the Holy Roman Empire , the Kingdom of Saxony , and twice for a republic. The first Free State of Saxony was established in 1918 as a constituent state of the Weimar Republic . After World War II , it was under Soviet occupation before it became part of communist East Germany and was abolished by the government in 1952. Following German reunification , the Free State of Saxony

2160-456: The Holy Roman Empire and established the Electorate of Saxony as a kingdom in exchange for military support. The Elector Frederick Augustus III accordingly became King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony . Frederick Augustus remained loyal to Napoleon during the wars that swept Europe in the following years; he was taken prisoner and his territories were declared forfeit by the allies in 1813, after

2250-554: The Kwisa (Queis) river to the east and as far as the Ore Mountains. In the process of Ostsiedlung , settlement of German farmers in the sparsely populated area was promoted. Around this time, the Billungs , a Saxon noble family, received extensive lands in Saxony. The emperor eventually gave them the title of dukes of Saxony . After Duke Magnus died in 1106, causing the extinction of

2340-578: The Oder-Neisse line was annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union, and, unlike in the aftermath of World War I , the annexing powers were allowed to expel the inhabitants. During the following three years, Poland and Czechoslovakia expelled German-speaking people from their territories, and some of these expellees came to Saxony. Only a small area of Saxony lying east of the Neisse River and centred around

2430-456: The Province of Schleswig-Holstein ). Saxe-Wittenberg, mostly in modern Saxony-Anhalt , became subject to the margravate of Meissen , ruled by the Wettin dynasty in 1423. This established a new and powerful state, occupying large portions of the present Free State of Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Bavaria (Coburg and its environs). Although the centre of this state was far to the southeast of

2520-638: The Saxons emerged, from which the subsequent state(s) draw their name. The territory of modern day Saxony and partly of Thuringia since the late 6th century became populated by Polabian Slavs (most prominently tribe of Sorbs ), being conquered by Francia which organized Sorbian March . A legacy of this period is the modern ethnic group of Sorbs in Saxony. Eastern and western parts of present Saxony were ruled by Bohemia at various times between 1075 and 1635 (with some intermissions), and Schirgiswalde (Upper Sorbian: Šěrachów ; Czech : Šerachov ) remained

2610-561: The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). The new minister-president Rudolf Friedrichs (SED), had been a member of the SPD until April 1946. He met his Bavarian counterparts in the U.S. zone of occupation in October 1946 and May 1947, but died suddenly in mysterious circumstances the following month. He was succeeded by Max Seydewitz , a loyal follower of Joseph Stalin . The German Democratic Republic (East Germany), including Saxony,

2700-586: The Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SVAG) merged this territory into Saxony. This former Silesian territory broadly corresponded with the Upper Lusatian territory annexed by Prussia in 1815. On 20 October 1946, SVAG organised elections for the Saxon state parliament ( Landtag ), but many people were arbitrarily excluded from candidacy and suffrage, and the Soviet Union openly supported

2790-532: The Suevi ( Albis Germaniae Suevos a Cerveciis dividiit ). According to one theory, the original Serbs were not of Slavic origin and such an early mention is related to possible westward migration of Alanic tribe of Serboi with the Huns who later as an elite subjugated Slavic population giving it their name. According to Lubor Niederle , the Serbian district was located somewhere between Magdeburg and Lusatia , and

Jahna - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-583: The Western Ore Mountains . There are numerous rivers in Saxony. The Elbe is the most dominant one. The Neisse defines the border between Saxony and Poland. Other rivers include the Mulde and the White Elster . The largest cities and towns in Saxony according to the 31 July 2022 estimate are listed below. Leipzig forms a conurbation with Halle , known as Ballungsraum Leipzig/Halle . The latter city

2970-453: The 18th and 19th centuries Saxe-Lauenburg was colloquially called the Duchy of Lauenburg , which was held in a personal union by the Electorate of Hanover from the 18th century to the Napoleonic wars, and in a personal union with Denmark (along with neighbouring Holstein and Schleswig ) for much the 19th century. In 1876 it was absorbed into Prussia as the Duchy of Lauenburg district of

3060-523: The 8th and 9th century. The archaeological data and historical sources indicate earliest Slavic migration along the Carpathians and the Alps since the late 6th century with Korchak-type material. It is considered that their earliest mention is at least from the 6th century or earlier by Vibius Sequester , who recorded Cervetiis ( Servetiis ) living on the other part of the river Elbe which divided them from

3150-766: The Franks against the Avars. Francis Dvornik considered that the Serbian migration was caused by the Frankish pressure and conquest of Thuringia, and the Byzantine alliance against the Avars. The migration probably temporarily diminished Serbian and Slavic power in Polabia. Part of the Serbs who emigrated to the Southeastern Europe arrived as a military and ruling elite, that could not influence "racial and linguistic evolution" of other South Slavs and natives, imposing only their name in

3240-653: The Free State of Saxony under a new constitution enacted on 1 November 1920. In October 1923, when the Communist Party of Germany entered the Social Democratic -led government in Dresden with hidden revolutionary intentions , the Reich government under Chancellor Gustav Stresemann used a Reichsexekution to send troops into Saxony to remove the Communists from the government. The state retained its name and borders during

3330-525: The German speaking society. Many geographic names in Saxony are of Sorbic origin (including the three largest cities Chemnitz , Dresden and Leipzig ). 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

3420-905: The Great in his Geography of Europe (888–893) relying on Orosius , recorded that " north of the Dalamensians are the Surpe /Servians ". The Arab historians and geographers Al-Masudi and Al-Bakri (10th and 11th century) writing on the Saqaliba mentioned the Sarbin or Sernin living between the Germans and the Moravians, a "Slavic people much feared for reasons that it would take too long to explain and whose deeds would need much too detailed an account. They have no particular religious affiliation". They, like other Slavs, "have

3510-399: The May 1849 uprising in Dresden are depicted in the 1983 movie Wagner starring Richard Burton as Richard Wagner.) The May uprising in Dresden forced King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to concede further reforms to the Saxon government. In 1854 Frederick Augustus II's brother, King John of Saxony , succeeded to the throne. A scholar, King John translated Dante . King John followed

3600-524: The Moravians as "enemies" and "opressors" ), while Thietmar of Merseburg in his Chronicon Thietmari speaking about Thuringia wrote that "in the reign of the Duke Svatopluk we were ruled by Bohemian princes. Our ancestors paid him an annual tribute and he had bishops in his country, then called Marierun [Moravia]". The mid-9th century Bavarian Geographer mentioned the Surbi having 50 civitates ( Iuxta illos est regio, que vocatur Surbi, in qua regione plures sunt, que habent civitates L ). Alfred

3690-497: The Nazi era as a Gau ( Gau Saxony ), but lost its quasi-autonomous status and its parliamentary democracy. During World War II , under the secret Nazi programme Aktion T4 , an estimated 15,000 people suffering from mental and physical disabilities, as well as a number of concentration camp inmates, were murdered at Sonnenstein killing centre near Pirna . Numerous subcamps of the Buchenwald , Flossenburg and Gross-Rosen concentration camps were operated in Saxony. As

Jahna - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-511: The Obotrites and Veletians, and strengthened the grip on the Sorbs and Glomacze. Between 932 and 963 the Sorbs lost their independence, pressured by Gero , becoming part of Marca Geronis . Since the 940s were built Burgwards in the territory of the Sorbs, and the Margravate of Meissen and March of Lusatia were established in 965, remaining part of the Holy Roman Empire , with Otto I founding many Slavic bishoprics (including Bishopric of Merseburg ). Bishop Boso of St. Emmeram (d. 970),

3870-513: The Piast dynasty until 1472. The first medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages " Carolingian stem duchy ", which emerged around the start of the 8th century AD and grew to include the greater part of Northern Germany , what are now the modern German states of Bremen , Hamburg , Lower Saxony , North Rhine-Westphalia , Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt . Saxons converted to Christianity during this period, with Charlemagne outlawing pagan practices. This geographical region

3960-406: The Rhineland against the Saxons in 880, joint forces of the Sorbs, Daleminzi, Bohemians and other near tribes attacked the Slavs around Saale river "faithful to the Thuringians with plunder and burning. Count Poppo , dux of the Sorbian march, came against them with the Thuringians, and with God's help so defeated them that not one out of a great multitude remained". The Sorbs in Saxony probably were

4050-521: The River Elbe" in 806. The region was laid to waste, upon which the other Slavic chieftains submitted and gave hostages. Franks constructed two castles, one on each river. Ten years later, in 816 the Sorbs rebelled, but their diobedience was suppressed after Saxons and East Franks campaign conquering their cities, and renewing their oaths of submission. In 822, the Sorbs sent an embassy with gifts alongside other Slavs (Obodrites, Wilzi, Bohemians, Moravians, Praedenecenti as well as Pannonian Avars) to

4140-411: The Saxon coat of arms, in many towns of Thuringia, the coat of arms can still be found in historical buildings. The remaining Saxon state became still more powerful, receiving Upper and Lower Lusatia in the Peace of Prague (1635) . It also became known in the 18th century for its cultural achievements, although it was politically weaker than Prussia and Austria , states which oppressed Saxony from

4230-445: The Saxon duchies. However, Sigismund , King of the Romans , had already granted Margrave Frederick IV the Warlike of Meissen ( House of Wettin ) an expectancy of the Saxon electorate in order to remunerate his military support. On 1 August 1425 Sigismund enfeoffed the Wettinian Frederick as Prince-Elector of Saxony, despite the protests of Eric V. Thus the Saxon territories remained permanently separated. The Electorate of Saxony

4320-402: The Saxon postal system, railroads, military and foreign affairs. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Saxon troops fought together with Prussian and other German troops against France. In 1871, Saxony joined the newly formed German Empire . After King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated on 13 November 1918, Saxony, remaining a constituent state of Germany ( Weimar Republic ), became

4410-485: The Saxons fought "the Sorabos, called Colodici " at Kesigesburch and won the battle, managing to kill their king Cimusclo (or "Czimislav") , with Kesigesburch and eleven forts being captured. The Sorbs were forced to pay tribute and forfeited territory to the Franks. The Sorbian tribe of Colodici was furthermore mentioned in 973 ( Coledizi pagus , Cholidici ), in 975 ( Colidiki ), and 1015 ( Colidici locus ). Besides Colodici other tribes which scholars consider part of

4500-477: The Slavs who successfully repelled and killed Arn (bishop of Würzburg) in 892. It is considered that somewhere in the second-half of the 9th century, Svatopluk I of Moravia (r. 871–894) may have incorporated the Sorbs into Great Moravia , or spread Moravian influence in the region, because Annales Fuldenses mentions an oath of fidelity mission with gifts by Sorbs in Salz and then Bohemians in Regensburg to king Arnulf in 895/897 (with Bohemians calling

4590-435: The Sorbs and Obotrites led by chieftain Witzan . The army reached Dragovit , who surrendered, followed by other Slavic magnates and chieftains who submitted to Charlemagne. Charles the Younger launched a campaign against the Slavs in Bohemia in 805, killing their dux , Lecho, and then proceeded crossing the Saale with his army and killed rex (king) Melito (or "Miliduoch") of the Sorabi or Siurbis who "live on

SECTION 50

#1732851154874

4680-436: The Sorbs settled and influenced around Magdeburg , Havelland , Thuringia and northeast Bavaria , and alongside them immigrated Croats and Bulgars from Middle Danube. However, since the 1980s, Herrmann's theory is outdated and rejected by archaeologists, historians and other scholars because it was found to be completely unfounded and based on wrong data and chronologies among others. Dendrochronology also showed that

4770-407: The Sorbs, inhabiting the region between the Elbe and Saale, plundered Thuringia and Saxony. Charlemagne sent Adalgis, Worad and Geilo into Saxony, aimed at attacking the Sorbs, however, they met with rebel Saxons who destroyed them. In 789, Charlemagne launched a campaign against the Wiltzi ; after reaching the Elbe, he went further and successfully "subjected the Slavs". His army also included

4860-419: The Sorbs, were killed and forced to return home or surrender by Louis the Younger , Thuringian and Saxon forces. After death of Thachulf in August 873, the Sorbs and Siusli rebelled again, but Liutbert (archbishop of Mainz) and new Sorbian March dux Radulf II in January 874 "by pillaging and burning crushed their insolence without battle and reduced them to their former servility". After the Viking raids in

4950-408: The Weser and the Elbe remained with the Guelphs, becoming later the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg . The remaining eastern lands, together with the title of Duke of Saxony, passed to an Ascanian dynasty (descended from Eilika Billung , Wulfhild's younger sister) and were divided in 1260 into the two small states of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg . The former state was also named Lower Saxony ,

5040-403: The White Serbs was of clan character, which indicates the beginnings of state formation. The Sorbian 'civitates' are equal to simple chiefdoms, the particular clan regions correspond with complex chiefdoms. The high king ('rex supérbus') had only hegemonic authority over the heads of the clan regions ('ceteri reges'). Later on in the 9th and early 10th century the political unity of the Sorbi region

5130-432: The approximate limit of Slavic westward migration. Fredegar recounts that under the leadership of dux (duke) Dervan ( Dervanus dux gente Surbiorum que ex genere Sclavinorum ), they joined the Slavic tribal union of Samo , after Samo's decisive victory against Frankish King Dagobert I in 631. Afterwards, these Slavic tribes continuously raided Thuringia . The fate of the tribes after Samo's death and dissolution of

5220-435: The beginning of the 7th century and settled between Saale and Elbe river, but only since the 10th century their ethnonym was transferred to the Luzici, Milceni and other tribes of Sukow-Dziedzice and Tornow group who supposedly were present from the late 5th and early 6th century (Tornow since 7th; it was also argued that to the West were present some Slavs with Prague-Korchak culture ). Herrmann also considered that

5310-436: The close political and cultural relationship persisted well into the 19th century, with Saxony being the place of preparations for the Polish Kościuszko Uprising against the partitioning powers, and one of the chief destinations for Polish refugees from partitioned Poland, including the artistic and political elite, such as composer Frédéric Chopin , war hero Józef Bem and writer Adam Mickiewicz . In 1756, Saxony joined

5400-449: The core Sorbian tribes were Glomacze-Daleminzi , Chutici-Chudzicy, Citici-Żytyce, Neletici-Nieletycy, Siusler-Susłowie among others. According to the Annales Fuldenses , in 849 Thachulf, Duke of Thuringia held also the title "dux of the Sorbian March", In 851, the Sorbs attacked and raided Frankish border, provoking Louis the German 's invasion which "oppressed them severely. He tamed them, after they had lost their harvests and so

5490-419: The countries of Poland and the Czech Republic . Its capital is Dresden , and its largest city is Leipzig . Saxony is the tenth largest of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of 18,413 square kilometres (7,109 sq mi), and the sixth most populous , with more than 4 million inhabitants. The term Saxony has been in use for more than a millennium. It was used for the medieval Duchy of Saxony ,

SECTION 60

#1732851154874

5580-417: The custom of burning themselves alive when a king or chieftain dies. They also immolate his horses". In the Hebrew book Josippon (10th century) are listed four Slavic ethnic names from Venice to Saxony ; Mwr.wh (Moravians), Krw.tj (Croats), Swrbjn (Sorbs), Lwcnj (Lučané or Lusatians ). Henry the Fowler had subjected the Stodorani in 928, and in the following year imposed overlordship on

5670-437: The defeat of Napoleon. Prussia intended the annexation of Saxony but the opposition of Austria , France, and the United Kingdom to this plan resulted in the restoration of Frederick Augustus to his throne at the Congress of Vienna although he was forced to cede the northern part of the kingdom to Prussia, which led to the loss of nearly 60% of the Saxon territory, and 40% of its population. Most of these lands were merged with

5760-399: The fifth century BC. Notable archaeological sites have been discovered in Dresden and the villages of Eythra and Zwenkau near Leipzig. The Germanic presence in the territory of today's Saxony is thought to have begun in the first century BC. Parts of Saxony were possibly under the control of the Germanic King Marobod during the Roman era. By the late Roman period, several tribes known as

5850-466: The former Saxony, it came to be referred to as Upper Saxony and then simply Saxony , while the former Saxon territories in the north were now known as Lower Saxony (the modern term Niedersachsen deriving from this). In 1485, Saxony was split in the Treaty of Leipzig . A collateral line of the Wettin princes received what later became Thuringia and founded several small states there (see Ernestine duchies ). Since these princes were allowed to use

5940-403: The free state Saxony to the federal government of Germany In the 2024 European Parliament election , AfD received the highest percentage of votes in Saxony, winning 31.8% of the ballots. The other states where AfD has become the strongest party are Thuringia , Saxony-Anhalt , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , and Brandenburg . These four states were part of East Germany like Saxony. Compared to

6030-463: The hope of food". In August 856 the Sorbian duces joined king Louis's army in his successful attack on Daleminzi and Duchy of Bohemia . In 857, the brother of Sclavitag/Slavitach son of rebellious Wiztrach dux of Bohemians, found a refuge at the court of Zistibor of Sorbs before was made new dux of Bohemians by the Franks. For summer 858, Thachulf was ordered to attack the Sorbs, as one of three armies dealing with different Slavic frontiers. It

6120-428: 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 , and Hungary . In Leipzig, there

6210-458: The last election, AfD increased their votes in Saxony which was 25.3% in the 2019 European Parliament election . CDU/CSU received 21.8% of the votes in Saxony and became the second strongest party in the 2024 EP election. BSW was in the third place by receiving 12.6% of the votes. The Left lost a significant proportion of their votes compared to the 2019 election. Their votes regressed from 11.7% to 4.9%. Saxony has 16 constituencies for

6300-433: The latter Upper Saxony , thence the later names of the two Imperial Circles Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg. Both claimed the Saxon electoral privilege for themselves, but the Golden Bull of 1356 accepted only Wittenberg's claim, with Lauenburg nevertheless continuing to maintain its claim. In 1422, when the Saxon electoral line of the Ascanians became extinct, the Ascanian Eric V of Saxe-Lauenburg tried to reunite

6390-422: The male line of Billungs, oversight of the duchy was given to Lothar of Supplinburg , who also became emperor for a short time. In 1137, control of Saxony passed to the Guelph dynasty, descendants of Wulfhild Billung, eldest daughter of the last Billung duke, and the daughter of Lothar of Supplinburg. In 1180 large portions west of the Weser were ceded to the Bishops of Cologne , while some central parts between

6480-565: The north and south, respectively. Between 1697 and 1763, two successive Electors of Saxony were also elected Kings of Poland in personal union . Many landmarks in Saxony date from this period and contain remnants of the former close Polish-Saxon relation, such as the coat of arms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on the facades and in the interiors of palaces, churches, edifices, etc. (e.g. Zwinger , Dresden Cathedral , Moritzburg Castle ), and on numerous mileposts, and

6570-551: The region of Saxony has sometimes been referred to as Upper Saxony or Obersachsen in German to distinguish it from Lower Saxony. The state is also home to a minority of Sorbs , a West Slavic ethnic group native to the area, numbering an estimated 80,000 people. Saxony has a long history as a duchy , an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire (the Electorate of Saxony ), and finally as a kingdom (the Kingdom of Saxony ). In 1918, after Germany's defeat in World War I , its monarchy

6660-622: The same extent as the present state, albeit slightly smaller. Meanwhile, in 1815, the Kingdom of Saxony joined the German Confederation . In the politics of the Confederation, Saxony was overshadowed by Prussia and Austria. King Anthony of Saxony came to the throne of Saxony in 1827. Shortly thereafter, liberal pressures in Saxony mounted and broke out in revolt during 1830—a year of revolution in Europe. The revolution in Saxony resulted in

6750-422: The status of an urban district ( German : kreisfreie Städte ): Between 1990 and 2008, Saxony was divided into the three regions ( Regierungsbezirke ) of Chemnitz , Dresden , and Leipzig . After the 2008 Saxony district reform , 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,

6840-614: The territory of Bohemia in Czech and German historical sources. The information by Vibius Sequester is in accordance with the Frankish 7th-century Chronicle of Fredegar according to which the Surbi lived in the Saale - Elbe valley, having settled in the Thuringian part of Francia at least since the second-half of the 6th century and were vassals of Merovingian dynasty . The Saale-Elbe line marked

6930-464: The town of Reichenau (Bogatynia) was annexed by Poland. Traditional close relations of Saxony with neighbouring German-speaking Egerland were thus completely destroyed, making the border of Saxony along the Ore Mountains a linguistic border. Part of the former Prussian province of Lower Silesia lay west of the Oder-Neisse line and therefore was separated from the bulk of its former province;

7020-464: 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 from 1816 to 2022: 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 district with 1.77, while Leipzig

7110-474: The union in 658 is undetermined, but it is considered that subsequently returned to Frankish vassalage. According to 10th-century source De Administrando Imperio by Constantine VII , writing on the Serbs and their lands previously dwelt in, they lived "since the beginning" in the region called by them as Boiki ( Bohemia ; a mistake by Constantine VII which should be understood as "near" instead of "in" ) which

7200-751: The war drew to its end, U.S. troops under General George Patton occupied the western part of Saxony in April 1945, while Soviet troops occupied the eastern part. That summer, the entire state was handed over to Soviet forces as agreed in the London Protocol of September 1944 . Britain, the US, and the USSR then negotiated Germany's future at the Potsdam Conference . Under the Potsdam Agreement , all German territory East of

7290-399: The wooden building material was from the late 8th to the beginning of the 10th century, while the material from the 6th and 7th century is almost non-existent. This is also doubting the accuracy of the historical sources and their interpretation. Peter Heather , in conclusion, stated that it is an "old theory" with seriously erroneous dating of the ceramics and sites, which in reality date to

7380-750: 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 value of 0.930 (2018), which is at the same level as Denmark. Within Germany Saxony is ranked 9th . Sorbs (tribe) They are mentioned between the 6th and 10th century as Cervetiis ( Servetiis ), gentis (S)urbiorum , Suurbi , Sorabi , Soraborum , Sorabos , Surpe , Sorabici , Sorabiet , Sarbin , Swrbjn , Servians , Zribia , and Suurbelant . It

7470-546: Was a neighbor to Francia, and when two brothers succeeded their father, one of them migrated with half of the people from White Serbia to the Balkans during the rule of Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (610–641) in the first half of the 7th century. According to some scholars, the White Serbian Unknown Archon who led them to the Balkans was most likely a son, brother or other relative of Dervan. This account

7560-578: Was established in 1949 out of the Soviet zone of Occupied Germany , becoming a constitutionally socialist state , part of COMECON and the Warsaw Pact , under the leadership of the SED . In 1952 the government abolished the Free State of Saxony, and divided its territory into three Bezirke : Leipzig , Dresden , and Karl-Marx-Stadt (formerly and currently Chemnitz ). Areas around Hoyerswerda were also part of

7650-514: Was in the hands of the Germans. Despite the long process of Germanization , part of the Slavs living in Lusatia preserved their identity and language until now, and in the early 20th century there lived some 150 thousand Lusatian Sorbs. According to Rostyslav Vatseba, "between the Elbe and Saale rivers the heterachical dryht-type state existed during the reign of Miliduch (before 806). The local society of

7740-526: Was later mentioned by the Ottonians as Ciervisti , Zerbisti , and Kirvisti . According to a fringe theory their area of settlement possibly also included part of Chebsko (the northwestern edge of the Czech Republic), but it is a baseless claim without a source, and scholars, including E. Simek proved only Czechs lived there. Henryk Łowmiański concluded that there's no mention of Sorbs/Serbs living in

7830-590: Was lost, despite a presumably more hierarchical mode of government in the Colodici's principality of Czimislav (830s). The author suggests that Colodici's 'castellа' served as places of the high prince's dryht members ('witsessen') residence, providing the ability to control the neighbouring clans. Such a system presumably could have persisted to the times of Čestibor ". The peasants were called smerdi , while two other classes were vitaz/vitiezi and zhupans . The 10th-century Widukind of Corvey in his The Deeds of

7920-422: Was overthrown and a republican form of government was established under the current name. The state was broken up into smaller units during communist rule (1949–1989), but was re-established on 3 October 1990 on the reunification of East and West Germany . In prehistoric times, the territory of present-day Saxony was the site of some of the largest of the ancient central European monumental temples , dating from

8010-516: Was reconstituted with enlarged borders in 1990 and became one of the five new states of the Federal Republic of Germany. The area of the modern state of Saxony should not be confused with Old Saxony , the area inhabited by Saxons . Old Saxony corresponds roughly to the modern German states of Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and the Westphalian portion of North Rhine-Westphalia . Historically

8100-512: Was then merged with the much larger Wettinian Margraviate of Meissen ; however, it used the higher-ranking title Electorate of Saxony and even the Ascanian coat-of-arms for the entire monarchy. Thus Saxony came to include Dresden and Meissen . Hence, the territory of the modern Free State of Saxony shares the name with the old Saxon stem duchy for historical and dynastic reasons rather than any significant ethnic, linguistic or cultural connection. In

#873126