Bavaria
Bayern
After this guide, you will know where Bavaria is, which city is its capital, what its symbols look like, how the state is governed and where to find information about politics.
Bavaria and its capital
Germany has 16 federal states (Bundesland). Each state has its own government. Bavaria is a state in the south-east of Germany, bordering Austria and the Czech Republic.
The city that is the state capital (Landeshauptstadt) is where the state government has its seat. The capital of Bavaria is Munich (München).
Districts, municipalities and local elections
A state is divided into districts (Landkreis) and some independent cities. Each district contains several municipalities (Gemeinde). A municipality is the smallest unit of local government.
For example, Altötting is a district in Bavaria.
In local elections (Kommunalwahl) in Bavaria, people aged 18 and over may vote. Each state sets this age in its own law, so it can differ between states.
Coat of arms and flag
Bavaria has its own coat of arms (Wappen) and its own state flag (Landesflagge). The coat of arms is a shield with blue and white diamond shapes, topped by a crown.
The state flag has the two colours white and blue (weiß-blau).
How Bavaria is governed
Each state has a state parliament (Landtag). Its members are elected by the people, and the parliament makes the laws for the state. In Bavaria, the state parliament election (Landtagswahl) takes place every five years.
The head of the state government is called the minister-president (Ministerpräsident). In Bavaria, the state parliament elects this person. A minister-president is not a mayor, because a mayor leads only one city or municipality.
Bavaria has several ministries, for example:
- Minister of Justice (Justizminister): responsible for the courts and the state's legal system.
- Minister of Finance (Finanzminister): responsible for the state budget.
- Minister of the Interior (Innenminister): responsible for the police and public safety in the state.
To learn about political topics in Bavaria, you can go to the State Agency for Civic Education (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung). It is a state agency that gives neutral information. The municipal Ordnungsamt, the consumer advice centre and the churches do not have this role.