Lower Saxony
Niedersachsen
After this guide, you will know where Lower Saxony is, which city is its capital, how the state is divided, what its symbols look like and how the state is governed.
Lower Saxony and its capital
Germany has 16 federal states (Bundesland). Each state has its own government. Lower Saxony is a state in the north of Germany.
The city that is the state capital (Landeshauptstadt) is where the state government has its seat. The capital of Lower Saxony is Hannover.
Districts, municipalities and local elections
A state is divided into districts (Landkreis). Some cities stand alone and do not belong to any district. Each district contains several municipalities (Gemeinde). A municipality is the smallest unit of local government.
For example, Ammerland is a district in Lower Saxony. When you read the name of a district, remember that it belongs to one particular state.
In local elections (Kommunalwahl) in Lower Saxony, people aged 16 and over may vote. Each state sets this age in its own law, so it can differ between states.
Coat of arms and flag
Lower Saxony has its own coat of arms (Wappen) and its own state flag (Landesflagge). These are the two official symbols of the state.
The state flag shows the colours black, red and gold (schwarz-rot-gold).
The coat of arms of Lower Saxony is a shield with a rearing horse (the Niedersachsenross). Remember this picture so you can recognise the coat of arms in the question.
How Lower Saxony 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 Lower Saxony, the state parliament election (Landtagswahl) takes place every 5 years.
The head of the state government is called the minister-president (Ministerpräsident). In Lower Saxony, the state parliament elects this person. A minister-president is not a mayor, because a mayor leads only one city or municipality.
The state government consists of several ministries, and each ministry is responsible for one area. 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 Lower Saxony, 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 public order office, the consumer advice centre and the churches do not have this role.