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88-458: Hagelberg is a hill of Brandenburg , Germany . 52°08′N 12°32′E  /  52.133°N 12.533°E  / 52.133; 12.533 This Brandenburg location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Brandenburg Brandenburg , officially the State of Brandenburg (see Names ), is a state in northeastern Germany . Brandenburg borders Poland and

176-572: A combined state of Berlin and Brandenburg is different from other state fusion proposals. Normally, Article 29 of the Basic Law stipulates that states may only merge after a specific federal Act of Parliament is enacted. However, a clause added to the Basic Law in 1994, Article 118a, allows Berlin and Brandenburg to unify without federal approval, requiring a referendum and a ratification by both state parliaments. In 1996, an attempt of unifying

264-752: A federal level, the Social Democratic Party has also been the strongest party in most federal elections , their strongholds being the northwestern part of the state and Potsdam and its surrounding areas . However, the Christian Democratic Union won the most votes in 1990 , their 2013 landslide and in 2017 . In 2009 , The Left won the most votes in a year where, like in 2017, the Social Democratic collapsed. Prominent politicians from Brandenburg include Social Democrats Frank-Walter Steinmeier , who served in

352-663: A formality. After these lines ended in extinction, the electors began to elect kings from different families so that the throne would not once again settle within a single dynasty. All kings elected from 1438 onwards were from among the Habsburg dynasty until 1740, when Austria was inherited by a woman, Maria Theresa , sparking the War of the Austrian Succession and the short-lived rule of a Bavarian Wittelsbach emperor. In 1745, Maria Theresa's husband, Francis I of Lorraine ,

440-402: A great part in the choice. From the sixteenth century on, electors drafted a Wahlkapitulation , or electoral capitulation, which was presented to the king-elect. The capitulation may be described as a contract between the princes and the king, the latter conceding rights and powers to the electors and other princes. Once an individual swore to abide by the electoral capitulation, he assumed

528-696: A part of the eastern border, the Elbe river a portion of the western border. The main rivers in the state itself are the Spree and the Havel . In the southeast, there is a wetlands region called the Spreewald ; it is the northernmost part of Lusatia . Brandenburg is known for its well-preserved natural environment and its ambitious natural protection policies which began in the 1990s. 15 large protected areas were designated following Germany's reunification . Each of them

616-658: A year. Due to increasing air traffic in Berlin and Brandenburg, plans for airport expansions were in the making. Berlin Brandenburg Airport receives over sixty combined passenger, charter and cargo airlines. In 2016, around 49,000 students were enrolled in Brandenburg universities and higher education facilities. The largest institution is the University of Potsdam , located southwest of Berlin . In 2019

704-517: Is provided with state-financed administration and a park ranger staff, who guide visitors and work to ensure nature conservation. Most protected areas have visitor centers. National parks Biosphere reserves Nature parks Brandenburg has the second lowest population density among the German states, after Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 17.1% of the Brandenburgers are registered members of

792-529: Is situated in territory known in antiquity as Magna Germania , which reached to the Vistula river. By the 7th century, Slavic peoples are believed to have settled in the Brandenburg area. The Slavs expanded from the east, possibly driven from their homelands in present-day Ukraine and perhaps Belarus by the invasions of the Huns and Avars . They relied heavily on river transport. The two principal Slavic groups in

880-509: Is unclear but it is thought to derive from the Slavic branyi ('marshy/boggy') or Germanic branda ('fire'). Other theories have included West Slavic branný bor ('defensive forest') and brani-bor ('pine forest'). Burg in German means 'castle'. In the extinct local language Polabian , Brandenburg was Branibor . In the modern local languages, Brandenburg and

968-601: Is unknown. A letter written by Pope Urban IV in 1265 suggests that by " immemorial custom ", seven princes had the right to elect the King and future Emperor. The pope wrote that the seven electors were those who had just voted in the election of 1257, which resulted in the election of two kings. The three Archbishops oversaw the most venerable and powerful sees in Germany. Since 1214, the Palatinate and Bavaria were held by

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1056-656: The Archbishop of Cologne became Archchancellor of Italy , and the Archbishop of Trier became Archchancellor of Burgundy . The secular electors were granted heraldic augmentations to their coats of arms reflecting their positions in the Household. These augmentations were displayed in three alternative ways: firstly, as an inescutcheon on their coat of arms (as in the case of the Arch-Steward, Treasurer, and Chamberlain); secondly: as dexter impalements (as in

1144-750: The Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region , the third-largest metropolitan area in Germany . There was an unsuccessful attempt to unify both states in 1996 and the states still cooperate on many matters. Brandenburg originated in the Northern March in the 900s AD, from areas conquered from the Wends . It later became the Margraviate of Brandenburg , a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire . In

1232-655: The Bundestag for Brandenburg before being elected President of Germany , and likely Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz , who sits in the Bundestag for Potsdam . Like in all other New states of Germany , the populist parties The Left and, more recently, the Alternative for Germany are especially strong in Brandenburg. Brandenburg has 4 out of 69 votes in the Bundesrat and, as of 2021, 25 seats out of 736 in

1320-473: The Bundestag . Brandenburg is divided into 14 rural districts ( Landkreise ) and four urban districts ( kreisfreie Städte ), shown with their population in 2011: The most recent election took place on 1 September 2019. A coalition government was formed by the Social Democrats , The Greens , and the Christian Democratic Union led by incumbent Minister-President Dietmar Woidke (SPD), replacing

1408-583: The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818) , however, and instead listed him with the Grand Dukes as a "Royal Highness". Believing the title of Prince-Elector to be superior in dignity to that of Grand Duke, the Elector of Hesse-Kassel chose to remain an Elector, even though there was no longer a Holy Roman Emperor to elect. Hesse-Kassel remained the only Electorate in Germany until 1866, when the country backed

1496-582: The Duchy of Prussia were combined to form Brandenburg-Prussia , which was ruled by the same branch of the House of Hohenzollern . In 1701 the state was elevated as the Kingdom of Prussia . Franconian Nuremberg and Ansbach , Swabian Hohenzollern , the eastern European connections of Berlin, and the status of Brandenburg's ruler as prince-elector together were instrumental in the rise of that state. Brandenburg

1584-804: The Duke of Württemberg , the Margrave of Baden , the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel , and the Duke of Salzburg , bringing the total number of electors to ten. When Austria annexed Salzburg under the Treaty of Pressburg (1805) , the Duke of Salzburg moved to the Grand Duchy of Würzburg and retained his electorate. None of the new electors, however, had an opportunity to cast votes, as the Holy Roman Empire

1672-519: The Holy Roman Empire . The French monarchy eventually became hereditary , but the Holy Roman Emperors remained elective. While all free men originally exercised the right to vote in such elections, suffrage eventually came to be limited to the leading men of the realm. In the election of Lothar III in 1125, a small number of eminent nobles chose the monarch and then submitted him to the remaining magnates for their approbation. Soon,

1760-554: The Peace of Westphalia , his envoy Joachim Friedrich von Blumenthal negotiated the acquisition of several important territories such as Halberstadt . Under the Treaty of Oliva Christoph Caspar von Blumenthal (son of the above) negotiated the incorporation of the Duchy of Prussia into the Hohenzollern inheritance. When Frederick William died in 1688, he was followed by his son Frederick , third of that name in Brandenburg. As

1848-521: The Schwerin , Neubrandenburg and Magdeburg districts (town Havelberg ). East Germany relied heavily on lignite (the lowest grade of coal) as an energy source, and lignite strip mines marred areas of south-eastern Brandenburg. The industrial towns surrounding Berlin were important to the East German economy, while rural Brandenburg remained mainly agricultural. The present State of Brandenburg

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1936-554: The State of Brandenburg are named: In late medieval and early modern times, Brandenburg was, with varying borders, one of seven electoral states of the Holy Roman Empire , and, along with Prussia , formed the original core of the German Empire , the first unified German state. Governed by the Hohenzollern dynasty from 1415, it contained the future German capital Berlin. After 1618 the Margraviate of Brandenburg and

2024-495: The church tax . Politically, Brandenburg is a stronghold of the Social Democratic Party , which won the largest share of the vote and seats in every state election. All three Minister-Presidents of Brandenburg have come from the Social Democratic Party (unlike any other state except Bremen ) and they even won an absolute majority of seats and every single-member constituency in the 1994 state election . On

2112-637: The death marches of prisoners of various nationalities from various dissolved camps passed through the region. In the final stages of the war, it was the place of heavy fights, including the Battle of the Seelow Heights and Battle of Berlin , won by the Allied Soviet and Polish armies. After Germany's defeat, the part of Brandenburg east of the Oder–Neisse line , which formed part of Poland in

2200-539: The 13th century onwards, a small group of prince-electors gained the privilege of electing the King of the Romans . The king would then later be crowned Emperor by the pope . Charles V (elected in 1519) was the last emperor to be crowned (1530); his successors assumed the title "Elected Emperor of the Romans" ( German : erwählter Römischer Kaiser ; Latin : electus Romanorum imperator ) upon their coronation as kings. The dignity of elector carried great prestige and

2288-594: The 15th century, it came under the rule of the House of Hohenzollern , which later established Brandenburg-Prussia , the core of the later Kingdom of Prussia . From 1815 to 1947, Brandenburg was a province of Prussia . Following the abolition of Prussia after World War II , Brandenburg was established as a state by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany . In 1952, the German Democratic Republic dissolved

2376-682: The Arch-Treasurer by the Hereditary Treasurer (the Count of Sinzendorf ). After 1803, the Duke of Württemberg as Arch-Bannerbearer assigned the count of Zeppelin- Aschhausen as Hereditary Bannerbearer. The German practice of electing monarchs began when ancient Germanic tribes formed ad hoc coalitions and elected the leaders thereof. Elections were irregularly held by the Franks , whose successor states include France and

2464-581: The Archbishop of Mainz within one month of an Emperor's death, and met within three months of being summoned. During the interregnum , imperial power was exercised by two imperial vicars . Each vicar, in the words of the Golden Bull, was "the administrator of the empire itself, with the power of passing judgments, of presenting to ecclesiastical benefices, of collecting returns and revenues and investing with fiefs, of receiving oaths of fealty for and in

2552-615: The Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region and was located 18 km (11 mi) southeast of central Berlin in Schönefeld . The airport was a base for Condor , easyJet and Ryanair . In 2016, Schönefeld handled 11,652,922 passengers (an increase of 36.7%). Schönefeld's existing infrastructure and terminals were incorporated into the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which opened in 2020. Berlin Brandenburg Airport had an initial capacity of 35–40 million passengers

2640-626: The City of Berlin was separated from the Province of Brandenburg. However, industrial towns ringing Berlin lay within Brandenburg, and the growth of the region's industrial economy brought an increase in the population of the province. The Province of Brandenburg had an area of 39,039 km (15,073 sq mi) and a population of 2.6 million (1925). Under the Nazi government and during World War II , repressions of Poles , especially autochthones in

2728-637: The College of Electors was disrupted when a Catholic branch of the Wittelsbach family inherited the Palatinate. A new Protestant electorate was created in 1692 for the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who became known as the Elector of Hanover (the Imperial Diet officially confirmed the creation in 1708). The Elector of Saxony converted to Catholicism in 1697 so that he could become King of Poland, but no additional Protestant electors were created. Although

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2816-605: The EU average. The GDP per capita was the third lowest of all states in Germany. The unemployment rate stood at 5.6% in November 2022 and was higher than the German average but lower than the average of Eastern Germany. Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg is located in Brandenburg. Berlin Schönefeld Airport (IATA code: SXF) was the largest airport in Brandenburg. It was the second largest international airport of

2904-561: The Elector Palatine inherited Bavaria. Many changes to the composition of the college were necessitated by Napoleon 's aggression during the early 19th century. The Treaty of Lunéville (1801), which ceded territory on the Rhine 's left bank to France , led to the abolition of the archbishoprics of Trier and Cologne, and the transfer of the remaining spiritual Elector from Mainz to Regensburg . In 1803, electorates were created for

2992-664: The Elector of Saxony was personally Catholic, the Electorate itself remained officially Protestant, and the Elector even remained the leader of the Protestant body in the Reichstag . In 1706, the Elector of Bavaria and Archbishop of Cologne were outlawed during the War of the Spanish Succession , but both were restored in 1714 after the Peace of Baden . In 1777, the number of electors was reduced to eight when

3080-598: The Electors admitted in 1803, but the Empire was abolished before they could be created. The Duke of Württemberg, however, started to adopt the trappings of the Arch-Bannerbearer. The electors discharged the ceremonial duties associated with their offices only during coronations, where they bore the crown and regalia of the Empire. Otherwise, they were represented by holders of corresponding " Hereditary Offices of

3168-621: The Electors of Baden, Regensburg , and Würzburg became Grand Dukes . The Elector of Hesse-Kassel, however, retained the meaningless title " Elector of Hesse ", thus distinguishing himself from other Hessian princes (the Grand Duke of Hesse(-Darmstadt) and the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg ). Napoleon soon exiled him and Kassel was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia , a new creation. The King of Great Britain remained at war with Napoleon and continued to style himself Elector of Hanover, while

3256-657: The Hanoverian government continued to operate in London. The Congress of Vienna accepted the Electors of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony as Kings, along with the newly created Grand Duke of Baden. The Elector of Hanover finally joined his fellow Electors by declaring himself the King of Hanover . The restored Elector of Hesse tried to be recognized as the King of the Chatti . The European powers refused to acknowledge this title at

3344-889: The Household ". The Arch-Butler was represented by the Hereditary Butler ( Cupbearer ) (the Count of Althann ), the Arch-Seneschal by the Hereditary Steward (the Count of Waldburg , who adopted the title into their name as "Truchsess von Waldburg"), the Arch-Chamberlain by the Hereditary Chamberlain (the Count of Hohenzollern ), the Arch-Marshal by the Hereditary Marshal (the Count of Pappenheim ), and

3432-420: The Imperial Diet also voted in religious coalitions, as provided for in the Peace of Westphalia . The Archbishop of Mainz presided over the Catholic body, the corpus catholicorum , while the Elector of Saxony presided over the Protestant body, the corpus evangelicorum . The division into religious bodies was on the basis of the official religion of the state. The electors were originally summoned by

3520-420: The King of Bohemia three votes, the Elector-Archbishop of Trier three votes, the Elector-Archbishop of Cologne two votes, and the Elector-Archbishop of Mainz one vote. Thus, of the hundred votes in the Council of Princes in 1792 , twenty-nine belonged to electors, giving them considerable influence in the Council of Princes in addition to their positions as electors. In addition to voting by colleges or councils,

3608-455: The Middle Ages and partly also in the early modern period, became again part of Poland. The entire population of former East Brandenburg was expelled en masse in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement . The remainder of the province became a state in the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany when Prussia was dissolved in 1947. After the foundation of East Germany in 1949, Brandenburg formed one of its component states. The State of Brandenburg

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3696-427: The Oder from Poland ( Lubusz Land and north-western Greater Poland ), later known as the Neumark , in contrast to the Altmark , the cradle of the March of Brandenburg. In 1320, the Brandenburg Ascanian line came to an end, and from 1323 up until 1415 Brandenburg was under the control of the Wittelsbachs of Bavaria , followed by the Luxembourg Dynasties. Under the Luxembourgs, the Margrave of Brandenburg gained

3784-431: The Slav-inhabited lands of present-day Brandenburg, excluding Polish-controlled Lubusz Land, although some Slavs like the Sorbs in Lusatia adapted to Germanization while retaining their distinctiveness. The Roman Catholic Church brought bishoprics which, with their walled towns, afforded protection from attacks for the townspeople. With the monks and bishops, the history of the town of Brandenburg an der Havel , which

3872-399: The Wettin family in 1547, in the aftermath of the Schmalkaldic War . In 1623, the Elector Palatine, Frederick V , came under the imperial ban after participating in the Bohemian Revolt (a part of the Thirty Years' War ). The Elector Palatine's seat was conferred on the Duke of Bavaria, the head of a junior branch of his family. Originally, the Duke held the electorate personally, but it

3960-412: The case of the Arch-Marshal and Arch-Bannerbearer) and thirdly: integrated into the charge within the escutcheon (as in the case of the Arch-Cupbearer, where the Lion of Bohemia acquired a "simple crown" held in his dexter paw). When the Duke of Bavaria replaced the Elector Palatine in 1623, he assumed the latter's office of Arch-Steward. When the Count Palatine was granted a new electorate, he assumed

4048-445: The control of Slavic leaders. The eastern parts of current Brandenburg, i.e. the Lubusz Land and Lower Lusatia , became part of Poland in the 10th-11th centuries. In the early 12th century, the Slavic Duchy of Kopanica was established in the central part of present-day Brandenburg, whereas the Lubusz Land in the east remained part of medieval Poland. During the 12th century, the German kings and emperors re-established control over

4136-435: The core of the Kingdom of Prussia, and it was the site of the kingdom's capitals, Berlin and Potsdam. When Prussia was subdivided into provinces in 1815, the territory of the Margraviate of Brandenburg became the Province of Brandenburg , again subdivided into the government region of Frankfurt and Potsdam. It also included Lower Lusatia , previously ruled at various times by Poland, Bohemia , Hungary and Saxony . In 1881,

4224-414: The disputes among the electors. Under it, the Archbishops of Mainz , Trier , and Cologne , as well as the King of Bohemia , the Count Palatine of the Rhine , the Duke of Saxony , and the Margrave of Brandenburg held the right to elect the King. The college's composition remained unchanged until the 17th century, although the Electorate of Saxony was transferred from the senior to the junior branch of

4312-398: The eastern part of the province, intensified with expulsions of Poles , censorship of Polish newspapers, invigilation, arrests and assassinations of Polish leaders, activists, teachers, entrepreneurs, editors, etc., deportations to concentration camps and closure of Polish organizations, enterprises, schools and libraries. The Sachsenhausen concentration camp with a network of subcamps

4400-428: The finest musical compositions of the Baroque era and are among the composer's best known works. A famous speciality food from Brandenburg are the Spreewald gherkins . The wet soil of the Spreewald makes the region ideal for growing cucumbers. Spreewald gherkins are protected by the EU as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). They are one of the biggest exports of Brandenburg. Prince-elector From

4488-437: The following changes to the Constitution of the Holy Roman Empire were attempted until the Empire's collapse. The arch-chancellor of Germany and archbishop elector of Mainz continued to be an elector, but as the prince of Regensburg, which took over Mainz's arch-episcopal status. The prince of Württemberg received the formerly defunct office of Arch-Bannerbearer, while the other new electors were not given augments or high office in

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4576-414: The fusion by a large margin. It failed largely due to Brandenburg voters not wanting to take on Berlin's large and growing public debt and fearing losing identity and influence to the capital. Brandenburg is bordered by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the north, Poland in the east, the Freistaat Sachsen in the south, Saxony-Anhalt in the west, and Lower Saxony in the northwest. The Oder river forms

4664-423: The lands that had been acquired in Prussia were outside the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick assumed (as Frederick I) the title of " King in Prussia " (1701). Although his self-promotion from margrave to king relied on his title to the Duchy of Prussia, Brandenburg was still the most important portion of the kingdom. However, this combined state is known as the Kingdom of Prussia . Brandenburg remained

4752-444: The local, regional Protestant church (mostly the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia ), while 3.1% are registered with the Roman Catholic Church (mostly the Archdiocese of Berlin , and a minority in the Diocese of Görlitz ). The majority (79.8%) of Brandenburgers, whether of Christian or other beliefs, choose not to register with the government as members of these churches, and therefore do not pay

4840-442: The losing side in the Austro-Prussian War and was absorbed into Prussia. Below are the State arms of each Imperial Elector. Emblems of Imperial High Offices are shown on the appropriate arms. Three Electors Spiritual (Archbishops): all three were annexed by various powers through German Mediatisation of 1803. Four Electors Secular: Electors added in the 17th century: As Napoleon waged war on Europe, between 1803 and 1806,

4928-410: The name of the holy empire". The Elector of Saxony was vicar in areas operating under Saxon law ( Saxony , Westphalia , Hannover , and northern Germany), while the Elector Palatine was vicar in the remainder of the Empire ( Franconia , Swabia , the Rhine , and southern Germany). The Elector of Bavaria replaced the Elector Palatine in 1623, but when the latter was granted a new electorate in 1648, there

5016-408: The office of King of the Romans. In the 10th and 11th centuries, princes often acted merely to confirm hereditary succession in the Ottonian and Salian dynasty . But with the actual formation of the prince-elector class, elections became more open, starting with the election of Lothair III in 1125. The Staufen dynasty managed to get its sons formally elected in their fathers' lifetimes almost as

5104-405: The other Imperial Princes . They were, until the 18th century, exclusively entitled to be addressed with the title Durchlaucht (Serene Highness). In 1742, the electors became entitled to the superlative Durchlauchtigste (Most Serene Highness), while other princes were promoted to Durchlaucht . As rulers of Imperial Estates, the electors enjoyed all the privileges of princes, including

5192-411: The other princes ruling States of the Empire, were members of the Imperial Diet , which was divided into three collegia : the Council of Electors, the Council of Princes, and the Council of Cities. In addition to being members of the Council of Electors, most electors were also members of the Council of Princes by virtue of possessing territory or holding ecclesiastical position. The assent of both bodies

5280-400: The position of Arch-Treasurer of the Empire. When the Duke of Bavaria was banned in 1706, the Elector Palatine returned to the office of Arch-Steward, and in 1710, the Elector of Hanover was promoted to the post of Arch-Treasurer. Matters were complicated by the Duke of Bavaria's restoration in 1714; the Elector of Bavaria resumed the office of Arch-Steward, while the Elector Palatine returned to

5368-409: The post of Arch-Treasurer, and the Elector of Hanover was given the new office of Archbannerbearer. The Electors of Hanover, however, continued to be styled Arch-Treasurers, though the Elector Palatine was the one who actually exercised the office until 1777, when he inherited Bavaria and the Arch-Stewardship. After 1777, no further changes were made to the Imperial Household; new offices were planned for

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5456-421: The present-day area of Brandenburg were the Hevelli in the west and the Sprevane in the east. Beginning in the early 10th century, Henry the Fowler and his successors conquered territory up to the Oder River . Slavic settlements such as Brenna ( Brandenburg an der Havel ), Budusin ( Bautzen ), and Chośebuz ( Cottbus ) came under imperial control through the installation of margraves. Their main function

5544-404: The previous coalition between the Social Democrats and The Left . The next ordinary state election will likely occur in autumn 2024. The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the state was 72.9 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 2.2% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,700 euros or 88% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 91% of

5632-430: The right to choose the monarch was settled on an exclusive group of princes, and the procedure of seeking the approval of the remaining nobles was abandoned. The college of electors was mentioned in 1152 and again in 1198. The composition of electors at that time is unclear, but appears to have included bishops and the dukes of the stem duchies . The electoral college is known to have existed by 1152, but its composition

5720-522: The right to enter into alliances, to autonomy in relation to dynastic affairs, and to precedence over other subjects. The Golden Bull granted them the Privilegium de non appellando , which prevented their subjects from lodging an appeal to a higher Imperial court. Although this privilege, and some others, were automatically granted to Electors, they were not exclusive to them and many of the larger Imperial Estates were also to be individually granted some or all those rights and privileges. The electors, like

5808-469: The same individual, but in 1253, they were divided between two members of the House of Wittelsbach . The other electors refused to allow two princes from the same dynasty to have electoral rights, so a heated rivalry arose between the Count Palatine and the Duke of Bavaria over who should hold the Wittelsbach seat. Meanwhile, the King of Bohemia, who held the ancient imperial office of Arch-Cupbearer, asserted his right to participate in elections. Sometimes he

5896-455: The state and broke it up into multiple regional districts . After German reunification , Brandenburg was re-established in 1990 as one of the five new states of the Federal Republic. Southeastern Brandenburg contains part of the historical Lower Lusatia , and most of these localities have two official languages, German and Lower Sorbian (of the Sorbs/Wends ). Brandenburg takes its name from Brandenburg an der Havel . The name's origin

5984-531: The state of Brandenburg adopted an Open Access strategy calling on universities to develop transformation strategies to make knowledge from Brandenburg freely accessible to all. Universities in Brandenburg: The Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach (original title: Six Concerts à plusieurs instruments ) are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig , Margrave of Brandenburg- Schwedt , in 1721 (though probably composed earlier). They are widely regarded as among

6072-427: The states of Berlin , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Saxony . It is the fifth-largest German state by area and the tenth-most populous , with 2.5 million residents. Potsdam is the state capital and largest city. Other major towns are Cottbus , Brandenburg an der Havel and Frankfurt (Oder) . Brandenburg surrounds the national capital and city-state of Berlin . Together they form

6160-483: The states of Berlin and Brandenburg was rejected at referendum. Both share a common history, dialect and culture and in 2020, over 225,000 residents of Brandenburg commute to Berlin. The fusion had the near-unanimous support by a broad coalition of both state governments, political parties, media, business associations, trade unions and churches. Though Berlin voted in favor by a small margin, largely based on support in former West Berlin , Brandenburg voters disapproved of

6248-435: The status of a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. In the period 1373–1415, Brandenburg was a part of the Bohemian Crown . In 1415, the Electorate of Brandenburg was granted by Emperor Sigismund to the House of Hohenzollern , which would rule until the end of World War I. The Hohenzollerns established their capital in Berlin, by then the economic center of Brandenburg. Brandenburg converted to Protestantism in 1539 in

6336-599: The town of Brandenburg in the 1150s, Albert proclaimed himself ruler of the new Margraviate of Brandenburg . Albert, and his descendants the Ascanians , then made considerable progress in conquering, colonizing, Christianizing, and cultivating lands as far east as the Oder. Within this region, Slavic and German residents intermarried. During the 13th century, the Ascanians began acquiring and seizing territory around and east of

6424-723: The two agreed to alternate as vicars, with Bavaria starting first. This arrangement was upheld by the Imperial Diet in 1752. In 1777, the question was settled when the Elector Palatine inherited Bavaria. On many occasions, however, there was no interregnum, as a new king had been elected during the lifetime of the previous Emperor. Frankfurt regularly served as the site of the election from the fourteenth century on, but elections were also held at Cologne (1531), Regensburg (1575 and 1636), and Augsburg (1653 and 1690). An elector could appear in person or could appoint another elector as his proxy. More often, an electoral suite or embassy

6512-682: The wake of the Protestant Reformation , and generally did quite well in the 16th century, with the expansion of trade along the Elbe, Havel, and Spree rivers. The Hohenzollerns expanded their territory by co-rulership since 1577 and acquiring the Duchy of Prussia in 1618, the Duchy of Cleves (1614) in the Rhineland , and territories in Westphalia . The result was a sprawling, disconnected country known as Brandenburg-Prussia that

6600-486: Was a dispute between the two as to which was vicar. In 1659, both purported to act as vicar, but ultimately, the other vicar recognized the Elector of Bavaria. Later, the two electors made a pact to act as joint vicars, but the Imperial Diet rejected the agreement. In 1711, while the Elector of Bavaria was under the ban of the Empire , the Elector Palatine again acted as vicar, but his cousin was restored to his position upon his restoration three years later. Finally, in 1745,

6688-735: Was abolished in 1806, and the new electorates were never confirmed by the Emperor. In 1788, the ruling family of Savoy pushed to receive an electoral title. Their ambition was backed by Brandenburg-Prussia. Nonetheless, the French Revolution and subsequent Coalition Wars soon rendered this a moot point. After the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in August 1806, the Electors continued to reign over their territories, many of them taking higher or alternative titles. The Electors of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony styled themselves Kings, while

6776-419: Was challenged on the grounds that his kingdom was not German, though usually he was recognized, instead of Bavaria, which, after all, was just a younger line of Wittelsbachs. The Declaration of Rhense issued in 1338 had the effect that election by the majority of the electors automatically conferred the royal title and rule over the empire, without papal confirmation. The Golden Bull of 1356 finally resolved

6864-591: Was completely dissolved in 1952 by the Socialist government of East Germany , doing away with all component states. The East German government then divided Brandenburg among several Bezirke or districts. (See Administrative division of the German Democratic Republic ). Most of Brandenburg lay within the Bezirke of Cottbus , Frankfurt , or Potsdam , but parts of the former province passed to

6952-502: Was considered to be behind only the emperor, kings, and the highest dukes. The electors held exclusive privileges that were not shared with other princes of the Empire , and they continued to hold their original titles alongside that of elector. The heir apparent to a secular prince-elector was known as an electoral prince ( German : Kurprinz ). Electors were rulers of reichsstände ( Imperial Estates ), enjoying precedence over

7040-509: Was elected emperor. All of his successors were also from the Habsburg-Lorraine family. Each elector held a "High Office of the Empire" ( Reichserzämter ) analogous to a modern cabinet office position and was a member of the ceremonial Imperial Household . The three spiritual electors became Archchancellors ( German : Erzkanzler , Latin : Archicancellarius ): the Archbishop of Mainz became Archchancellor of Germany ,

7128-523: Was in poor shape to defend itself during the Thirty Years' War . Beginning near the end of that devastating conflict, however, Brandenburg enjoyed a string of talented rulers who expanded their territory and power in Europe. The first of these was Frederick William , the so-called "Great Elector", who worked tirelessly to rebuild and consolidate the nation. He moved the royal residence to Potsdam . At

7216-603: Was later made hereditary along with the duchy. When the Thirty Years' War concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, a new electorate was created for the Count Palatine of the Rhine. Since the Elector of Bavaria retained his seat, the number of electors increased to eight; the two Wittelsbach lines were now sufficiently estranged so as not to pose a combined potential threat. In 1685, the religious composition of

7304-418: Was located in Brandenburg, and several prisoner-of-war camps , including Stalag III-A , Stalag III-B, Stalag III-C , Stalag III-D , Oflag II-A , Oflag III-A, Oflag III-B, Oflag III-C , Oflag 8 and Oflag 80 for Polish, Belgian, British, Dutch, French , Serbian, Italian , American, Czechoslovak, Soviet, Romanian, Greek, Bulgarian and other Allied POWs with numerous forced labour subcamps. In early 1945,

7392-468: Was re-established on 3 October 1990 upon German reunification . The newly elected Landtag of Brandenburg first met on 26 October 1990. As in other former parts of East Germany, the lack of modern infrastructure and exposure to West Germany's competitive market economy brought widespread unemployment and economic difficulty. In the recent years, however, Brandenburg's infrastructure has been modernized and unemployment has slowly declined. The legal basis for

7480-470: Was required for important decisions affecting the structure of the Empire, such as the creation of new electorates or States of the Empire. Many electors ruled a number of States of the Empire or held several ecclesiastical titles, and therefore had multiple votes in the Council of Princes. In 1792, the Elector of Brandenburg had eight votes, the Elector of Bavaria six votes, the Elector of Hanover six votes,

7568-540: Was sent to cast the vote; the credentials of such representatives were verified by the Archbishop of Mainz, who presided over the ceremony. The deliberations were held at the city hall, but voting occurred in the cathedral. In Frankfurt, a special electoral chapel, or Wahlkapelle , was used for elections. Under the Golden Bull, a majority of electors sufficed to elect a king, and each elector could cast only one vote. Electors were free to vote for whomsoever they pleased (including themselves), but dynastic considerations played

7656-574: Was the first center of the state of Brandenburg, began. In 1134, in the wake of a German crusade against the Wends , the German magnate, Albert the Bear , was granted the Northern March by the Emperor Lothar III . He formally inherited the town of Brandenburg and the lands of the Hevelli from their last Wendish ruler, Pribislav , in 1150. After crushing a force of Sprevane who occupied

7744-577: Was to defend and protect the eastern marches . In 948 Emperor Otto I established margraves to exert imperial control over the pagan Slavs west of the Oder River. Otto founded the Bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg . The Northern March was founded as a northeastern border territory of the Holy Roman Empire . However, a great uprising of Wends drove imperial forces from the territory of present-day Brandenburg in 983. The region returned to

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