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Stork Farm Loburg

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The Stork Farm Loburg is a German ornithological institute located in Loburg , Jerichower Land .

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67-496: The main jobs of the facility, that is funded by an association in Saxony-Anhalt , are the breeding and reintroduction of young orphaned storks into the wild, as well as caring for injured storks. However, animals whose condition is too bad for reintroduction into the wild are permanently lodged at the stork farm. Wild storks are tracked by satellite telemetry, which also captures their migration routes. The most famous example

134-407: A continuous downward trend in the population of Saxony-Anhalt. This is partly due to outward migration and partly because the death rate exceeds the birth rate. Although the birth rate has been steady since 1994, the net reproduction rate is only approximately 70%. However, the total fertility rate reached 1.50 in 2014, the highest value since 1990. The region has historically been associated with

201-420: A maximum of 18.7% in 2005. As of 2020, the unemployment rates in the new states were lower than in some old states. In the decade 1999–2009, economic activity per person rose from 67% to 71% of western Germany. Wolfgang Tiefensee , the minister then responsible for the development of the new states, said in 2009: "The gap is closing." The new states are also the part of the country that was least affected by

268-678: A million inhabitants again. Saxony-Anhalt had a population of 2,960,000 in 1989, which fell to 2,180,684 in 2020. The state has a long history of demographic decline: its current territory had a population of 4,100,000 in 1945. The emigration had already begun during the GDR years. Thuringia had a population of 2,680,000 in 1989, which fell to 2,120,237 in 2020. As of 2021 , the new states have 12.5 million people, about 15% of Germany's population, and slightly less than that of Bavaria . There are more migrants in former West Germany than in former East Germany. About 1.7 million people (or 12% of

335-523: A negative light and derided as "raven mothers" (Rabenmutter). At the time of reunification, almost 90% of women in East Germany were in full-time employment, whilst only about 55% in West Germany. In addition, East German mothers tend to have children earlier in life and return to work after taking just one year of maternity leave (as was the standard in the former East Germany), whilst women from

402-496: A poll found that 22% of former East Germans (40% under 25) considered themselves "real citizens of the Federal Republic"; 62% felt they were no longer citizens of East Germany, but not fully integrated into the unified Germany; and around 11% would have liked to have re-established East Germany. An earlier poll in 2004 found that 25% of West Germans and 12% of East Germans wished reunification had not happened. In 2023,

469-489: A poll found that 40% of East Germans identify as East Germans rather than German which was 52%. Some East German brands have been revived to appeal to former East Germans who are nostalgic for the goods they grew up with. Brands revived in this manner include Rotkäppchen , which holds about 40% of the German sparkling wine market, and Zeha , the sports shoe maker that supplied most of East Germany's sports teams as well as

536-737: A population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the 8th-largest state in Germany by area and the 11th-largest by population . Its capital and most populous city is Magdeburg . The state of Saxony-Anhalt was formed in July 1945 after World War II , when the Soviet army administration in Allied-occupied Germany formed it from the former Prussian Province of Saxony and the Free State of Anhalt . Saxony-Anhalt became part of

603-421: Is a federal state with a relatively short history, compared to other German federal states. It was formed in 1945 out of former Prussian territories and mainly consists of three distinct historical regions: the area around Magdeburg , the formerly independent Anhalt and a southern part which once was part of Saxony but had been annexed by Prussia in the 19th century. This historical origin can still be seen in

670-529: Is the aggressive state atheist policies of the former GDR government. However, the enforcement of atheism existed only for the first few years. After that, the state allowed churches to have a relatively high level of autonomy. Another explanation could be the secularizing trend (the " Kulturkampf ") dating back to the second half of the 19th century in Prussia and through the Weimar Republic which

737-781: Is the most irreligious state in Germany. Of the Saxon-Anhaltish, 15.2% adhered to the major denominations of Christianity (11.9% were members of the Protestant Church in Germany and 3.3% were Catholics ), 2% were members of other religions (mostly Islam, Judaism, the New Apostolic Church and Mandeism ). Of the citizens of Saxony-Anhalt, 82.8% were religiously unaffiliated. As of July 2019 there were 1,892 Jehovah's Witnesses (publishers) in Sachsen-Anhalt. Originally their branch office for Germany

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804-532: Is the state-owned project management institution responsible for the construction of approximately 1,360  km of federal roads within the VDE with a total budget of €10.2 billion. It is also involved in other transport projects, including 435  km of roads costing about €1,760 million as well as a city tunnel in Leipzig costing €685 million. The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2003 includes plans to extend

871-424: Is the white stork Prinzesschen, who has since died. Apart from storks, the farm also houses heritage breeds of different animals, such as the German sheep Heidschnucke and various types of chicken. The animals are looked after on an area of 3 ha and they often settle near the farm after being reintroduced into the wild. The Loburg ornithologist Christoph Kaatz dedicated his work to the counting and preservation of

938-690: The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) formed in 2013, creating a four-party system. Since 2009 at least four factions have been represented in each of the East German regional parliaments, six in Saxony. In 1998/1999, for example, only one of the regional parliaments included more than three factions. In the elections to the Bundestag , the CDU, SPD, FDP and Greens almost always receive fewer votes in

1005-450: The 2007–2008 financial crisis . Women in the eastern Germany are more likely to be employed full-time and reach higher positions in their career, and work longer hours. During the division of Germany, East German women were encouraged to seek full-time employment, housewives were derided as "parasites" (Schmarotzer); in contrast to West Germany, where tax and benefits system discouraged dual-earner families, so working mothers were seen in

1072-641: The A14 motorway from Magdeburg to Schwerin and to build the A72 from Chemnitz to Leipzig . Private ownership rates of cars have increased since 1990: in 1988, 55% of East German households had at least one car; in 1993 it rose to 67% and 71% in 1998, compared to the West German rates of 61% in 1988, 74% in 1993, and 76% in 1998. Unlike the West, there was a three-party system ( CDU , SPD , PDS/The Left ) until

1139-503: The GDR government in 1952 and re-established in 1990, are Brandenburg , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Thuringia . The state of Berlin , the result of a merger between East and West Berlin , is usually not considered one of the new states although many of its residents are former East Germans and many of its areas were in the former East Berlin. There have been 16 states in Germany since reunification. After

1206-487: The German Democratic Republic in 1949, but was dissolved in 1952 during administrative reforms and its territory was divided into the districts of Halle and Magdeburg . Following German reunification , the state of Saxony-Anhalt was re-established in 1990 and became one of the new states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Saxony-Anhalt is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and possesses

1273-661: The Kohl government to match the infrastructure of the new states to the levels of the western ones and to apportion the cost of unification and the expenses of both the Gulf War and European integration. The tax, which raises €11 billion annually, was planned to remain in force until 2019. Since reunification, the unemployment rate in the East has doubled that of the West. The unemployment rate reached 12.7% in April 2010, after reaching

1340-611: The Lutheran faith, but under Communist rule, church membership was strongly discouraged and much of the population disassociated itself from any religious body. Saxony-Anhalt contains many sites tied to Martin Luther's life, including Lutherstadt Eisleben and Lutherstadt Wittenberg . In 2018, the majority of citizens in Saxony-Anhalt were irreligious and more were leaving the churches than entering them – in fact, Saxony-Anhalt

1407-620: The Magdeburg district in the then GDR . It was put under the control of the, at that time independent, city of Loburg. After the foundation of Saxony-Anhalt , the stork farm became an institution under the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry for Environment and Nature Protection and the location of the national ornithological institute. On January 1, 2006, the Stork Farm Loburg association, chaired by Christoph Kaatz, took on

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1474-623: The Soviet Union national football team . The economic reconstruction of eastern Germany ( German : Aufbau Ost ) proved to be longer-term than originally foreseen. As of 2005, the standard of living and average annual income remained significantly lower in the new states. The federal government spent € 2 trillion to reunify and privatise 8,500 state-owned east German enterprises. Almost all East German industries were considered outdated while reunifying. Since 1990, amounts between €100 billion and €140 billion have been transferred to

1541-604: The WASG , The Left frequently loses in state elections and has been losing members since 2010. The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), and The Left from 2005, have gained the following vote shares in recent elections: After losing votes to the AfD, the Left plans to establish a regional group in eastern Germany. After 1990, far-right and German nationalist groups gained followers. Some sources claim mostly among people frustrated by

1608-523: The AFD emerged as the largest in the states of Saxony and Thuringia , and saw a strong performance in eastern Germany . *With the votes of the FDP gains of 2001/02. Fringe parties, particularly the AfD and The Left, receive a large number of protest votes in eastern Germany, which causes voter shifting from left to right and vice versa. The Pirate Party Germany was chosen slightly more frequently in

1675-580: The AfD, regard the Pirate Party primarily as a protest party. The election slogans of the DVU in the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt in 1998 were directed primarily against the politicians already represented in parliament: "Not the people – the political bigwigs, will dole!" And "German, let's not make the sow you. DVU – The protest in the election against dirty things from above". In particular, politically dissatisfied people were advertised towards with

1742-620: The East (10.1 percent) than in the West (8.1 percent) of Berlin. Among those under 30 years of age in East Berlin, the Pirates were the second most popular party with 20 percent of the votes. For example, none of the parties elected to the Berlin House of Representatives in 2011 lost a high proportion of their voters to the AfD as the Pirates at the next election in 2016 (16%). Other findings also suggest that some of their voters, like

1809-571: The German economy, Saxony-Anhalt not only followed the national trend, but clearly outperformed other German states. For example, it outperformed three German states in terms of unemployment (10.8%, as of September 2011): the German capital and city-state of Berlin (12.7%), the city-state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (11.3%) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (11%). The unemployment began to fall under 10% in 2016, and stood at 7.1% in October 2018. Saxony-Anhalt has seven World Heritage Sites ,

1876-762: The Magdeburg Börde are Haldensleben , Oschersleben (Bode) , Wanzleben , Schönebeck (Elbe) , Aschersleben and the capital Magdeburg , from which the Börde derives its name. The Harz mountains are located in the south-west, comprising the Harz National Park , the Harz Foreland and Mansfeld Land . The highest mountain of the Harz (and of Northern Germany ) is Brocken , with an elevation of 1,141 meters (3,735 ft). In this area, one can find

1943-673: The PEGIDA demonstrators. (48% in the West) The Alternative for Germany ( Alternative für Deutschland ; AfD) had the most votes in the new states of Germany in the 2013 German federal elections , in 2017. and in 2021 elections. The party is seen as harbouring anti-immigration views. In 2016, AfD reached at least 17% in Saxony-Anhalt , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (where the NPD lost all seats) and Berlin . In 2015, Rhineland-Palatinate interior minister Roger Lewentz said

2010-509: The Soviet zone, allowing parties truly to compete for seats in provincial and state parliaments, on 20 October 1946, the Province of Saxony was renamed as the Province of Saxony-Anhalt ( German : Provinz Sachsen-Anhalt ), taking the prior merger into account. On 3 December 1946 the members of the new provincial parliament elected Hübener the first minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt, with

2077-684: The US Army withdrew from the former Prussian Province of Saxony to make way for the Red Army to take it as part of the Soviet occupation zone , as agreed by the London Protocol in 1944. On 9 July the Soviet SVAG ordered the merger of the Free State of Anhalt , Halle-Merseburg , the governorate of Magdeburg (in its then borders), Allstedt (before Thuringia) and some Brunswickian eastern exclaves and salients ( Calvörde and

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2144-536: The Western states usually stay on maternity leave for the full 3 years until job protection ends. All the new states qualify as Objective 1 development regions within the European Union and were eligible to receive investment subsidies of up to 30% until 2013. The "German Unity Transport Projects" ( Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit , VDE) is a programme launched in 1991 that is intended to upgrade

2211-556: The adult population declared themselves as agnostics or non believer, while 34.1% declared themselves as atheists. Christians comprised 37.2% of the total population; by denomination, members of the Protestant Churches were 19.2%, members of other Christian denominations were 8.8%, Catholics were 7.1%, the Christian Orthodox were 2.1%. An explanation for the atheism in the new states, popular in other states,

2278-802: The anniversary of the Bombing of Dresden in World War II . There were 6,000 Nationalists which were met by tens of thousands of ″anti-Nazis″ and several thousand policemen. The Free Voters of Germany emerged in 2009 from the Land Brandenburg regional branch of Free Voters , after being excluded because of "signs of right infiltration" from the Federal Association of Free Voters Germany. Pegida has its focus in eastern Germany. A survey by TNS Emnid reports that in mid-December 2014, 53% of East Germans in each case sympathised with

2345-563: The coat of arms of the federal state. In April 1945 the US Army took control of most of the western and northern area of the future Saxony-Anhalt. The U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (a precursor of the OMGUS ) appointed the first non-Nazi officials in leading positions in the area. Erhard Hübener , put on leave by the Nazis, was reappointed Landeshauptmann (state governor) . By early July

2412-567: The districts were reintegrated as a state. The territory around Torgau did not return to the state and joined Saxony. Torgau is now the centre of the Nordsachsen district (since 2008). In 2015 the skeletal remains of an ancient inhabitant of Karsdorf dated from the Early Neolithic (7200 BP) were analysed; he turned out to belong to the paternal T1a-M70 lineage and maternal lineage H1. Since German reunification, there has been

2479-796: The east, Dessau-Roßlau and Wittenberg are situated on the Elbe (as is the capital Magdeburg) in the Anhalt-Wittenberg region. The capital and largest city of Saxony-Anhalt is Magdeburg . The second-largest city in the state is Halle (Saale) . From 1994 to 2003, the state was divided into three regions ( Regierungsbezirke ), Dessau , Halle and Magdeburg and, below the regional level, 21 districts ( Landkreise ). Since 2004, however, this system has been replaced by 11 rural districts and three urban districts. [REDACTED] The districts are: The independent cities are: The largest towns in Saxony-Anhalt as of 30 June 2022: Saxony-Anhalt

2546-401: The eastern part of the former Blankenburg district ) with the Province of Saxony. The previously Saxon Erfurt governorate had become a part of Thuringia . Anhalt takes its name from Anhalt Castle near Harzgerode ; the origin of the name of the castle remains unknown. Anhalt was once an independent German federal state dating back centuries. The SVAG appointed Hübener as president of

2613-480: The fall of the Berlin Wall, the former East German states experienced high rates of depopulation until around 2008. About 2,000 schools closed between 1989 and 2008, because of a demographic shift to a lower number of children. In 2006, the fertility rate in the new states (1.30) approached those in the old states (1.34) and in 2016 it was higher than in the old states (1.64 vs. 1.60 in the old states). In 2019,

2680-404: The former communist states were "more susceptible" to "xenophobic radicalization" because former East Germany had not had the same exposure to foreign people and cultures over the decades that the people in the West of the country have had. In the 2017 federal election , AfD received approximately 22% of the votes in the East and approximately 11% in the West. In the 2021 federal election ,

2747-414: The high unemployment and the poor economic situation. Der Spiegel also points out that these people are primarily single men and that there may also be socio-demographic reasons. Since around 1998 the support for right-wing parties shifted from the south of Germany to the east. The far-right party German People's Union (DVU) formed in 1998 in Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg since 1999 . In 2009,

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2814-422: The highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany . Saxony-Anhalt is one of 16 constituent states of Germany. It is located in the western part of eastern Germany. By size, it is the 8th largest state in Germany and by population, it is the 11th largest. It borders four other states: Brandenburg to the north-east, Saxony to the south-east, Thuringia to the south-west and Lower Saxony to

2881-549: The highest number of all states in Germany. Saxony-Anhalt has several universities, including: New states of Germany The new states of Germany ( German : die neuen Länder / die neuen Bundesländer ) are the five re-established states of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) that unified with the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with its 10 "old states" upon German reunification on 3 October 1990. The new states, which were dissolved by

2948-538: The infrastructure of eastern Germany and modernize transport links between the old and new states. It consists of nine railway projects, seven motorway projects, and one waterway project with a total budget of €38.5 billion. As of 2009, all 17 projects were under construction or have been completed. The construction of new railway lines and high-speed upgrades of existing lines reduced journey times between Berlin and Hanover from over four hours to 96 minutes. Many railway lines (branches and main lines) have been closed by

3015-406: The new states annually. More than €60 billion were spent supporting businesses and building infrastructure in the years 2006–2008. A €156 billion economic plan , Solidarity Pact II, was enforced in 2005 and provided the financial basis for the advancement and special promotion of the economy of the new states until 2019. The "solidarity tax", a 5.5% surcharge on the income tax, was implemented by

3082-461: The new states had exactly the same fertility rate as the old states (both 1.56). More children are born out of wedlock in the new states than in the old states. In the new states, 61% of births were from unmarried women compared to 27% in the old states in 2009. Both states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had the highest rates of birth outside wedlock at 64% each, followed by Brandenburg with 62%, Bavaria and Hesse at 26%, while

3149-550: The new states than in the old states, while Die Linke and AfD receive many more votes and support in the new states than in the old states. The democratic socialist party, The Left ( Die Linke , successor to the Party of Democratic Socialism , the GDR state party 's successor) has been successful throughout eastern Germany, perhaps as a result of the continued disparity of living conditions and salaries compared with western Germany, and high unemployment. Ever since it associated with

3216-712: The north-west. In the north, the Saxony-Anhalt landscape is dominated by the flat expanse of the North German Plain . The old Hanseatic towns Salzwedel , Gardelegen , Stendal and Tangermünde are located in the sparsely populated Altmark . The Colbitz-Letzlingen Heath and the Drömling near Wolfsburg mark the transition between the Altmark region and the Elbe-Börde-Heath region with its fertile, sparsely wooded Magdeburg Börde . Notable towns in

3283-525: The old states to the new states than vice versa. All of the new states have populations where 90-95% of people do not have a migrant background. Irreligion is predominant in former East Germany. An exception is former West Berlin , which had a Christian plurality in 2016 (44.4% Christian and 43.5% unaffiliated). It also has a higher share of Muslims at 8.5%, compared to former East Berlin with only 1.5% self-declared Muslims as of 2016. Eurostat 's Eurobarometer survey in 2015, found that 27.0% of

3350-412: The opposition requested an annual report on the topic. Saxony had a population of 5,003,000 in 1989, which fell to 4,056,094 in 2020. It remains the most populated among the five new states. The proportion of the population under 20 years of age fell from 24.6% in 1988 to 19.7% in 1999. Dresden and Leipzig are among the fastest-growing cities in Germany, both raising their population to over half

3417-537: The party lost its representation in the Landtag of Brandenburg . The far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) was represented in the Saxon State Parliament from 2004 to 2014 . In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the NPD losts its representation in the parliament following the 2016 state elections . In 2009, Junge Landsmannschaft Ostdeutschland , supported by the NPD, organized a march on

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3484-457: The population) had left the new states. A disproportionately high number of them were women under the age of 35. About 500,000 women under the age of 30 left for western Germany between 1993 and 2008. In some rural regions, the number of women between the ages of 20 and 30 dropped by more than 30 percent. After 2008, the net migration rate decreased significantly. In 2017, for the first time since German reunification, more people emigrated from

3551-474: The province emerged into the State of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 October 1947. It became part of the German Democratic Republic ( East Germany ) in 1949. From 1952 on the East German states were dissolved, and Saxony-Anhalt's territory was divided into the East German districts of Halle and Magdeburg , except that the territory around Torgau was assigned to Leipzig . In 1990, in the course of German reunification ,

3618-470: The provincial Saxon administration, a newly created function. The administration was seated in Halle an der Saale, which became the capital, also of later Saxony-Anhalt until 1952. On 3 September 1945 the new administration enacted by Soviet-inspired ordinance the mass expropriations, mostly hitting holders of large real estates, often of noble descent. On the occasion of the first (and one and only) election in

3685-471: The remaining and newly created businesses are highly competitive. For example, the industry has doubled its share of international revenue from 13 percent in 1995 to 26 percent in 2008. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has fallen considerably. By 2010 the GDP of Saxony-Anhalt was almost two and a half times higher than it was in 1991. Even though part of this recovery was brought on by the positive performance of

3752-474: The responsibility for the ornithological institute. The Stork Farm Loburg association is financed by donations and the sale of souvenirs as well as sponsorships of individual animals. In 2016, the association acquired a former restaurant together with the accompanying residence. Aided by subsidies, the dining area was transformed into an environmental education center, in which there is a permanent exhibition on white storks. The renovation took seven years and it

3819-503: The state of Baden-Württemberg had the lowest rate at 22%. Brandenburg had a population of 2,660,000 in 1989 and 2,531,071 in 2020. It has the second-lowest population density in Germany. In 1995, it was the only new state to experience population growth, aided by nearby Berlin. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had a population of 1,970,000 in 1989 and 1,610,774 in 2020, with the lowest population density in Germany. The local Landtag held several inquiries on population trends after

3886-514: The stork population, the building of eyries and the banding of storks. He founded a team of specialists for the protection of white storks and publicly advocated in favour of nature and species conservation in his home region. In 1979, the Kaatz family set up a rescue centre for injured and orphaned storks on their property in Loburg. In 1988, the stork farm was taken over by the culture department of

3953-402: The third lowest among the 16 states of Germany (together with Saxony and Thuringia). The largest foreign resident groups by 31 December 2022 were: Minister-president Reiner Haseloff (CDU) retained his position in a coalition with former partner SPD and newly the FDP. Before the election the coalition had consisted of the CDU, SPD and Greens. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the state

4020-634: The towns of Halberstadt , Wernigerode , Thale , Eisleben and Quedlinburg . The wine-growing area Saale-Unstrut and the towns of Zeitz , Naumburg (Saale) , Weißenfels and Freyburg (Unstrut) are located on the rivers Saale and Unstrut in the south of the state. The metropolitan area of Halle (Saale) forms an agglomeration with Leipzig in Saxony. This area is known for its highly developed chemical industry (the Chemiedreieck – chemical triangle), with major production plants at Leuna , Schkopau ( Buna-Werke ) and Bitterfeld . Finally, in

4087-635: The unified Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) because of increased car usage and depopulation. The VDE states that some main lines are still not finished or upgraded, with the Leipzig-Nuremberg line (via Erfurt and part of the Munich-Berlin route) scheduled to come on-line in December 2017, almost three decades after reunification. Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH , (English: German Unity Road Construction Company; DEGES)

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4154-583: The votes of the CDU and Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD) . Thus he became the only governor in the Soviet zone who was not a member of the communist Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) , making him an inconvenience for the Soviet forces. After the official Allied decision to dissolve the Free State of Prussia , which had remained in limbo since the Prussian coup of 1932 , its former provinces , in as far as they still existed, achieved statehood; thus

4221-510: Was 62.7 billion euros in 2018, which accounts for 1.9% of Germany's total economic output and ranks 13th among the 16 German states. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,000 euros or 86% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 88% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the second lowest of all German states. By 2020, the GDP of the state dropped to 62.654 billion euros, shortly after reaching an all-time high of 64.115 billion euros in 2019. Saxony-Anhalt

4288-405: Was in Magdeburg. When World War II ended in 1945, the property in Magdeburg, then part of East Germany, was returned and the branch was reestablished. But on 30 August 1950 Communist police stormed the facilities and arrested the workers, and the Jehovah's Witnesses in the German Democratic Republic (DDR) were banned. The percentage of foreigners in Saxony-Anhalt was 4.9 percent by 31 December 2018,

4355-498: Was part of the communist German Democratic Republic. After the breakdown of communism and the German reunification in 1990, the collapse of non-competitive former GDR industries temporarily caused severe economic problems. In 2000, Saxony-Anhalt had the highest unemployment rate of all German states, at 20.2%. However, the process of economic transformation towards a modern market economy seems to be completed. Massive investments in modern infrastructure have taken place since 1990, and

4422-492: Was reopened to the public in May 2023. 52°07′03″N 12°05′16″E  /  52.11747°N 12.08781°E  / 52.11747; 12.08781 Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( German : Sachsen-Anhalt [ˌzaksn̩ ˈʔanhalt] ; Low German : Sassen-Anholt ) is a state of Germany , bordering the states of Brandenburg , Saxony , Thuringia and Lower Saxony . It covers an area of 20,451.7 square kilometres (7,896.4 sq mi) and has

4489-605: Was strongest in the states of Thuringia and Saxony as well as the late arrival of Christianity to the region as opposed to southern Europe where it was the state religion from late antiquity. Persisting differences in culture and mentality among older East Germans and West Germans are often referred to as the "wall in the head" ("Mauer im Kopf"). Ossis (Easties) are stereotyped as racist, poor and largely influenced by Russian culture , while Wessis (Westies) are usually considered snobbish, dishonest, wealthy, and selfish. The terms can be considered to be disparaging. In 2009,

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