Northern Germany (German:Norddeutschland,[ˈnɔʁtdɔɪ̯tʃlant]ⓘ) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part ofGermany which includes the coastal states ofSchleswig-Holstein,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern andLower Saxony and the two city-statesHamburg andBremen. It contrasts withSouthern Germany,Western Germany, andEastern Germany.
Northern Germany generally refers to theSprachraum area north of theUerdingen andBenrath lineisoglosses, whereLow Germandialects are spoken. These comprise theLow Saxon dialects in the west (including theWestphalian language area up to theRhineland), theEast Low German region along theBaltic coast withWestern Pomerania, theAltmark and northernBrandenburg, as well as the North Low German dialects.
Although from the 19th century onwards, the use ofStandard German was strongly promoted especially by thePrussian administration, Low German dialects are still present in rural areas, with an estimated number of five to eight million active speakers. However, sinceWorld War II and the immigration ofexpellees from theformer eastern territories of Germany, its prevalence has steadily reduced. Besides which,Frisian is spoken inEast andNorth Frisia, as well asDanish (Standard andSouth Jutlandic) in parts ofSchleswig.
The key terrain feature of Northern Germany is theNorth German Plain including themarshes along the coastline of theNorth andBaltic Seas, as well as thegeest andheaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of theBaltic Uplands, theground moraines,end moraines,sandur,glacial valleys,bogs andLuch.
These features were formed during theWeichselian glaciation and contrast topographically with the adjacentCentral Uplands of Germany to the south, such as theHarz andTeutoburg Forest, which are occasionally counted as part of Northern Germany.
Northern Germany has traditionally been dominated byProtestantism, especiallyLutheranism. The two northern provinces ofSchleswig-Holstein andLower Saxony have the highest proportion of self-reported Lutherans in Germany.[1] Exceptions include the Catholic districts ofEmsland,Cloppenburg andVechta in the west, traditionally linked to the Catholic region ofWestphalia in the south, and the southernmost region ofLower Saxony, around the city ofDuderstadt, comprising part of the traditional Catholic enclave ofEichsfeld.
Culturally and socially, Northern Germany is characterized by higher levels of income equality and gender equality than southern and south-western Germany. While the national federalGini coefficient for Germany stands at around 30, the southern states have a Gini coefficient of 30.6 whereas for the Northern states the Gini coefficient stands at 27.5 which is closer to the Scandinavian average of 25. Traditional society in the western part of Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein,Lower Saxony and some parts ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia andSaxony-Anhalt) until the early 20th century was based on well-off, literate and landowning yeoman farmers owning relatively large pieces of land, making a living growing grain crops and raising dairy cattle and pigs, and a large and educated middle class in the towns and cities working in the civil service, or as businessmen, artisans, blue-collar workers and skilled workers. Thus, the proportion of serfs, landless labourers, semi-skilled industrial workers and large landlords was relatively smaller, making for a more stable society than elsewhere in Germany like the Rhineland region and the region east of the Elbe river. Additionally, Northern cities likeHamburg,Bremen andRostock have always been economic powerhouses of trade and commerce and have had a long tradition of innovation and creativity in business and industry.
The traditional northern German daily diet is centered around boiledpotatoes,rye bread, dairy products, cabbages, cucumbers, berries, jams,fish, andpork andbeef. A breakfast specialty is thecrispbread (Knäckebrot), eaten with a variety of toppings such as ham, soft cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, and liver paste. Lentil stews and soups are very popular as a working lunch. Regional specialties inSchleswig-Holstein,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern andLower Saxony includeblood sausage (Blutwurst) and a variety ofblack puddings commonly eaten forbrunch. Another northern German regional specialty aremeatloaves (Hackbraten), made from a mixture of ground pork and beef and served with mashed potatoes, brown sauce andlingonberry jam. Many traditional meat-based lunch dishes are served with boiled or mashed potatoes and brown sauce. Eatingbrunch is very popular during weekends in the larger towns and cities. In regions nearer to the coast, fish is very popular, withpickled herring andsalmon being delicacies.
Drinking coffee is firmly rooted in northern Germany and the northern provinces on average consume around 8 kilograms (18 lb) of coffee per capita annually. This is more than the 6 kilograms (13 lb) of coffee per capita consumed in the south. Coffee is frequently drunk four times a day: at breakfast, after lunch, in the evening at around 4 pm, and after dinner. Many people also drink a coffee at their place of work at the start of the day's work, and a coffee break with colleagues around an hour before or after lunch. There is also a strong tradition of taking coffee breaks and visiting cafés with friends and acquaintances. In places such as publicly funded universities where free coffee is not available to students, it is not uncommon for students to bring their own hot coffee in insulated flasks and drink from it intermittently. Cafés usually offer medium-fat milk andsugar cubes along withfilter coffee. Commonly eaten desserts includewaffles with ice cream, pancakes, the sweet bun roll with cream known asHeißwecke, and blueberry pie (Heidelbeerkuchen) with vanilla cream.
The northwesternmost region ofEast Frisia is an exception insofar as tea is largely preferred over coffee there, to the extent that East Frisians drink about 300 litres (79 US gal) of tea per capita and year, more than in any particular country.[2]
Lunch at workplaces and educational institutions in northern Germany begins very early – usually between 11:45 and 12:15 pm, and dinner is usually eaten between 7 and 8 pm. This is because the work and school day starts pretty early, at 8 am sharp. Lunches eaten at home during holidays and weekends usually start later – around 1 pm.
The drinking culture in the north is more or less similar to that of the rest of the country, heavily based onbeer withpale lagers andpilsners being favourites. UnlikeBavaria andCentral Germany, dark beers or dark lagers are not at all popular in northern Germany. The north has a slightly stronger tradition ofhard liquor, such ascorn,vodka, andschnapps. Binge drinking is far more common in the north – almost 70% of binge drinking hospitalizations on weekends happen in the eight northern provinces and states containing just 40% of the population.[citation needed] As in all of Germany,mulled wine is a popular alcoholic drink during the Christmas season.
In theEarly Middle Ages, Northern Germany was the settlement area of theSaxon tribes, which were subjugated by theFrankish rulerCharlemagne in theSaxon Wars from 772 onwards, whereafter the ImperialDuchy of Saxony was established in 804. In the 10th century the Saxon lands, enlarged by theSaxon Eastern March, became the cradle of theKingdom of Germany and theHoly Roman Empire, when the dukes of theOttonian dynasty were electedKing of the Romans and crownedHoly Roman Emperors.
From 1500 onwards, the former Saxon territories (except for Westphalia) were incorporated into theLower Saxon Circle of theHoly Roman Empire. TheHanseatic League is also part of the common history and culture of the cities in northern Germany.
Northern Germany corresponds to the territory of theNorth German Confederation in the 19th century. The boundary between the spheres of political influence ofPrussia (Northern Germany) andAustria (Southern Germany) within theGerman Confederation (1815–1866) was known as the "Main line" (Mainlinie, after the riverMain),Frankfurt am Main being the seat of the federal assembly. The "Main line" did not follow the course of the river Main upstream of Frankfurt, rather corresponding to the northern border of theKingdom of Bavaria.
Cultural or political east–west divisions have existed in northern Germany since at least the early modern period, when
During theCold War of the second half of the 20th century, a cultural division of northern Germany into an Eastern and a Western part has become more pronounced due to the1949–1990 division of all of Germany intoWest Germany andEast Germany, where identities based upon the formerIron Curtain and mutual prejudices regarding what once was the other side may still persist today.
A number of Scottish and English Lutheran Families settled in Northern Germany between the years 1683 and 1709, with the result that many Germans in Northwest Germany can claim Scottish and English ancestry.[3]
The termnorthern German states is always used to refer to the following coastal federalStates of Germany:
In some cases, it also includes the non-coastal states of:
Northern Germany as a region or as a historical landscape includes additional federal states (see geography above). Northwestern Germany is usually considered to be part ofNorthern Europe both culturally and geographically where as the southern states are much closer to Central European cultures.
Where a city has different names in English and German, the English name is given first.
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| Rank | City | Pop. 1950 | Pop. 1960 | Pop. 1970 | Pop. 1980 | Pop. 1990 | Pop. 2000 | Pop. 2010 | Area [km2] | Density per km2 | Growth [%] (2000– 2010) | surpassed 100,000 | State (Bundesland) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Berlin | 3,336,026 | 3,274,016 | 3,208,719 | 3,048,759 | 3,433,695 | 3,382,169 | 3,460,725 | 887,70 | 3,899 | 2.32 | 1747 | Berlin |
| 2. |  Hamburg | 1,605,606 | 2,376,958 | 1,793,640 | 1,645,095 | 1,652,363 | 1,715,392 | 1,786,448 | 755,16 | 2,366 | 4.14 | 1787 | Hamburg |
| 3. |  Bremen | 499,549 | 563,270 | 592,533 | 555,118 | 551,219 | 539,403 | 547,340 | 325,42 | 1,682 | 1.47 | 1875 | Free Hanseatic City of Bremen |
| 4. |  Hanover / Hannover | 444,296 | 574,672 | 521,003 | 534,623 | 513,010 | 515,001 | 522,686 | 204,14 | 2,560 | 1.49 | 1875 |  Lower Saxony |
| 5. |  Bielefeld | 153,613 | 174,527 | 168,609 | 312,708 | 319,037 | 321,758 | 323,270 | 257,92 | 1,253 | 0.47 | 1930 |  North Rhine-Westphalia |
| 6. |  Münster | 118,496 | 180,871 | 198,878 | 269,696 | 259,438 | 265,609 | 279,803 | 302,96 | 924 | 5.34 | 1915 | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| 7. |  Brunswick / Braunschweig | 223,760 | 242,489 | 223,275 | 261,141 | 245,816 | 245,816 | 248,867 | 192,15 | 1,295 | 1.24 | 1890 | Lower Saxony |
| 8. |  Kiel | 254,449 | 271,610 | 271,070 | 250,062 | 245,567 | 232,612 | 239,526 | 118,65 | 2,019 | 2.97 | 1898 |  Schleswig-Holstein |
| 9. |  Magdeburg | 260,305 | 261,594 | 272,237 | 289,032 | 278,807 | 231,450 | 231,549 | 200,99 | 1,152 | 0.04 | 1882 |  Saxony-Anhalt |
| 10. |  Lübeck | 238,276 | 232,140 | 239,955 | 220,588 | 214,758 | 213,399 | 210,232 | 214,21 | 981 | −1.48 | 1912 | Schleswig-Holstein |
| 11. |  Rostock | 133,109 | 158,630 | 198,636 | 232,506 | 248,088 | 200,506 | 202,735 | 181,26 | 1,118 | 1.11 | 1935 |  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| Rank | City | Pop. 1950 | Pop. 1960 | Pop. 1970 | Pop. 1980 | Pop. 1990 | Pop. 2000 | Pop. 2010 | Area [km2] | Density per km2 | Growth [%] (2000– 2010) | surpassed 100,000 | State (Land) |
TheGerman Football Association was founded in Leipzig in 1900. Several cities in Northern Germany have hosted matches of the1974 FIFA World Cup,UEFA Euro 1988 and2006 FIFA World Cup.
TheNordderby (Northern derby) is played betweenHamburger SV andSV Werder Bremen, whereas theHamburg derby is played between Hamburger SV andFC St. Pauli. Other notable men's football clubs includeHertha Berlin,VfL Wolfsburg,Hannover 96,Eintracht Braunschweig,F.C. Hansa Rostock,1. FC Magdeburg. Hamburger SV won the1982–83 European Cup and six German championships, whereas Werder Bremen won the German championship four times and Hertha Berlin twice.
In women's football, theVfL Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga three times and theUEFA Women's Champions League twice, whereas1. FFC Turbine Potsdam won the Bundesliga six times and the UEFA Champions League twice.
NotableBasketball Bundesliga teams includeAlba Berlin,Basketball Löwen Braunschweig,Hamburg Towers andEWE Baskets Oldenburg.
NotableEishockey-Bundesliga teams includeEisbären Berlin,Grizzlys Wolfsburg,Hamburg Freezers,Hannover Scorpions andFischtown Pinguins.
Notable handball teams includeGWD Minden,SG Flensburg-Handewitt,TuS Nettelstedt-Lübbecke,THW Kiel,Handball Hamburg,SC Magdeburg,Buxtehuder SV,VfL Oldenburg andHSG Blomberg-Lippe.
Notable marathon races include theBerlin Marathon (one of theWorld Marathon Majors),Hamburg Marathon,Hannover Marathon.
Notable tennis tournaments include theHalle Open,International German Open andSparkassen Open.
Other notable competitions are theKiel Week,EuroEyes Cyclassics and theHanse Sail.
TheOlympiastadion in Berlin has hosted the1936 Summer Olympics,2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics andInternationales Stadionfest.
The sailing competitions for the 1936 and1972 Summer Olympics were held at the Bay of Kiel.
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