The question of whether to capitalise 'bavaria' depends on the context in which it is being used. If you are referring to the German state of Bavaria, then it is appropriate to capitalise the word as it is a proper noun. However, if you are using 'bavaria' as a common noun to describe a type of beer, then it would not be capitalised. For example, I'm going on holiday to Bavaria this summer versus Let's grab a bavaria at the pub.
What You'll Learn
The history of Bavaria
Early Settlements and Roman Raetia
Celtic peoples such as the Boii were the first known inhabitants of the region, participating in the widespread La Tène culture. By the 1st century BC, the territory was conquered and incorporated into the Roman Empire as the provinces of Raetia and Noricum. The Roman empire under Augustus made the Danube, which runs through Bavaria, its northern boundary. What is now southern Bavaria was in the northern half of the Roman province of Raetia, which was the land of the Vindelici. The main Roman city was Augusta Vindelicorum, modern Augsburg.
Migrations and the Early Medieval Period
During the 5th century, the Romans in Noricum and Raetia came under increasing pressure from people north of the Danube. This area was inhabited by Suebian groups and considered by Romans to be part of Germania. The etymological origins of the name "Bavarian" (Latin Baiovarii) are from the north of the Danube, outside the empire, coming from the Celtic Boii, who lived there earlier. Their name was already used to refer to the part of this region in the time of Maroboduus, who formed the Germanic Marcomannic kingdom with its capital in this forested area.
The Stem Duchy of Bavaria
The Bavarians soon came under the dominion of the Franks, who regarded this border area as a buffer zone against peoples to the east, such as the Avars and Slavs. Sometime around 550 AD, the Franks put it under the administration of a duke, who was supposed to act as a regional governor for the Frankish king. The first duke known was Garibald I, a member of the powerful Agilolfing family. This was the beginning of a series of Agilolfing dukes that lasted until 788 AD.
The Duchy During the Carolingian Period
Duchy During the Ottonian and Salian Periods
In 920 AD, Conrad's successor was the German king, Henry the Fowler, of the Ottonian dynasty. Henry recognized Arnulf as duke, confirming his right to appoint bishops, coin money, and issue laws. A similar conflict took place between Arnulf's son and successor Eberhard and Henry's son Otto I the Great. Eberhard proved less successful than his father, and in 938 AD, fled from Bavaria, which Otto granted (with reduced privileges) to the late duke's uncle, Bertold.
Bavaria at the Time of the First Duke
Bavaria at this stage included the Inn basin (including Salzburg and the Salzach basin) and the Danube from Donauwörth (Lech confluence) to Linz. The most important Bavarian cities at the time were Freising, Passau, Salzburg, and Regensburg.
Renaissance and Counter-Reformation
In spite of the decree of 1506, William IV was compelled to grant a share in the government in 1516 to his brother Louis X, an arrangement that lasted until Louis's death in 1545. William followed the traditional Wittelsbach policy of opposition to the Habsburgs until in 1534, when he made a treaty at Linz with Ferdinand, the king of Hungary and Bohemia. This link strengthened in 1546 when the emperor Charles V obtained the help of the duke during the war of the league of Schmalkalden by promising him, in certain eventualities, the succession to the Bohemian throne.
Electorate of Bavaria
In 1623, the Bavarian duke replaced his relative of the Palatinate branch, the Electorate of the Palatinate in the early days of the Thirty Years' War. During the early and mid-18th century, the ambitions of the Bavarian prince electors led to several wars with Austria and occupations by Austria.
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Periods
In 1792, French revolutionary armies overran the Palatinate, and in 1795, the French invaded Bavaria itself, advancing to Munich, where they were received with joy by the long-suppressed Liberals. Between the French and the Austrians, Bavaria was now in a precarious situation. The new elector, Maximilian IV Joseph, succeeded to a difficult inheritance. Though he and his all-powerful minister, Maximilian von Montgelas, sympathized more with France than Austria, the state of the Bavarian finances and the fact that the Bavarian troops were scattered and disorganized placed him helplessly in the hands of Austria.
Constitution and Revolution
On 26 May 1818, the constitution was proclaimed. The parliament was to consist of two houses: the first comprising the great hereditary landowners, government officials, and nominees of the crown; the second, elected on a narrow franchise, comprised representatives of small landowners, towns, and peasants. By additional articles, the equality of religions was guaranteed, and the rights of Protestants were safeguarded. The result of the constitutional experiment hardly justified the royal expectations; the parliament was hardly opened before the doctrinaire radicalism of some of its members so alarmed the king that he appealed to Austria and Germany for support.
Bavaria During the Weimar Republic
Republican institutions replaced royal ones in Bavaria during the upheavals of November 1918. Provisional National Council Minister-President Kurt Eisner declared Bavaria to be a free state on 8 November 1918. Eisner was assassinated on 21 February 1919, ultimately leading to a Communist revolt and the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic being proclaimed on 6 April 1919. After violent suppression by elements of the German Army, the Bavarian Soviet Republic fell on 3 May 1919. The Bamberg Constitution was enacted on 12 or 14 August 1919, creating the You may want to see also The culture and mentality of Bavaria are distinct from the rest of Germany, with differences in religion, traditions, and language. Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. It is the largest German state by land area and the second most populous. Its capital and largest city is Munich, which is also the third-largest city in Germany. Bavaria has a unique culture, largely due to its Catholic heritage and conservative traditions. This includes a distinct language, cuisine, architecture, festivals, and Alpine symbolism. Bavarian culture (Altbayern) has a long and predominant tradition of Roman Catholic faith. As of 2020, 46.9% of Bavarians adhered to Catholicism, with 17.2% following the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Traditional costumes, known as Tracht, are worn on special occasions, including Lederhosen for males and Dirndl for females. Centuries-old folk music is also performed, and traditional sports such as Aperschnalzen, or competitive whipcracking, are practised. Bavarians place great importance on food and drink. They are known for their dishes, such as Weißwurst ("white sausage"), and for their beer, which is traditionally served by the litre in folk festivals and beer gardens. Bavarians are proud of the Reinheitsgebot, or beer purity law, which initially allowed only three ingredients in beer: water, barley, and hops. They are also some of the world's most prolific beer drinkers, with an average annual consumption of 170 litres per person. Bavaria is also home to the Franconia wine region, which has produced wine (Frankenwein) for over 1,000 years. The production of wine is an integral part of the regional culture, with many villages and cities holding their own wine festivals throughout the year. Bavarians consider themselves egalitarian and informal, and their sociability can be experienced at the annual Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, which attracts around six million visitors each year. Bavaria has a rich artistic and literary history, with many notable figures having lived or spent significant time in the region. These include playwrights Bertolt Brecht and Thomas Mann, composers Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner, and painters Albrecht Dürer and Paul Klee. You may want to see also Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. It is Germany's largest state by land area, covering 70,550.19 square kilometres (27,239.58 square miles) and comprising roughly a fifth of the country's total land area. Bavaria is divided into seven administrative regions called Regierungsbezirke (singular: Regierungsbezirk). These are: Each of these regions has its own distinct culture, traditions, and culinary specialities. The capital of Bavaria is Munich, Germany's third-largest city, with a population of more than 1.4 million inhabitants. Other major cities include Nuremberg, Augsburg, Würzburg, Regensburg, Ingolstadt, Fürth, and Erlangen. Bavaria's landscape varies from the Bavarian Alps in the south, which include Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, to the rolling hills and forests of the Alpine Foothills, and the midsize mountain ranges of the Bavarian Forest in the east and Franconia and Swabia in the north. The state's two main rivers are the Danube and the Main. You may want to see also In 1871, the Kingdom of Bavaria became a federated state of the German Empire and was second in size, power, and wealth only to the Kingdom of Prussia. The Kingdom of Bavaria was preceded by the Duchy of Bavaria, which was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire and became the independent Kingdom of Bavaria after 1806. The modern German state of Bavaria, officially called the Free State of Bavaria, has distinct cultural traditions, including a language, cuisine, architecture, festivals, and elements of Alpine symbolism. It is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of Germany's total land area, and is the second most populous state. You may want to see also The official name for the German state of Bavaria is the "Free State of Bavaria". It is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total land area of Germany. It is also the second most populous state, with over 13 million inhabitants. Its capital and largest city is Munich, which is also the third-largest city in Germany. Bavaria has the second-largest economy among the German states by GDP figures, making it a wealthy German region. It has long had one of the largest economies of any region in Germany and in Europe. Its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007 exceeded €434 billion (about $600 billion). This makes Bavaria itself one of the largest economies in Europe, and only 20 countries in the world have a higher GDP. The GDP of the region increased to €617.1 billion in 2018, accounting for 18.5% of German economic output. In 2020, its GDP was €610 billion, putting it ahead of 22 of the 28 EU member states. In 2022, Bavaria's economy was ranked seventh within the EU, with a gross national product of €716.8 billion. The backbone of Bavaria's economy is its vibrant population of medium-sized enterprises, many of whom are acknowledged world market leaders. It is also home to global players like Adidas, Allianz, BMW, and Siemens. Approximately one-fourth of German DAX-listed companies are headquartered in Bavaria, and over 20% of all worldwide market leaders come from the state. Bavaria has the best-developed industry in Germany and the lowest unemployment rate. Its advanced and strong manufacturing sector and its role as Europe's leading ICT hub put it at the forefront of cross-industry digital innovation. It is the ideal base for national and international B2B tech leaders and start-ups. The state has strong economic ties with Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Northern Italy. The most important trade partners for Bavaria are the USA, China, and Austria. The most popular Bavarian exports are automobiles, chemical products, electronics, and machines. The automotive industry is the most important and best-developed industry in Bavaria. The state has four BMW and two Audi manufacturing plants, as well as the headquarters of both companies, R&D centers, and test tracks. Other important industries include aerospace and defense, oil refining, electronics, and medical equipment. Agriculture is also an important part of Bavaria's economy, with distinctive features such as hop growing in the Hallertau region, inland aquaculture of carps and trout, and the cultivation of asparagus. You may want to see alsoHeidelberg: Bavaria's Gem or Not?
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Frequently asked questions